When FTA’s Fall Conference 2022 kicks off on October 11, it will be focused on one thing and one thing only: The future.
“This year’s conference will have sessions discussing different aspects of our industry’s future, including both business- and technology-related themes,” explains Program Chair PJ Fronczkiewicz of DuPont Cyrel Solutions. The three-day event will examine a groundbreaking print project, dive into forecasts for the flexographic industry’s short- and long-term outlook and offer attendees the chance to ask their most-pressing (and prepressing) questions to panels of technical experts.
Here, Fronczkiewicz answers FLEXO Magazine‘s questions about the conference, the inclusion of INFOFLEX and its networking opportunities, and why flexographers need to head to the Northern Kentucky Convention Center later this year.
Theme
FLEXO Magazine: Fall Conference 2022’s theme is “The Future Is Here.” What does the “here” refer to? The event? The present? All of the above?
PJ Fronczkiewicz: Definitely all of the above! During this year’s conference, we will be highlighting technologies and innovations recently available to flexographers that we believe will be the norm in the future.
FLEXO: What does the conference agenda have to say about the future of flexography, and how will it show flexographers what’s in store for the print process?
Fronczkiewicz: This year’s conference will have sessions discussing different aspects of our industry’s future, including both business- and technology-related themes. For the flexographic print process itself, here is where we will dive the deepest, specifically into technologies on the color management side that can get us even closer to the goal of more easily matching color on press. Being able to easily match color creates a ripple effect that makes other goals easier to achieve—from waste reduction to better uptime, sustainability and most everything in between.
FLEXO: What areas of production can printers expect to see presentations focused on?
Fronczkiewicz: This year’s conference will be heavily focused on color calibration and process printing.
Sessions
FLEXO: There’s a print project at the center of Fall Conference 2022. What’s it all about?
Fronczkiewicz: Yes! The key focal point of the conference will be a print project, where a team will demonstrate and compare the various ways (traditional and new) in which print curves can be created to calibrate and control process color output on press. The results will show which method most accurately matches a target profile, as well as the pros and cons of each approach.
FLEXO: How will the print project be dissected during the conference?
Fronczkiewicz: On the first day of the conference, a panel of experts will set the stage by explaining in detail the different calibration methods that were compared in the project. Then the entire second day will be devoted to taking the audience step-by-step through the process of how a printer would go through implementing these techniques using FIRST methodology. Finally, this will all culminate in an on-stage evaluation of the results achieved with each method.
FLEXO: What are some of the exciting elements of the project that attendees can look forward to hearing discussed?
Fronczkiewicz: This is flexography—It’s all exciting, right?! I would have to say the most exciting thing about the project is that we are actually going to put these methods to a head-to-head print test, while showing exactly how a printer can employ them in the plant. This is a rare instance of being able to have your cake and eat it too!
FLEXO: Benjamin Trent from Smithers will kick off the conference with a deep dive into a recent study of flexographic trends and growth patterns predicted for the next five years. How can printers use this data to inform their business’ direction going forward?
Fronczkiewicz: For business management and leaders, this insight alone would warrant attending the conference this year. Now that we are coming out of the pandemic—which had a tremendous impact on brand and consumer behavior—but still struggling with significant supply chain and labor issues as well as raging inflation, flexography’s future over the coming years isn’t the future we had envisioned pre-COVID.
Hearing what Ben’s new research has to say can shed some light on many topics that keep business leaders up at night—when and in what to invest, when we may see some relief and predictability, and what new markets or applications should be considered.
FLEXO: The final day of Fall Conference 2022 includes a pair of back-to-back panels comprised of prepress and pressroom experts, answering audience questions. What are some topics you expect to hear explored?
Fronczkiewicz: We felt these Q&A panels were the perfect conclusion to the print project. The results we show from the project will only be consistent if we have good prepress and pressroom habits. Our experts for these sessions have seen it all and are more than willing to share what they know regarding files, curves, plates, inks, anilox rolls and more.
INFOFLEX
FLEXO: INFOFLEX returns to Fall Conference 2022, with full-sized booths and expanded show hours. What’s the benefit of mixing a technical conference with an exhibition?
Fronczkiewicz: This is the best part about Fall Conference—Hear about new technology in the sessions, and then immediately follow-up the conversation in the exhibition with the folks involved. Since everyone attends both parts, everyone is on the same page of the discussion. It really is a great format for those that truly want to learn something. Not to mention, it sure is great seeing people live again.
FLEXO: How can printers capitalize on the opportunity to talk to solutions experts from 60 companies spanning the entire package printing workflow?
Fronczkiewicz: A good place to start is check out the exhibitor list before the show and note your “must-see” companies. And the expanded show hours this year will allow for even more time for booth-hopping, so hopefully you will get to visit everyone.
FLEXO: Why is networking such a quintessential part of the flexographic industry?
Fronczkiewicz: I’ve spent my entire career in flexography, so I’m not sure if other industries are the same or different in this regard. But my opinion is that since there are so many different pieces to the flexographic puzzle, there is an awful lot to keep up with on the supplier side that may be beneficial to your business. Networking—especially face-to-face—is extremely helpful in keeping you in the know about news and innovations across the entire field of players. And what better way to have these revealing and insightful conversations than at an event like Fall Conference, where we are all in one spot.
Wrap-Up
FLEXO: As Fall Conference 2022 program chair, what do you hope attendees get out of the entire event?
Fronczkiewicz: My hope for attendees at this year’s conference is very simple: To leave being glad that they came. Maybe you find the answer to a nagging print problem you’ve been fighting. Maybe you become inspired to implement a new color calibration method or decide to invest in a new piece of equipment. Or maybe you simply enjoyed catching up with old friends or meeting new ones.
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