Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) has announced that registration is now open for Fall Conference 2017, themed “The Gateway to Technology.” This year, for the first time, Fall Conference will coincide with the Gary Hilliard Memorial Golf Tournament. Both events have been conveniently held during the same week at the same destination—St. Louis, MO, USA. Networking opportunities will therefore be greatly expanded.

FTA and program chair Rory Marsoun of Esko are in the process of finalizing each of the planned sessions at the conference, taking place at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, in St. Louis, MO, October 9-11. Speakers will be chosen for their passion, reputation and expertise in specific areas of the field relevant to each session.

Topics are focused on bringing innovation to the forefront. Presentations will be given by FTA’s Technical Innovation Award winners. Plus, attendees will get a glimpse into calibration, fingerprinting and optimization through the eyes of Flexographic Image Reproductions Specifications and Tolerances (FIRST). Following the conference will be a complimentary tour of the Mark Andy Inc. facility located in Chesterfield, MO. Transportation will be provided to and from the facility, located about 24 miles away from Downtown St. Louis.

Those looking to extend their networking skills and golf swing can attend the Gary Hilliard Memorial Golf Tournament on October 8, the Sunday prior to the Conference. Inspired by the memory of the industry’s longtime friend and colleague, Gary Hilliard, net proceeds for the outing will go to the Gary Hilliard Scholarship Fund. This year’s scholarship was bestowed upon Chris Teachout, a student at Central Piedmont Community College, as evidenced at Forum 2017’s FQC Pre-Conference Session, held in Phoenix, AZ in May. Tee times will begin around 12:30 p.m. at the Gateway National Golf Links in Madison, IL. The golf course is a close seven miles away from the Hyatt.

Those interested in reserving a tabletop to exhibit for the five and one-half hours of networking provided between sessions, time is built into the schedule for meet-and-greets between exhibitors and the 375+ attendees on Monday and Tuesday, October 9-10. With only 65 tabletops available, 25 have already been reserved. Visit FTA’s website to view a list of exhibitors already signed up. Contact Jay Kaible at [email protected] for more information or to reserve a spot.

FTA will be offering special early bird pricing for Fall Conference attendees who register by Friday, September 8. Hotel rooms have been blocked at a discounted rate, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch. For more information or to register for the events, visit here.