Q: Reaching a 100 year anniversary is quite a feat for an organization. What qualities do you believe an organization must have in order to reach such a milestone?

A: It takes a dedicated and determined legacy of professionals to reach a milestone like this, and we owe our success to our members and most importantly, our volunteers. Our industry has transformed so much in the last 100 years, and I believe that TAPPI has transformed alongside it, at each and every step because of our strong connection with the people who make it successful, our members. Their ability to identify the desires of the industry has been essential in helping us fulfill those needs, and be proactive in identifying future trends and developments. From a strong student outreach, to an active meeting and event division, to a dedicated group of volunteer committees that meet regularly, TAPPI has been able to keep the flexible packaging industry educated and well-connected.

Q: Who is the ideal attendee for the 2015 Centennial Celebration Conference?

A: I would say any professional that wants to continue to grow within the industry, and one that wants to meet face-to-face with our modern day pioneers, learn from them and help develop what the industry will become in the next century.

Q: What kind of information will be presented at the Conference? (Can you elaborate on “Celebrating a Century of Achievement?”)

A: This really is a once in a lifetime event, as all of TAPPI’s 12 Divisions will be coming together under one roof for a dynamic technical program. Professionals, the experts in both industry and academia, will reflect on our progress as they make presentations; to address both “what have we learned” and “where is the potential?” This is such an exciting time in pulp, paper, tissue, packaging and beyond. Technological advances in polymers, laminates, coatings and packaging, a growing demand for hygienic products, a sincere focus on recycling, and the growing potential in bioenergy has TAPPI focused on many different fronts, ready to bring together peers for sharing developments, teaching lessons learned and developing best practices.

Q: Who is TAPPI PLACE’s ideal member? What kinds of information and resources will this member receive?

A: A curious professional with vision, someone who is seeking to expand their learning base and connect with peers. Many of our members, while they work in large organizations, need direct connections with professionals that do what they do, that hold the same position. You won’t find that person in the company break room. It’s through associations like TAPPI that these professionals are able to reach out and develop themselves professionally.

Q: When, where, how to register for the Conference?

A: You can register anytime online at tappi100years.org, plus see a full calendar celebrating our industry’s history, skim through photos, and read memories from and thoughts of members, and learn more about the innovative discoveries and breakthroughs by academic and industrial research groups over the past 100 years.

Q: Any additional thoughts?

A: We want to be sure that everyone is aware that all divisions will be participating with program content and the PLACE Division’s technical program team is putting together content that will be of interest to not only their audience but other divisions within TAPPI. With the TAPPI PLACE annual meeting being held in Nice, France this year, we hope that the 100 Year event will give PLACE members an opportunity to connect with their peers next year in the US also at this historic event.

TAPPI
www.tappi100years.org