The Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) has announced that “Power of the Past, Force of the Future” is the official theme of the 2016 conference. More than 2,000 thought-leaders representing every segment of the flexographic supply chain will attend the March 6-9 event, to be held at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel in downtown Fort Worth, TX, USA.

Forum 2016 will build on the 2015 event, which drew historic crowds and was labeled the best Forum to date, by FTA. Next year’s agenda features 10 brand new technical sessions that will impart new theories, exciting research and contemporary practices to an audience open to learning how to improve their process, productivity and the all-important bottom line.

Additionally, many of the sessions will depart from the traditional speaker/podium format to add a new layer for the conference delegates. The sessions are:

Direct Engraving: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Enhancing Digital Print with Flexography
Flexo International: 60 Minutes Around the World
Flexography 101: Define It!
Flexography 102: Control It!
FQC: Preparing for the Future
Hall of Fame Panel
New Tools for Your Prepress Workflows
Understanding the Customer FIRST

Forum will also offer a complimentary pre-conference session, hosted by the Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC) and dubbed: “Corralling Processes – Ride the Workflow.”

Forum chairs Jennye Scott, Berry Plastics Corp., and Paul Teachout, Nilpeter, are leading program development. Abstract review, speaker selection and session format determination is underway. The objective is to build a stellar educational agenda for launch in March 2016.

“The 2016 Annual Forum will prove to be one of the most informative meetings ever,” says Teachout. “It will cover a broad range of topics that will capture the interests of primary stakeholders for both converters and suppliers alike. Our goal was to create new and interactive sessions that engage the younger workforce and the challenges they face, as well as learning from the experts who helped form our industry. We will provide opportunities to tap into the minds of our Hall of Fame members, as well as to learn from the experts on FIRST and basic flexographic practices and principles. We will seek out an international perspective to learn more about global trends and how we can benefit from its market influence. We have a lot in store and are very excited about the lineup of speakers and topics. As they say, everything is bigger in Texas, so come and join the fun.”

Coinciding with Forum 2016 is its sister event, the INFO*FLEX Exhibition. Taking place March 6-7 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, attendees can anticipate a convention hall occupied by more than 235 of the industry’s top suppliers and their products.