In the release liner value chain, on both the supply and demand side, the “voice of the customer” is increasingly important, and it is the theme of the 2018 Global Release Liner Industry Conference and Exhibition, organised annually by AWA Alexander Watson Associates, which is being held next year in, Amsterdam, February 14-16, at the Hilton Hotel.  

The agenda for the 2018 conference is ambitious, and will span the many different markets for release liner, from pressure-sensitive tapes and labels to medical and electronics applications, and will feature presentations from leading companies as well as AWA’s expert global analysis of the markets’ current status and future directions.   The conference keynote presentation will be given by Jeroen Diderich, Vice President and General Manager EMEA for Avery Dennison Materials Group.  The event will include the annual real-time industry survey – and its results — conducted with the conference delegates, providing a live pulse measurement on the industry. 

Expert panel discussions and presentations
Panel discussions are central to the program. The annual Executive Leadership Panel, moderated by AWA’s President and CEO Corey M Reardon, will bring together Jeroen Diderich; Frederic Jacquin, Senior Vice President, Elkem Silicones; Simon Medley, CEO, Loparex;  and Petri Hakanen, Senior Vice President, Specialty Papers, UPM to provide a unique, high-level view of the industry.  Later, experts from the silicone and coating sectors will discuss their opportunities and challenges, and base materials manufacturers will share developments and innovation in their field.

Tabletop and networking
On-site registration begins on the afternoon of 14 February with a networking and connection building cocktail reception that evening, around the extensive supplier tabletop exhibition. At the end of the first day’s full session, the AWA Release Liner Industry Award 2018 will be presented, and the deserving winner celebrated at an evening event sponsored by Elkem Group. A broad cross-section of leading industry suppliers sponsor the event, including platinum sponsors Dow, Elkem, Mondi, Sappi, UPM, and Wacker.   

The AWA Global Release Liner Industry Conference and Exhibition 2018 is now open for registrations, and full program details and online registration are available on the AWA Alexander Watson Associates website, www.awa-bv.com.