The AWA Global Release Liner Industry Conference & Exhibition 2016, to be held in Vienna, Austria, 13-15 April, is bringing new features to what has become the established industry forum and meeting point for the world’s release liner industry.  With Dean Scarborough, chairman and chief executive officer of Avery Dennison as conference keynote speaker and – on the opening day – a dedicated expert release liner recycling workshop, the 2016 event promises to be of real  interest to industry participants across the value chain.

Conference keynote
Dean Scarborough, with more than 30 years in increasingly-senior roles within Avery Dennison, is singularly qualified to discuss, in his keynote, two key aspects of the pressure sensitive industry today – opportunities, and sustainability. The conference opens, however, with the popular real-time industry survey with the delegates; and Corey Reardon, president and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, delivers the “instant” results and, following Scarborough’s presentation, provides his company’s in-depth data-based market update.  

High-level panel discussions
A central feature of the conference program is the executive leadership panel discussion featuring Michael Apperson, CEO of Loparex; Marita Paasch, COO of Mondi Advanced Materials; and Robert Hansen, CEO of Dow Corning Corporation; as well as Dean Scarborough, and moderated by Corey Reardon.  In parallel, a second panel discussion will bring together knowledge leaders in silicone and coating technology: Sean Duffy of Bluestar Silicones, Hans Lautenschlager of Wacker Chemie, Stefan Stadtmueller of Evonik, Alex Knott of Dow Corning Silicones, and Jos Delis of Momentive Performance Materials, moderated by Dr Pablo Steenwinkel, R&D Director, Avery Dennison Materials Group Europe.

Concurrent sessions – innovation and leadership
To enable delegates to pursue their special interests, an afternoon of concurrent sessions offers a choice:  an innovation workshop, “Growth through Innovation,” with a follow-up discussion, led by Michael Ohler, chief innovation officer, BMGI; or a discussion on successful leadership today, “Tales of Talent and Leadership,” led by Wilco van Zwieten, CEO, Papyrus Converting Services Ltd.

Market-specific presentations
Expert speakers across release liner’s many end-use market areas, from labels to graphics, medical, specialty tapes and industrial applications, as well as supplier updates, complete the formal conference program.

Recycling workshop
The new release liner recycling workshop and focus group that opens the event’s proceedings on April 13 features an update on current status from FINAT and examines key issues and opportunities in terms of recycling and sustainability and the importance of liner recycling to lower environmental impact, and ends with a discussion — and a call to action.

Setting the context
These important aspects of the event are supported by the accompanying tabletop exhibition and extensive networking opportunities, both in conference breaks and in the evening cocktail receptions.

Organized for the last 16 years by AWA Conferences & Events, and alternating between Europe and USA, the AWA Global Release Liner Industry Conference and Exhibition is strongly supported by platinum industry sponsors Avery Dennison, Dow Corning, Mondi, and UPM and gold sponsors Billerudkorsnas, Bluestar Silicones, Felix Schoeller Release, Infiana Group, Loparex, Sappi, Starkraft, and Wacker.

Full details of the conference program are available on the AWA website, www.awa-bv.com, where it is also possible to register online.