Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) 2016 Annual Forum, themed “Power of the Past, Force of the Future,” will officially kickoff with discussions from representatives of General Mills and Snyder’s Lance. The one hour and fifteen-minute session titled, “Understanding the Customer FIRST” will help printers get inside the minds of their customers to learn exactly how to meet print buyer expectations and requirements when it comes to print quality and continuous improvement.

Chaired by Robb Frimming, Schawk, and John Gleich, GROUP360 Worldwide, the session will serve as a conversation starter for the more than 2,000 conference delegates when Forum opens on March 6.

In her presentation, “Taking an Active Role in Print Quality Continuous Improvement,” Gail Wong, design logistics manager, General Mills, will reveal how her company makes it a top priority to review all aspects of print quality with its partners. Wong will stress the importance of following industry standards, abiding by accepted specifications, adhering to guidelines and taking advantage of the certification programs currently available to the marketplace. 

Jay Bradish, procurement manager, graphics and prepress, Snyder’s Lance, will then take to the podium to discuss his company’s “Expectations in Print Quality Management.” He’ll highlight how Synder’s Lance takes an active role when it comes to reviewing print results—especially for color consistency and quality—across all print partners and all substrates. He’ll also delve into how the final packaging is further evaluated by teams from Snyder’s Lance’s marketing and procurement departments for future strategic planning.

“For printers and other members of the supply chain who want to hear directly from the source—the print buyers—this session will be invaluable,” say Frimming. “It’s a great opportunity to hear exactly what they want and how your plant can make the necessary adjustments to ensure you are meeting their needs. No rock will be left unturned in terms of print quality, data collection and data utilization.”

Forum 2016 will take place from March 6-9 at the Omni Fort Worth in Fort Worth, TX, USA. Co-located with the event is the INFO*FLEX Exhibition, staged March 7 and 8 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, where nearly 250 of the industry’s leading suppliers will be on hand to showcase their latest and most revolutionary products and services. Each Forum registration includes entrance into the INFO*FLEX Exhibition.

To learn more or to register for FTA’s 2016 Annual Forum, visit www.flexography.org. Early-bird rates offer savings up to $350 and are valid through January 29, 2016. Special discounts for printer/converter registrants are available, as well as a “Buy two, get the third free” promotion. Consumer Product Companies are entitled to complimentary registrations.

Platinum Plus and Platinum sponsors of the 2016 Forum & INFO*FLEX Exhibition include: Esko; Kodak; 3M; Anderson & Vreeland, Inc.; DuPont Packaging Graphics; MacDermid Printing Solutions; Sun Chemical Corp., Vianord Engineering and X-Rite.