Association News
Plastics Decorating
Kathy Minnich, manager for North American Materials Engineering at Ford Motor Company, kicked off TopCon with an inside look at decorating trends and challenges for plastics in automotive interiors.
TopCon combined 22 technical papers with 23 industry supplier tabletops covering a wide array of subjects on plastics decorating/assembly innovations and technology.
The Supplier Trade Fair provided an opportunity for a variety of suppliers to network and discuss specific applications.
Topical Conference Drives into Ypsilanti
Over 130 attendees ascended recently upon Ypsilanti, MI, for the 2014 SPE Decorating & Assembly Division Topical Conference (TopCon) on June 10-11. The two-day event combined 22 technical papers with 23 industry supplier tabletops covering a wide array of subjects on plastics decorating/assembly innovations and technology.
TopCon kicked off with keynote speaker Kathy Minnich, manager for North American Materials Engineering at Ford Motor Company. Minnich shared an inside look at decorating trends and challenges for plastics in automotive interiors. "Kathy really set the tone for the conference," said Jeff Peterson, editor-in-chief of Plastics Decorating and one of the organizers of the event. "She provided enormous insight into what Ford and other car manufacturers are moving toward when looking at decorating options for interiors, which are becoming increasingly customized in response to consumer demand."
The Supplier Trade Fair provided a great opportunity for a variety of suppliers of decorating and assembly equipment/supplies to network and discuss specific applications. "The contacts I made at this year's TopCon have been better than at most of the tradeshows where we have exhibited," said Chris DeMell, technical sales manager, ITW Security & Brand Identity. "It was an excellent event with high-quality leads. Not only are the conversations and applications discussed substantive, but they are actionable as well. It was the perfect event to have focused conversations with key partners, customers and new prospects." Attendees had an opportunity to network with suppliers at the tabletops during an extended lunch period and after the presentations on the first day at a reception.
"This year's topical conference was a great success," said current SPE Decorating & Assembly Division Chairman Paul Uglum, Delphi Electronics and Safety. "The keynote speech by Kathy Minnich was received with great interest. We had speakers from Europe and North America who covered the latest in all aspects of plastic decoration and assembly. Attendance at both the conference and Supplier Trade Fair was up significantly from previous years, and the conference provided a great opportunity to both network and get answers to specific questions."
ANTEC 2015 to Co-Locate with NPE in Orlando
Inviting attendees to connect classroom theory with real-world solutions, ANTEC 2015 once again will co-locate with NPE in Orlando, FL, March 23-27. ANTEC, produced by the Society of Plastics Engineers, is the largest technical conference in the US for the plastics industry. The event attracts more than 2,000 attendees with 600+ technical and business presentations, plenary speakers, panel discussions, tutorials and an NPE-powered exhibitor floor. For more information, visit www.antec.ws.