Arlington, VA, June 28, 2007 - PMMI announces the agenda for the upcoming Conference at PACK EXPO, a comprehensive education program that will help packaging professionals understand and respond to strategic business issues. Conference “tracks” will include Brand Protection, Converting, Cost Savings, E-Machinery, Material Advances, Processing, Safety, Sustainability, Track & Trace and Upgrading Operations.

Keynote presentations from high-level executives at influential packaging groups, including Cal Dooley, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers/Food Products Association (GMA/FPA) and John A. Luke, Jr., chairman and CEO of MeadWestvaco Corporation, will be given each day. A third keynote speaker, Dr. David Acheson, Assistant Commissioner of Food Protection at the Food and Drug Administration, has just been added to the lineup.

Running from October 15-17, 2007 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Conference at PACK EXPO will be held in conjunction with PACK EXPO Las Vegas.

The Conference at PACK EXPO is divided into multiple time periods each day, with several concurrent sessions planned for each time slot. This flexible approach makes it easy for attendees to participate in the program while keeping other commitments during the show.

Within the conference tracks, attendees can choose specific presentations that cover a broad range of issues, including sustainability enhancement, anti-counterfeiting, Six Sigma, lean changeover, traceability, RFID technology and much more.

To help select sessions most suited to individual business goals, attendees can use My PACK EXPO™, an innovative pre-show planning tool. To access this free service, attendees simply complete a show registration form and short profile. Based on the data inputted, My PACK EXPO will intelligently mine the show’s database of conference sessions to generate a report customized to meet individual needs and interests. The report is hosted on a personalized, password-protected web portal that can be accessed 24/7. The My PACK EXPO feature will be available for attendees beginning in mid-August.

Discounted registration for the Conference at PACK EXPO is currently available online at www.packexpo.com. For registrations received on or before September 24, 2007, the cost will be $55 per session. Registrations received after September 24, 2007 and on-site will be processed at a cost of $75 per session.

Registration for the exhibits at PACK EXPO Las Vegas is required in order to register for the conference program.

Following is the Conference at PACK EXPO schedule (as of June 26, 2007). Abstracts of the presentations can be found on www.packexpo.com. Program updates will be added to the site on an ongoing basis.

Monday, October 15

10:10 – 10:50am
Keynote Presentation

Title: Consumer Confidence: A Shared Objective of the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry and Policymakers
Speaker: Cal Dooley, president and CEO of Grocery Manufacturers/Food Products Association (GMA/FPA)

8:30 – 9:10am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: M1
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Improving the Packaging Line from Throughput to Footprint
Speaker: Bob Risley, CEO, Materials Handling Systems, LLC

Session: M5
Track: Material Advances
Title: Emerging Stand-Up Pouch and Other New Flexible Packaging Innovations from Japan
Speaker: Neil Kozarsky, President, T.H.E.M.

Session: M9
Track: Sustainability
Title: Case Studies for Flexible Packaging Providing Improved Sustainability
Speaker: Jeffrey Wooster, Plastics North America TS&D, Dow Chemical

Session: M13
Track: Processing
Title: Hot Water for Sanitation
Speaker: Tammy Collins, Sales Manager/Applications Advisor, QuikWater

Session: M19
Track: Converting
Title: Emerging Flexographic Plate Technologies
Speaker: Paul Lancelle, Green Bay Engraving

9:20 – 10:00am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: M2
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Improving Profitability of Packaging Operations Using Real-Time Performance Management Software
Speaker: David Ray, Application Engineer, Parsec Automation Corp.

Session: M6
Track: Material Advances
Title: Shapely Metal Containers. Passing fad or emerging future?
Speaker: Heidi Slocumb, Marketing Manager, Silgan Containers Corporation

Session: M10
Track: Sustainability
Title: Sustainability as a Competitive Lever
Speakers: Wil Schoenmakers, Global Head of Consumer Products/Management Group; David Hatrick, Senior Consultant, Carmel McQuaid, Senior Consultant, PA Consulting

Session: M14
Track: Processing
Title: Use of PMO Mixproof Valve Technology to increase Productivity in US Dairy Plants
Speaker: Dave Medlar, President, Tuchenhagen Flow Components

Session: M20
Track: Converting
Title: Plate Mounting Solutions that Produce Quick ROI
Speaker: Jan Willem Boers, Managing Director, Polymount International B.V.

