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25th Annual Conference
February 25, 2024 - February 27, 2024
$450.00 – $1,095.00
We're excited to be back once again with our annual Spring Conference!
Download our new flyer and invite a colleague to celebrate with us. We can't wait to see you there!
Event Information
Join fellow leaders in flexo platemaking to take on industry challenges and grow our businesses. This year's conference will feature workshops and keynote lectures from industry experts, technical presentations from industry suppliers, one-on-one networking, and more - all with the beautiful backdrop of Palm Springs, surrounded by mountain views and 36 holes of golf on site. See you in California!
Registration
- Nonmember (Single Ticket): $1095
- Member (Single Ticket): $995
- Member (Group Rate 3+): $595
- Guest/Spouse: $450
Location
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa
Lodging
The FPPA block of rooms has sold out for our Annual Conference. Click here to book your room outside of the FPPA room block (Pending availability).
Travel
The nearest airport to Indian Wells is Indio/Palm Springs (PSP) Airport which is 12.1 miles away. Other nearby airports include Ontario/San Bernardino (ONT) (76.4 miles), San Diego (SAN) (85 miles), Santa Ana (SNA) (88 miles) and Tijuana (TIJ) (89.7 miles).
Attire
Business casual for all sessions.
25th Annual Conference
Schedule (Subject to Change)
Sunday, February 25
6:00 - Welcome Reception/Dinner (Food, Fun & Networking), Sunset Terrace
Monday, February 26
7:00 - Breakfast, Grand Foyer
8:00 - Welcome, Grand 1 & 2
8:15 - "Advances in Sustainable Technologies", Ryan Vest, MacDermid
8:40 - "Applying Screening to Corrugated Plates – Is it Worth It?", Bob Hannum, DuPont
9:05 - "LED Optimized Plates; A Print Study", Dan Rosen, XSYS
9:30 - "Automation in Plate Making for Corrugated", Julian Fernandez, Esko
10:00 - Break, Grand Foyer
10:30 - One-On-One Platemaker/Supplier Sessions
12:30 - Lunch, Grand 4
1:30 - One-On-One Platemaker/Supplier Sessions
4:00 - Sessions Conclude
6:00 - President’s Dinner, Sunset Terrace
Tuesday, February 27
7:00 - Breakfast, Grand Foyer
8:00 - Keynote Presentation, Brian Foley, Bobst North America, Grand 1 & 2
9:00 - Industry Stalwart Panel, Dan Fry, MacDermid, Sam Merenda, Graphics 2 Press (Retired), Laura Wright, CSW Graphics
10:00 - Break, Grand Foyer
11:00 - Closing Remarks
12:00 - End
Keynote Speaker
Brian Foley
National Sales Manager - Corrugated Board at BOBST North America
Brian is the National Sales Manager for Corrugated Board for
BOBST North America and has been in the corrugated industry for over 24 years, following in the footsteps of his father who was a corrugated sales leader for 45 years. Brian joined BOBST's Corrugated team in September 2019 after spending over 20 years with Automatan and Inspire Automation.
Prior to being in the corrugated industry, he spent 15 years in the medical billing industry during the growth of remote access to mainframe computers and the transition to internet-based systems. He's dedicated to understanding customer needs and helping them achieve success. He and his wife, Nadine, live in Phoenix, AZ. They enjoy spending time and visiting with family, which includes their three children, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.
Industry Stalwart Panelists
Dan Fry, MacDermid
Dan Fry, Retired Portfolio Manager, Corrugated at MacDermid. Fry earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Delaware in 1981 and joining Hercules Incorporated that same year. He moved to MacDermid with the sale of the Electronics and Printing Division in 1995 and has since served in various Technical and Sales Management roles since joining MacDermid. He and his family live near Atlanta, GA.
Sam Merenda
Employed at Matthews International for twenty-five years where held positions of, sales representative, sales manager, national sales manager, and Branch Manager. Left Matthews in 2004 to start Graphics 2 Press. Retired from Graphics 2 Press in 2022.
Live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with my wife of 46 years, Jeanne near or children and grandchildren.
Laura Wright, CSW Graphics
CSW, Inc. provides prepress solutions to the packaging industry. The company is known for providing high quality products, technical expertise and support. Clients include Blue Triton Brands, P&G, Boston Beer, WestRock, Packaging Corporation of America and Rand Whitney. Laura has served on the boards of the Pioneer Valley Montessori School, the Flexographic Prepress Platemakers Association, MicroTek Inc., The Flexographic Technical Association and New England Public Media. She is an active member of the Flexographic Technical Association, the Association of Diecutters and Diemakers, and Associated Industries of Massachusetts. She graduated from Wesleyan University in 1988 with a B.A. in Biological Anthropology. She currently resides in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Colleen Larkin Twomey, Cal Poly State University
Colleen Larkin Twomey is a passionate Professor and Department Chair at Cal Poly State University's Graphic Communication Department who has 22 years of experience in consumer packaging and business. Colleen is particularly interested in how packaging influences consumer behavior, emphasizing sustainability and accessibility. As chair, she engages with students, faculty, and staff to create an inclusive curriculum and collaborates with industry experts on trends, mentorship, and internships. Her teaching and research interests include interactive packaging, packaging trends, branding, and printed electronics.
Technical Speakers
Dan Rosen
Director Sales National Accounts, XSYS Global
Joining the flexographic printing industry 37 years ago, Dan Rosen is a supplier in the field of photopolymer plates and pre-press equipment with XSYS Global. A contributor to Flexo Magazine and speaker at the FTA, and FPPA, Dan has served in manufacturing, technical service, product management, sales and marketing. His current position is Sales Director, North America, based in the Chicago area.
Julian Fernandez
Business Developer Manager Color & Flexo, Esko
Julian Fernandez is the Esko Business Developer Manager for the Americas. He has 33 years in the Graphic Industry, 13 of which in Production, and Prepress – Press, mostly for Packaging. Julian has expert experience in DuPont digital & analog color-proofing solutions; and Dupont Cyrel digital flexo plates. Julian holds a Degree Master's in Engineering and a post degree in Marketing.
Bob Hannum
Corporate Account Manager, Dupont
Bob is coming up on his 40th year of employment at DuPont and has been active in the flexo industry with the DuPont™ Cyrel® Solutions business for the past 33 years. He currently has dual roles as the North American Corrugated Segment Manager and Corporate Account Manager. Bob also holds two U.S. Patents.
He is a member of the FTA, FPPA, and AICC and is a current FPPA Board Member. Bob has presented multiple times at the FPPA Conferences and looks forward to presenting at the 2024 Spring Conference. Bob and his wife reside in Charlotte, NC.
Ryan Vest
Director of Innovation, MacDermid Graphics Solutions
Ryan Vest, Director of Innovation at MacDermid Graphics Solutions, has been key in the development of industry-changing technologies such as LAVA® thermal plate processing and the LUX® Flat Top Dot technologies. He is widely known in the industry for his expertise in liquid photopolymer and corrugated plate technologies. Vest earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Berry College in 1995 and his Master of Science (M.S.) in Chemistry from North Carolina State University in 1998, joining MacDermid that very same year. He and his family live near Milwaukee, WI.
Sponsors
