More than 350 attendees gathered September 4-5 for TLMI’s Technical Conference, an association event held biannually in Chicago. Over the course of two days more than 70 presenters, session chairs and panelists led technical discussions and gave presentations addressing the narrow web converting industry’s current trends, challenges and opportunities at the conference’s “Turning Vision Into Reality” themed format.

The conference featured technical presentations and discussions involving expert speakers and panelists representing the entire supply chain: industry converters, suppliers and consumer packaged goods companies. TLMI’s goal with the Technical Conference is to ensure presenters are addressing those issues relevant to converters’ day-to-day operational issues and growth strategies, in addition to industry best practices.

TLMI President Frank Sablone comments, “This is TLMI’s eighth Technical Conference and the association’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that once again we exceeded attendance expectations. The TLMI Technical Committee and the conference co-chairs put a tremendous amount of time and effort into planning the event to ensure the presentations cover the topics that are truly relevant in today’s marketplace. This year the conference featured an extended session on sustainability and supply chain recycling practices, in addition to discussions about low migration ink trends, hiring best practices and flexo versus digital printing. This is an event that appeals to different company personnel levels including owners and C-level executives, plant managers, technical managers, and sales and marketing professionals. The TLMI Technical Conference continues to be a forum that delivers industry insight that drives both the success of our members, and of the greater industry.”

Conference presentation topics included Sustainable Labeling Solutions, Thin Materials, Ink Trending, Hiring Best Practices, Waste Measurement and Reduction, Flexo versus Digital Label Printing, Business Management Software, Prepress Color Management and Regulatory Standards. Throughout the two-day conference presenting converters also offered a direct glimpse into their own operations, sharing anecdotes about interviewing strategies, employee motivation strategies and production practices.