11:00 – 11:40am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: M3
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Technical Training Partnership: OEMs and End-Users Working Together to Create Best Practices
Speaker: PANEL: PMMI Technical Training Community of Practice

Session: M7
Track: Material Advances
Title: Knowing and Understanding the Hidden Costs in Your Packaging Operation
Speaker: Ingrid Cole, Group Technology Manager, North American Adhesives, National Adhesives

Session: M11
Track: Sustainability
Title: Maximum Performance – Minimum Packaging
Speaker: John Grainda, Global Marketing Manager, Alcoa Closure Systems International

Session: M15
Track: Cost Savings
Title: Dannon Improves Efficiency up to 40% using High Speed Video
Speakers: Jerry Shoemaker, Production Supervisor, Dannon; Russell Leonard, VP of Business Development, Monitoring Technology Corporation

Session: M21
Track: Converting
Title: If the Horse You Are Riding is Dead . . .
Speaker: Jim Coddington, BHS Printing Machinery

11:50am – 12:30pm
Concurrent Sessions

Session: M4
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Key Rules to Get the Best Out of a Development Project
Speaker: Axel Foerster, President and Managing Director, Rychiger AG

Session: M8
Track: Material Advances
Title: Advances in Breathable Polymers
Speaker: Dr. Donna L. Visioli, Senior Technical Programs Manager, DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers

Session: M12
Track: Sustainability
Title: Enhancing Sustainability through Intelligent Packaging Design for Source Reduction
Speakers: Henry Wischusen III, Director, President and CEO, Integrated Development L.C.; Dr. Aaron Brody, President and CEO, Packaging/Brody, Inc.

Session: M16
Track: Brand Protection
Title: Brand Protection in Packaging: Fighting Through the Noise
Speaker: Lynn Crutchfield, President, Brand Protection Alliance

Session: M22
Track: Converting
Title: Flexo Printing for Labels
Speaker: TBD, Radius Solutions

1:30 – 2:10pm
Concurrent Sessions

Session: M17
Track: Converting
Title: Web Coating - Atmospheric Solution
Speaker: Lee A. Ostness, Product Manager, Davis-Standard, LLC

Session: M23
Track: Converting
Title: How to Automate and Secure the Printing Workflow Process
Speaker: TBD, Senior Engineer, Global Vision

2:20 – 3:00pm
Concurrent Sessions

Session: M18
Track: Converting
Title: A New Level of Productivity with High Vacuum R2R Coaters for Packaging Film
Speaker: Andreas Weis, Director Web Business Unit, Applied Materials

Session: M24
Track: Converting
Title: Predictive Maintenance: A New Tool for the Converting Industry
Speakers: PANEL: Dr. L. Fenney, CEO, Sigmala Ltd; J. Round, Director, Sigmala Ltd; Dr. D. Brown, Reader, Institute of Industrial Research

Tuesday, October 16

10:10 – 10:50am
Keynote Presentation

Title: Coming Full-Circle: Sustainability throughout the Packaging Lifecycle
Speaker: John A. Luke, Jr., Chairman/CEO, MeadWestvaco Corporation

8:30 – 9:10am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: T1
Track: E-Machinery
Title: Distance Learning and Control: Tips and Techniques for Economically Monitoring Remote Packaging Lines
Speaker: Marcus Sandhoefner, Sales Manager, B&R Industrial Automation

Session: T5
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Lean Changeover
Speaker: John Henry, CPP, Changeover.com

Session: T9
Track: Brand Protection
Title: The Main Event - Metal Detection vs. X-Ray. Which Contaminant Detection Technology Will Win in the Long Run?
Speaker: Bob Ries, Product Manager of Metal Detectors and X-Ray Systems, Process Instruments Division, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Session: T13
Track: Processing
Title: The Benefits of Pre-Packaging Optical Inspection
Speaker: Tim Reardon, Industry Marketing Manager, Key Technology, Inc.

Session: T19
Track: Converting
Title: Upgrading & Modernizing Your Coating Equipment -- Do's & Don'ts Part 1: A Cost Effective Alternative to a New Coating Line
Speaker: John Pasquale, Senior Vice President, New Era Converting Machinery, Inc.

9:20 – 10:00am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: T2
Track: E-Machinery
Title: Tapping the Ethernet to Monitor Multiple Remote Packaging Ops
Speaker: Robert Bisbee, Vice President Operations, George Gordon Associates, Inc.

