2026 Agenda

5:00 pm 7:30 pm

Registration Open

Oneida Gate Lobby

5:30 pm 7:30 pm

Welcome Reception

Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

Meet the editorial staff and mingle with industry peers!

6:00 am 8:30 am

Exhibitor Set-Up

Atrium, 4th Floor Lobby and Legends Room

7:00 am 3:30 pm

Show Floor Beverages

Atrium, 4th Floor Lobby and Legends Room

7:00 am 8:30 am

Exhibitor Breakfast

Atrium, 4th Floor

8:00 am 3:30 pm

Registration

Oneida Gate Lobby

*Attendees will not have access to show floor before 9:00 am

9:00 am 3:30 pm

Expo Hall is Open

Atrium, 4th Floor Lobby and Legends Room

9:30 am 9:50 am

EDITORIAL SESSION Addressing Sustainability Through Flexible Packaging

This special Converters Expo educational session will focus on key market variables for material converters and consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers. The session will begin with an introduction that highlights key aspects of today’s material converting market, including factors affecting material selection for flexible packaging. Our special guest speakers will then address how Eagle Flexible Packaging, a leading manufacturer of flexible packaging solutions, is supporting sustainability initiatives. Discussion highlights will include:

• An overview of how key industry trends are impacting material converters and CPG brand owners.
• How the flexible packaging industry is evolving amid accelerating sustainability expectations and regulatory pressure related to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• A look at the industry’s transition to mono-material flexible packaging structures.

Douglas J. Peckenpaugh, BNP Media
Ed Walenga, Eagle Flexible Packaging
Shannon Lancor, Eagle Flexible Packaging

10:00 am 10:20 am

VENDOR EDUCATION SESSION New Technologies for Web Guiding and Inspection

BST’s latest web guiding developments make improving web handling easier than ever across any application, while advanced inspection systems ensure products are manufactured exactly as intended. New web sensor innovations enable more precise guiding using edges, lines, and images, complemented by an upgraded controller design that delivers a more intuitive user experience. Together, these solutions analyze and verify every roll meets proper standards before leaving the factory, showcasing what’s new in the world of BST Web Guiding.

Ryan Arnold
BST

10:30 am 10:50 am

VENDOR EDUCATION SESSION Clarifications on 2027 Expiration of RoHS UV Mercury Vapor Lamp Exemption

Converters are increasingly concerned about the looming expiration of the EU’s RoHS exemption that allows manufacture, importation, exportation, shipping, and use of mercury vapor UV curing lamps until February 24, 2027. Will the exemption be renewed? What is the process, and what does this mean for converters who rely on UV curing both inside and outside the EU?

Jennifer Heathcote
GEW (EC) Limited

11:00 am 11:20 am

VENDOR EDUCATION SESSION Identifying Web Handling Problems Before They Happen: How Simulation Can Help

Tired of trial and error when exploring web process issues? What if you could test ideas and address web quality problems before they hit the production floor? In this session, we’ll show how simulation helps engineers predict tension issues, verify control strategies, and explore how new materials will behave — without wasting time or material. Using real-world examples and the MapleSim platform, we’ll break down how digital models can speed up problem-solving, and support making machine design improvements with confidence. Whether you’re new to modeling techniques or looking for smarter ways to reduce waste or boost your line efficiency, this talk will show you what’s possible with MapleSim simulation.

Chad Schmitke
Maplesoft

11:30 am 11:50 am

VENDOR EDUCATION SESSION Eliminating Roll Failure Through Reverse Engineering, Analytical Modeling, and FEA Validation

When a major industrial manufacturer faced recurring in-service journal failures on large-format oven conveyor rolls (a live personnel safety risk) PRS was engaged with no original design documentation. Through reverse engineering, analytical modeling, and FEA validation across fifteen assemblies, PRS identified a critical stress concentration at the pilot-to-flange radius that correlated precisely with field fracture locations. A targeted journal redesign increased the fatigue factor of safety by 28% through geometry alone, eliminating the failure mode and restoring operational confidence. In this case study, Cody Endries describes the process that helped one company to improve safety by identifying and averting future failures.

Cody Endries
Precision Roll Solutions

12:00 pm 1:30 pm

Networking Luncheon

North Balcony

1:00 pm 1:20 pm

VENDOR EDUCATION SESSION Modern Static Control in Converting: Challenges, Solutions & Impacts

This session will cover how static is generated in common converting applications, its negative effects on product quality, process efficiency, and safety, and the range of technologies available for effective static elimination. We will highlight the latest static control capabilities and their benefits for modern converting environments.

Cory Olson
Simco-Ion

2:30 pm 3:30 pm

Happy Hour

Atrium, 4th Floor

Close out the day with a winning play at the happy hour reception on the exhibit floor. Enjoy drinks and snacks while making final connections with fellow attendees in the iconic setting of Lambeau Field.

3:30 pm 5:00 pm

Exhibitor Teardown and Load-Out