Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), producer of FTA’s Annual Forum has announced “Trending Now” as the official theme of the 2017 event. More than 2,000 trend-setters, representing every segment of the supply chain, will attend the April 30-May 3 event, held at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix Hotel in downtown Phoenix, AZ, USA.

Forum’s agenda embraces today’s hottest topics and trends. Content will span the gamut on the critical business intelligence that’s trending now—that’s everything from tackling legal and regulatory issues to meeting the challenge of finding qualified press operators; up to and including ample analysis of disruptive technologies. Flexo’s essentials—inks, anilox rolls, substrates, plates and prepress practices, plus statistical process control–will also receive critical attention throughout the technical program.

The sessions are:
Flexo: Legals, Markets and Logistics
The “Press Crew” Crisis: Now Who’s Going to Run My Press?
Disruptive Technologies: Embrace the Possibilities
It’s All About Ink!
Let’s All Get RIPed: Practical Prepress
Pressroom Pressures
Corrugated
Not Only How to Use, But How to Choose: Flexo Consumables 101
Surveying Production Performance: Flexography 102

In addition, the program agenda will offer a complimentary pre-conference session, hosted by the Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC), dubbed #Research!

Program development is being led by Forum chairs, Paul Teachout, Nilpeter, and Bob Coomes, Plastic Packaging Technologies. Abstract review, speaker selection and session format determination is underway. The ultimate objective: build a stellar educational agenda of what’s trending now for launch in April 2017.

Coinciding with Forum 2017 is the INFO*FLEX Exhibition, which celebrates its 35 anniversary in 2017. The event takes place May 1-2 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Attendees can anticipate more than 300 of the industry’s top suppliers and their solutions, providing for two days of intensive networking activity and side-by-side comparisons of the latest technologies.  Over 85% of the total 310 booths have already been sold.