A year on from the merger between ANZFTA and LATMA, the Flexible Packaging and Label Manufacturers Association (FPLMA) is holding its annual technical forum at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 19-20. The conference is aimed at attracting all levels of the printing industry and provides the perfect forum where professionals can network amongst their peers.
With the theme ‘The World is Graphically Changing’, the forum will focus on technical advancements within the printing industry. Tony Dalleore, FPLMA secretariat and general manager of MacDermid Graphics Solutions, says this emphasis on new developments makes it a valuable experience for printers of all stripes. “This forum is not just for label converters – it’s good for the printing industry as a whole to attend.
"In line with the Association’s mission, which is to impart technical knowledge to the industry, the forum will focus on pre-press workflows, production optimisation, and new innovations,” Dalleore said.
Among the presenters at the forum are keynote speaker Belinda Bronson, who won the Telstra Business Women's Start UP Award in QLD 2015; Bob Coomes and Paul Horton, from FTA US and Europe respectively; and Jake Nelson, labels and industrial print editor at Print21. “Complementing these will also be speakers from Germany, Italy, and Asia on the latest developments in digital presses and press development,” Dalleore said.
Areas to be covered include achieving manufacturing efficiencies; new technologies; developing productive and profitable talent; pre-press and colour management; and how external factors impact on printers’ businesses. The wide variety of international guests will be invaluable to local printers, says Dalleore: “Attendees will be able to assess the business models they currently employ and compare them to worldwide developments,” he said.
After the seminars are all over, the FPLMA will let its hair down at a glitzy awards dinner to be held at Metropolis on Southbank on Friday evening. Dalleore says the two former associations’ combined awards help present a united front for the industry. “The awards highlight the excellence that the print industry has on offer. This year, they’ve been further consolidated to represent a unified association,” he said.
Categories include flexo, gravure, offset, letterpress and digital, with several of these having special subcategories for wine and spirits. With judging underway, Dalleore has congratulated the industry on the high standard of entrants. “The quality of the entries continues to surpass judges’ expectations each year, and this year is no exception,” he said.
Online registrations for the forum close on October 11, and Dalleore invites anyone interested to sign up and plan their trip to Melbourne to attend what promises to be a highly educational event. “We strongly urge print professionals to attend this year’s forum at MCEC to learn the latest worldwide developments in the printing industry,” he said.