Themed ‘Taping Our Future’, the premier event for the European tapes business typically attracts more than 150 participants from 15 countries across Europe, Asia, the US and Middle East for networking and deep diving into tape business issues. Programme and registration information can be found at www.aferatapeconference.com.
“What those in our business are looking for is market intelligence, information and advice on regulatory and sustainability matters, and tips on the latest tape applications and technologies,” commented Astrid Lejeune, secretary general of Afera. “Our team scrutinised past-participant feedback and has formulated a programme we feel is the best fit for the needs of the business owners and decision-makers of our 120 member companies, who represent 80% of European tape manufacturers in volume produced.”
“We are thrilled to unveil our detailed programme for Afera’s 67th annual conference, which promises three different days packed with engaging seminars, insightful discussions and great networking experiences for both commodity and specialty tapes industry professionals,” added Evert Smit, who is president of Afera and director scouting (for sustainability, technology and innovation) at Lohmann. “Attendees get the opportunity to improve their business performance by delving into market data and trends, exploring economic indicators and prospects, navigating regulatory landscapes, uncovering the expectations of notable end users, and discovering the latest innovations in product development and company management, all with a focus on sustainability.”
Afera’s annual conference will feature three separately themed working sessions on each day: Market Data & Trends, Regulatory Affairs & Sustainability, and Current Tape Applications & Technology Highlights. Social activities have also been planned to frame and enhance each day’s schedule, such as a “5 senses” tour of Thessaloniki on Thursday and networking coffee breaks and organised conference lunches, drinks and dinners.
An exclusive pre-programme on 24 and 25 September also includes biannual meetings of Afera’s technical, marketing and steering committees, as well as an annual update on the association’s flagship sustainability project. Accompanied by media and industry attention, the AFSP will be introducing a draft of Afera’s product carbon footprint (PCF) calculation tool for adhesives tapes during the conference itself, along with holding a specific Q&A session.
The Thessaloniki conference’s energetic moderators, Sonja Haug, marketing chairperson of Afera and global ESG, and sustainability and regulatory affairs manager at Loparex Europe, and Brenden Drijgers, marketing manager at Kraton, will host 16 industry-related presentations for this year’s working programme, as well as panel discussions on each day. Seminars will include:
- Keynote: Empowering the new era of business with AI: Manufacturing and beyond
- Global and European market data report: Mordor Intelligence's commodity adhesive tapes global market size and share analysis: Growth trends and forecasts 2024-2029
- Global and European market data report: AWA's Global specialty pressure sensitive tapes market 2024
- Insights into the global tapes market from the Global Tape Forum (GTF)/CATIA Meeting, April 2024
- Raw materials for the adhesives industry: Trends and challenges
- Regulatory affairs: Upcoming EU legislation specifically affecting commodity and specialty tapes legislation
- EU environmental, social and governance (ESG): Risk management and insurance insights
- The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, European Sustainability Reporting Standards and sustainability in the adhesive tapes industry: What to expect in detail on your business radar
- Navigating European sustainability regulations: A focus on the significance of life-cycle assessment
- Demonstrating Afera's groundbreaking product carbon footprint (PCF) calculation tool for adhesive tapes exclusively to Afera members: its development process and significance to the tapes industry
- The functioning of Afera's PCF calculation tool: Status, features and different use cases, plus active audience Q&A
- Insights from the 2024 GTF in Shanghai and PSTC Tape Week in Orlando
- The end user experience: how adhesive tape solutions made it possible to evolve to mass production of flexible electronics products: The barriers, experiences and messages to suppliers and manufacturers of adhesive tapes
- A dive into multi-process converting and the value of a network in product development
- The end-user experience: IKEA’s road towards lower greenhouse gas emission adhesives
- Another end user to be announced.
Open to members and, on a limited basis, non-members, the conference is attended by more than 150 company delegates representing businesses along the adhesive tapes industry value chain: primarily manufacturers of tapes; raw materials, machine and packaging suppliers; converters of tapes; research institutions; national tape organisations, and other international counterparts, such as PSTC (North America), JATMA (Japan), CATIA (China) and TAAT (Taiwan).
Afera’s Thessaloniki conference is formulated and hosted by a focussed working group within its marketing committee:
- Sonja Haug, global ESG, sustainability and regulatory affairs manager at Loparex Europe (Germany)
- Brenden Drijgers, marketing manager at Kraton (The Netherlands)
- Benoît Pollacchi, global market leader of tapes and specialties at Bostik (France)
- Yasemin Seyren, business unit director at Organik Kimya (Turkey)
- Anita Barni, sustainability and innovation director at ICAP-SIRA Chemicals and Polymers (Italy)
- Mathias Goossens, managing director at ABI Tape (Belgium)
- Aris Venetis, area manager, credit control, logistics and board member at Atlas Tapes (Greece)
- Evert Smit, president of Afera and director scouting (for sustainability, technology and innovation) at Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
- Astrid Lejeune, secretary general of Afera
- Bathsheba Fulton, communications officer at Afera.
The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency. Rooms must be booked through Afera to obtain a special discounted group rate (using the exclusive booking code below), with a limited number available until 20 July 2024.
