The 2010 Global Pouch Forum offers a continuing testament to the rise in the pouch market, one of the fastest growing segments of the entire packaging market. The event, managed by Packaging Strategies and now in its 13th year, continues to attract a strong global audience sharing knowledge about the future of pouches and its continued penetration as a preferred packaging format. This year’s event will be held at the Sheraton Sand Key in Clearwater Beach, Fla., on May 11-13 and is expected to draw nearly 200 attendees.

The agenda for the 2010 Global Pouch Forum will continue the event’s dual-edged focus on both the future of the pouch and its worldwide advances. John Baumann, president and chief executive officer of Ampac Flexibles and head of one of the most prominent pouch and bag makers in North America, will kick off the event with a keynote address highlighting many of the issues and opportunities awaiting the pouch.

The event also will feature a look at some of the most innovative technologies and market opportunities for pouches, including an address by Neil Grimmer, co-founder of the Nest Collective, on the use of the pouch for his company’s acclaimed Plum Organics and Revolution Foods lines in the organic categories. Guido Kollbach of Henkel Corp. will discuss the advent of new curing technology for the pouch in that brand owner’s applications, while Amcor Flexibles will discuss the rise of pouches as an emerging trend in medical packaging.

On the global front, several eagerly anticipated speakers from Japan will address the Forum, continuing its long tradition of building awareness of worldwide innovation. On this year’s stage, managing director Toru Ichikawa of Hosokawa Yoko will discuss new packaging developments from Japan, while president Tsutomu Isaka of Japan’s Techno World will disclose new functional film materials for sustainable packaging.

European innovation will also be shared by Stefano Tamarindo, product engineering manager of Gualapack, who will disclose new technology combining electron beams with aseptic filling lines for pre-made pouches. And not to be outdone, Joerg Schoenwald of leading European research firm Shoenwald Consulting will offer his report on the development of stand-up pouches on that continent.

Several leading international issues also will be presented. Peter Agnew of Advanced Global Sourcing will talk about the rise of pouches in Asia and the integration of Asian suppliers by brand owners. And Peter Rozenski of Hilex Poly will discuss the hot-button issue of recycling and how it affects the pouch industry, while unveiling Hilex’s pioneering recycling system for pouch reuse.

Not to be outdone on the development front, Neil Kozarsky of pouch innovations firm T.HE.M., along with Frank Kelly of Zip-Pak, will offer the ZipBox, a combination of a pouch with a press-to-close zipper and a folding carton that is just being released in North America.

With so much packed into the 2010 Global Pouch Forum, this year’s event promises to be one that should not be missed for anyone interested in the pouch side of flexible packaging.

Global Pouch Forum
800-524-7225; www.globalpouchforum.com

Joseph Pryweller is managing editor of Packaging Strategies, a sister publication of Flexible Packaging.