Session: T6
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Packaging Execution Systems (PES) -- A New Way of Thinking about Packaging Operations
Speaker: David DeJean, Director of Sales, Serialization Products, SYSTECH International

Session: T10
Track: Brand Protection
Title: Anti-Counterfeiting Options for the Packaging Process
Speaker: Gary Parish, President, Complete Inspection Systems

Session: T14
Track: Processing
Title: X-ray Inspection – The Future of Processing
Speaker: Robert Scott, Product Manager, Mettler-Toledo Safeline, Inc.

Session: T20
Track: Converting
Title: Upgrading & Modernizing Your Coating Equipment -- Do's & Don'ts Part 2: Modernizing Your Existing Drying Systems
Speaker: Dan Bemi, Regional Sales Manager, MEGTEC Systems

11:00 – 11:40am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: T3
Track: E-Machinery
Title: Here or There? Weighing the Feasibility/Costs of Jobsite vs. Offsite Systems Controls
Speaker: Mark Zelnick, President, Zed Industries, Inc.

Session: T7
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Six Sigma and the World of Packaging
Speaker: Joe Finan, Executive Analyst, Genesis Innovation

Session: T11
Track: Track & Trace
Title: RFID on thePackaging Level –How to Get the Chip on the Box!
Speaker: Gerald Steinwasser, General Manager, Muhlbauer, Inc.

Session: T15
Track: Material Advances
Title: Signs on the Road to Sustainable Packaging: What to Ask for, What to Say, and How to Do it.
Speaker: Dave Lunati, Director of Marketing, Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc.

Session: T21
Title: Upgrading & Modernizing Your Coating Equipment -- Do's & Don'ts Part 3: Drives and Controls Modernization
Speaker: Michael Murphy, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Circonix Technologies

11:50am – 12:30pm
Concurrent Sessions

Session: T4
Track: E-Machinery
Title: Leveraging E-Machinery to Stay Up and Running
Speaker: Jeff Suffet, Project Manager, Domino Amject, Inc; Paul Imaoka, Director Field Service, Domino Amject, Inc.

Session: T8
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Automation Solutions for Changeover and Uptime Optimization
Speaker: Helge Hornis, PhD, Manager, Intelligent Systems Group, Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc.

Session: T12
Track: Track & Trace
Title: Enhancing RFID Through Layering Other Technologies
Speakers: Peter Ettinger, President, Document Security Systems; Patrick White, CEO, Document Security Systems

Session: T16
Track: Material Advances
Title: Achieving Greater Profitability and Sustainability in the Packaging Supply Chain
Speaker: Brian Reilly, Senior Director, Innovation Institute, Georgia-Pacific

Session: T22
Track: Converting
Title: Upgrading & Modernizing Your Coating Equipment -- Do's & Don'ts Part 4: On-line Gauging for Coating Processes
Speaker: Mr. Ted Schnackertz, Strategic Accounts Specialist, NDC Infrared Engineering

1:30 – 2:10pm
Concurrent Sessions

Session: T17
Track: Converting
Title: Maximizing Converter Profits -- Recent Advances in Surface Treatment Technology
Speaker: Rory A. Wolf, Vice President, Business Development, Enercon Industries Corp.

Session: T23
Track: Converting
Title: Web Coating – UV Solution
Speaker: Erik Midlik, PRIME Systems

2:20 – 3:30pm
Concurrent Sessions

Session: T18
Track: Converting
Title: Expanding Packaging Applications Using Electron Beam Technology
Speaker: Richard Sanders, Sales & Marketing, Energy Sciences Inc.

Session: T24
Track: Converting
Title: Adhesion Promotion Using Flame Plasma Surface Treatment
Speaker: Joe Digiacomo, Flynn Burner Corp.

Wednesday, October 17

10:10 – 10:50am
Keynote Presentation

Title: Assuring Safety in the Global Food Market: Our Shared Responsibilities
Speaker: Dr. David Acheson, Assistant Commissioner of Food Protection, Food and Drug Administration

8:30 – 9:10am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: W1
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Competing globally: Are We Missing Das Boat? Technician Training in Germany
Speaker: John Kowal, Global Marketing Manager, ELAU Inc.

Session: W5
Track: Track & Trace
Title: Effective Recall Strategies Begin with Effective Product Tagging
Speakers: David Habib, Product Manager, MARKEM Software & Solutions, MARKEM Corporation; Jerry Horne, Solutions Key Accounts Manager, MARKEM Solutions, MARKEM Corporation

Session: W9
Track: Safety
Title: Selecting and Implementing a Safety Architecture (including Networks) to Provide the Most Cost Effective Solution for Your Packaging Equipment.
Speaker: Lyle Masimore, Business Manager, Safety Business, Rockwell Automation

Session: W13
Track: Processing
Title: A Realistic Approach to Traceability
Speaker: Patrick Pilz, CEO, CSB-System Int'l, Inc.

