NEW FORMAT! Tech Talks
The Annual Meeting officially kicks off with our new Tech Talks programming – short, informative presentations on new technologies impacting your business. Be sure to schedule your travel so you don't miss them! 

Topics include:
Automatic Changeover Wizard, Alex Tzakis, senior controls engineer, Triangle Package Machinery Company 
Here Comes the Judge: Risk Assessment for Your Machines, Kevin Owens, attorney at law, Johnson and Bell, Ltd.
Illumaguard®OEE Enhancement, Todd Abrahamson, director, Sales & Marketing, MGS
Horizontal and Vertical Pack System, Tim Hill, product manager, Pearson Packaging Systems
ACOPOS Trak System, Patrick McDermott, B&R Industrial Automation Corp.

Chairman's Dinner – not recommended for children 
The Emerging Leaders On the Rise Award winners will be recognized at the end of dinner. 
Note: If you have a reserved seat at the dinner, the table number will be noted on the back of your badge.
Dress: Jacket suggested for gentlemen.

e-Commerce Impact on Packaging and Production
Speaker: Brent Lindberg, principal and founder, Fuseneo, Inc. 
Retailers' e-commerce packaging and delivery technologies impact our personal and professional lives and as a result, the equipment solutions needed. Find out how Fuseneo is working with multiple brands and e-commerce fulfillment teams. 

10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
 

Spouse/Guest Program – Water Taxi Tour and Candle Making Class

Jump on a private water taxi to take a one-hour sightseeing cruise. You will be dropped off at Armature Works where you will take a hands-on class on the art and science of making candles which you will get to keep. After the class enjoy a native-inspired lunch at Ulele. A water taxi will return you back to the hotel.

Meet in the Marriott hotel lobby at 10:00 a.m. to depart on the water taxi. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Cost is $115 person.

10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
 

Customer Panel
Panelists:

• Jim Prunesti, vice president, Engineering, Conagra Brands
• James Couch, director, Operational Improvement, Strategic Sourcing & Services, Smithfield Foods, Inc.  
• Robert Champion, group engineering manager - packaging equipment, Nestle USA 

Moderated by: Matt Reynolds, editor, Packaging World 

Hear directly from your customers and how your equipment can help solve their operational challenges, including training needs on the plant floor, troubleshooting, machine connectivity issues, workforce availability and more.

11:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
 

A/R and Smart Glasses for Operations: Make. Move. Maintain.
Speaker: Joe Surprenant, senior director, Upskill
Learn how the latest augmented reality technology allows workers to get jobs done faster by connecting them to people, information and equipment they need while remaining hands-free.

Breakout Sessions

5 Things No One Tells You About Advertising ROI...But Should
Speaker: Sarah Loeffler, director, Media Innovation, PMMI Media Group
Moving the performance needle with packaging buyers isn’t easy. To help you optimize your next media investment, PMMI Media Group will identify changing audience dynamics, provide insight into five common campaign missteps and share several no-nonsense strategies for improvement.

OpX Leadership Network Work Product Overview: Request for Proposal (RFP)
Speaker: Jim Prunesti, vice president, Engineering, Conagra Brands
Learn about a brand new RFP solution that will benefit both OEMs and CPGs. This work product will help improve the chances RFP specifications are understood and project requirements are met. 

Demystifying Blockchain: What's It Good For? 
Speaker: Bill McBeath, chief research officer, ChainLink Research
Blockchains have many characteristics that make them potentially useful for supply chain and other interenterprise operations. This session will provide a clear and simple understanding of what blockchain is, what it is and isn't good for and the current state of implementations. 

12:45 p.m.
 

Networking Lunch – Everyone is invited.

2:00 p.m.

Buses Depart for the Plant Tour
Note: You are encouraged to use the transportation provided by PMMI.

4:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.

Networking Reception – Everyone is invited.
Join fellow PMMI members for refreshments.
Note: Buses will drop guests back at the hotel following the reception. Dinner will be on your own. 

9:00 p.m.
 

Contract Packaging Association: Customer Panel
Panelists: Aaron Bacon, sales manager, Aaron Thomas Company, Inc.
Charles Weinberg, general manager, Manufacturing Solutions International
Kevin Hall, director of Business Development, Contract Packaging, Menasha Packaging Company 
Moderated by: Ron Puvak, managing director, Contract Packaging Association
Contract packagers will share the latest trends in the contract manufacturing/contract packaging space, their equipment needs and daily operations challenges.

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

On TARGET Breakout Sessions
These sessions feature a deep dive on pressing industry topics in a combination of presentation and discussion format.

Electronic Interface with Your Customers and Prospects
Speaker: Andy Lomasky, director, IT, PMMI
Get up-to-speed on new privacy regulations in the EU and also Canada’s spam laws – plus cyber risk mitigation.

NEW Research: Flexible Packaging Trends
Speaker: Jeff Mansfield, senior vice president, Consumer & Industrial Goods, Proactive Worldwide
The flexible packaging market continues to see an influx of change and opportunity as organizations look for new and inventive ways to maintain food/product safety as well as make it attractive to consumers. This session will highlight findings from PMMI’s most recent market research on the flexible packaging industry and assist in understanding how things are changing and provide actionable items to help organizations stay ahead of changes and disruption.

Tools to Develop and Attract Your Future Workforce
Speaker: Alessandro Anzalone, PhD, dean, A.S. Programs, Hillsborough Community College
What works in attracting and developing the technical workforce needed by the industry? What are the main obstacles faced in attracting young minds and hands to engineering and technical fields fundamental to this industry? These topics, examples and success stories will be discussed in Florida's technical landscape. 

Keeping Your Customers Happy: Ways to Stay Connected from Chat Boxes to Texting
Speaker: Lori Highby, president/owner, Keystone Click 
Learn about how and why to develop your digital conversation strategy. Create a conversational growth strategy, identify and evaluate the best channels and tools to leverage for your business, and learn how to properly launch your overall conversational strategy. Hosted by: PMMI's Emerging Leaders Committee

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
 

Shirt Sleeve Plus Sessions
Join other PMMI members and pick a topic of interest in packaging and processing. Topics include:\

OpX Leadership Network
LinkedIn
Sales Processes
HR Overview

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Closing Networking Luncheon

Speaker: Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, author, Innovation as Usual (HBR Press)

Learn how leaders at all levels can become "innovation architects," creating an ecosystem in which people engage in key innovation behaviors as part of their daily work. Walk away from the Annual Meeting with professional and personal insights you can put into use back home.

• Business Intelligence Committee
• Emerging Leaders Committee
• Program Planning Committee
• Strategic Planning Committee
• Show Committee