Ronkonkoma, NY (Jan. 24, 2008) – Foundation of Flexographic Technical Association's (FTA's) 2008 Annual Forum, set to take place April 27-30 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas; will offer attendees unparalleled technical content to any other program in 2008.

Themed "FTA's Golden Anniversary: 50 Years of Making Flexo Stronger", Forum 2008 will boast 10 sessions, housing six presentations each. Sessions include the always popular Prepress as well as Business Management, Emerging Technologies, Flexo 101, and FIRST/FQC (Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances / Flexo Quality Consortium) This year's Forum also sees the return of the Sustainability Session, one of today's most pressing issues, and also welcomes the addition of two new sessions: Faster, Better, Cheaper and a Newspaper Session.

Nearly 2,000 delegates are expected to turn out for the 2008 event, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the founding of FTA.

Scott Gilbert, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, Forum 2008 chair, commented, "The Forum committee is working diligently to make certain that Forum's technical content is well-rounded and covers today's most pertinent issues. Attendees can look forward to relevant, engaging presentations, exciting new formats and an overall Forum learning experience that has immediate ‘take-home' value."

"We're encouraging attendees to move between sessions this year," added Mark Mazur, DuPont Imaging Technologies, Forum 2008 co-chair. He embellished, "Each presentation is scheduled to begin on the half hour. This way, attendees can easily attend whichever presentation meets their specific learning objectives. This was something that past attendees have specifically asked for and I am happy to announce that it's being delivered."

Forum Sessions
Forum 2008 will kick start on Sunday with the widely popular Prepress Session. There, attendees can anticipate learning about solutions to old and new challenges; namely: ever shortening lead times; educating print buyers as digital proofing becomes mainstream; increased customer expectations; achieving color on press as quickly as possible; and waste reduction. The session will conclude with information on how these latest advances aid flexo in the reduction of flexography's carbon footprint.

Right after the Prepress Session, be sure to save a seat for our popular keynote session. As in previous years, this is one fascinating session you won't want to miss!

At the Newspaper session, attendees will learn about the benefits of flexo from a newspaper's perspective; the impacts and implications of sustainability in the newspaper market; and new solutions to common pressroom challenges, to name a few.

Attendees in the Business Management Session will explore the answers surrounding today's most critical questions such as "How can I best meet customers' needs and expectations?" and "How can I handle capacity and capability challenges?"

Those who sit in on the Emerging Technologies Session will discover the ins and outs of today's innovations designed to complement flexography's capabilities and enhance speed to market.

For those new to the industry, or those needing a refresher course, the Flexo 101 Session will provide an overview of some of the basic principles and practices of flexo printing.

The FIRST/FQC Session will present ways to apply the near neutral calibration process using G7 technology; how to use statistical analysis to document press performance; and how to conduct research to understand the phenomena of plate performance as it relates to composition and process variables.

Attendees who want to learn how to do things Faster, Better, Cheaper will hear industry experts speak about the tools and techniques that will assist in this quest.

Forum's sessions will conclude with the multifaceted issue of Sustainability, where attendees will hear presentations such as: the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership; how to define and communicate sustainability with regards to flexo; and sustainable inks, substrates and solvents.

Forum Events
Coinciding with FTA's Annual Forum is the INFO*FLEX Exhibition, the flexographic industry's most widely anticipated and highly attended annual gathering of buyers, sellers, educators, students, and professional flexographers representing all aspects of flexography and in-line converting. The show floor is nearly 85 percent reserved with a sold out exhibit floor expected by show time.

Additionally, golden anniversary celebrations marking the 50 year founding of FTA are slated to take place during Forum & INFO*FLEX. Sunday night will play host to the ever-popular annual banquet and awards reception. On Monday, attendees are invited to a special 50th Anniversary Luncheon where FTA will unveil the hotly anticipated limited edition, 50-year commemorative journal. Finally, Tuesday night's special event, aptly dubbed the Golden Jubilee, will take place at the ever-popular SpeedZone^® race park.

The Early Bird rate (through March 14) for a Full Forum Registration is $895.00 for FTA Members and $1,790.00 for non-members. Registrations can be made online at the FTA Store or by calling FTA's customer service department at 631-737-6020.

Premier sponsors of the 2008 events include 3M; All Printing Resources, Inc.; ARC International; Environmental Inks & Coatings Corp.; Fluid Ink Technologies; Mekrom-Degraf; Rogers Corporation; tesa tape, inc.; Nazdar, Inc.; and Sun Chemical Performance Pigments.

Prospective attendees looking for more information about FFTA's 2008 Annual Forum & INFO*FLEX Exhibition, including sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and venue and hotel details, can point their browsers to the Forum section of FTA website.