Session: W19
Track: Converting
Title: Focus for Profits
Speaker: Bill Bowie, Chief Operating Officer, Resin Technology Inc.

9:20 – 10:00am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: W2
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Secrets of Best-in-Class Manufacturing Operations: Based on a Real-Time Benchmark Study of CPG Operations
Speaker: Sudy Bharadwaj, CMO & Vice President, Solutions Consulting, Informance International

Session: W6
Track: Track & Trace
Title: RFID – Improved Logistics and Product Tracking
Speaker: Ed Housler, RFID Business Development Manager and Product Specialist, Siemens Energy & Automation

Session: W10
Track: Safety
Title: Using Drive-Based Safety Technology to Improve OEE
Speaker: John Wenzler, Corporate Account Executive, Bosch Rexroth Corporation

Session: W14
Track: Processing
Title: Tackling Waste and Process Line Inefficiencies by Using Real-Time Process Control
Speaker: Eric Doern, Design Engineer, FMC FoodTech

Session: W20
Track: Converting
Title: New Coating Technology for Improved Ink Release and Reduced Plugging
Speaker: Steven Wilkinson, ARC International

11:00 – 11:40am
Concurrent Sessions

Session: W3
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: Robotics - This Is Why It's Hot
Speaker: Matthew Job, Technical Director, Hartness Visy Automation, Inc.

Session: W7
Track: Track & Trace
Title: Automatic RFID Label Application - Keys to Success
Speaker: Ann Marie Phaneuf, Director of Marketing, Weber Marking Systems, Inc.

Session: W11
Track: Cost Savings
Title: Boost Profits and Sustainability with Optimized Purchasing
Speaker: Bill Petersen, Account Manager, Iconotech

Session: W15
Track: Processing
Title: Aseptic Processing: Innovation for Manufacturers, More Options for Consumers
Speaker: Jean Pierre Berlan, Processing Group Director, Tetra Pak

Session: W21
Track: Converting
Title: The Printer and the Human Factor: Pumping Solutions for Flexo & Gravure Printers
Speaker: Bill Mason, Sales Manager, Powerwise Ink Pumps

11:50am – 12:30pm
Concurrent Sessions

Session: W4
Track: Upgrading Operations
Title: OEE and TEEP – What Do They Mean? Are They Related and What Value Can They Give Me?
Speaker: Paul J. Zepf, Director of Engineering, Zarpac Inc.

Session: W8
Track: Track & Trace
Title: RFID Advanced Topics: Packaging as the Tag; Packaging Asymmetry
Speaker: Daniel P. Mullen (Moderator), President, AIM Global; Panel TBD

Session: W12
Track: Cost Savings
Title: A Cost Analysis of Printing Secondary Packaging Versus Ordering Pre-Printed Containers
Speaker: Graham Podmore, Secondary Packaging Product Manager, Videojet Technologies Inc.

Session: W16
Track: Safety
Title: New Generation of Chemical Dispensing Systems
Speaker: Thomas Braun, Business Unit Manager, Chemical and Packaging Products, Colder Products Company

Session: W22
Track: Converting
Title: Increase Profits by Aligning Your Assets
Speaker: Richard Henry, Vice President, Advanced Maintenance Solutions, Inc.

To register for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2007 or obtain more information, visit www.packexpo.com. You can also contact PMMI’s Show Department at (703) 243-8555; fax: (703) 243-8556; or e-mail expo@pmmi.org.

PMMI is a trade association whose more than 500 general members manufacture packaging and packaging-related converting machinery in the United States and Canada. PMMI’s thirty-two supplier members manufacture commercially available packaging machinery components. PMMI's vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging. Its mission is to improve and promote members' abilities to meet the needs of their customers. Visit www.pmmi.org for more information.

PACK EXPO Las Vegas will be held October 15-17, 2007 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The show will be co-located with the PROCESS EXPO, the Converting & Package Printing EXPO and the International Bottled Water Association’s 2007 Convention and Tabletop Trade Show. PACK EXPO International will be held November 9-13, 2008 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. PMMI also produces EXPO PACK México, the premier packaging show in Mexico serving the Latin American region. This show will be held June 24-27, 2008 at Centro Banamex, Mexico City, Mexico. Visit www.packexpo.com for more information.

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