This year’s Global Pouch West heads to Tempe, Arizona, with a dynamic program targeted to flexible packaging professionals doing business in the western U.S.

The fifth annual Global Pouch West will take place Nov. 13-15 at the Phoenix Marriott Tempe at the Buttes in Tempe. This conference is where brand owners, retailers and suppliers doing business in the West meet to network and discover the latest trends, markets and challenges in flexible packaging. The conference will feature 15 educational presentations over 1½ days, as well as an exhibition reception and numerous networking opportunities.

Global Pouch West is being headlined by Jan Tharp, interim president and CEO of Bumble Bee Seafoods. She will address changing expectation of consumers — especially younger shoppers — who seek healthy seafood in convenient formats. They want it to be healthy, fresh-tasting and minimally processed. Tharp will examine why innovations in pouches are opening new possibilities for the industry on retail shelves and in foodservice applications.

Another brand owner presentation will be delivered by Sergio Bolalil, packaging development manager for Hershey Mexico. He will explain how the iconic chocolate company is listening to its consumers to gauge the trends in the candy market and translate customers’ changing needs to advances in the company’s packaging. Bolalil will reveal how the company is putting that information to use in developing innovative packaging, especially in pouches.

The conference will cover a wide variety of topics, including a presentation on key growth opportunities for flexible packaging. Duane Neidert, head of consultancy for Smithers Pira North America, will examine how the demand for flexible packaging is growing globally. This will include key insights into current and future demand for flexible formats across different end-use markets. Neidert will also explore key emerging trends in such areas as closure innovations, the commercialization of biopolymer packaging, the demand for packaging for E-commerce sales and the potential of brand differentiation with digital printing.

E-commerce packaging and sustainability are other hot topics at this year’s event. There will be two presentations addressing flexible packaging’s potential to help brands and online retailers overcome the challenges of: product damage, total package cost and environmental impact. It is well-known that while flexible packaging offers major benefits in source reduction, it also faces obstacles in recyclability, now commonly expected by consumers. Two speakers will examine how companies can develop strategies to improve consumer acceptance of flexible packaging.

Other topics at the conference include:

• Maximizing Pouch Opportunities in the Modern Contract Packaging Industry
• ·Avoiding the Pitfall of Price
• How Flexible Packaging Machinery Technologies Are Evolving based on Market Demands
• Controlling Oxygen Ingress into Pouches
• Employing Consumer Research To Create Optimized Packaging
• PR 101: How Public Relations Can Drive New Opportunities in Packaging
• Explaining the Drivers in Packaging Industry Consolidation

For more information and to register, visit globalpouchwest.com.