The Flexible Packaging Association gives special  thanks FPA members The Dow Chemical Company, Ecologic, LLC, EFI, Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC, Flint Group, Kuraray, Nordmeccanica, NA, and Sun Chemical Corporation for their generous sponsorship of the Networking Events during the 2012 FPA Fall Executive Conference. The Conference will be held on Thursday, October 11, 2012 at the Hotel InterContinental in Chicago, IL from 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM. The Conference will examine key industry topics, and provide great opportunities to interact with senior leaders of the flexible packaging industry during the FEC Networking Events including the continental breakfast, general session breaks, networking luncheon, and evening reception. Online registration is now available at www.flexpack.org and hotel reservations can be made by contacting the InterContinental directly at (800) 628-2112.

FPA’s 2012 Fall Executive Conference includes an address from Matthew Dowd, a well known and respected political consultant, commentator and strategist, who will discuss the upcoming 2012 presidential election and provide his insight on American politics. Matthew will address FPA members and guests during the FEC networking luncheon. He is the coauthor of Applebee’s America: What Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Can Learn from Each Other, which examines the tactics used by two great politicians and a ground breaking company to thrive in an era of immense change. Matthew can currently be seen as a political contributor on ABC News, and pens a biweekly column called “Common Sense” for National Journal’s Web site.

The agenda for the 2012 Fall Executive Conference also includes a presentation from Mark Zinder, a financial professional who will discuss the trends and ideas actively reshaping business today. Mark will provide insight into market history, investor behavior and financial trends. A veteran of the financial industry, Mark began his career as an investment adviser with Dean Witter, and then became the national spokesman for Franklin Templeton Investments, before opening his own firm, Mark Zinder and Associates.

Conference attendees will also hear from Lynn Dornblaser of Mintel, who will discuss packaging opportunities for new product introductions; Nick Vafiadis of IHS, who will provide his bi-annual update on flexible packaging materials; a panel discussion on Social Media: Marketing, Technical and Legal Aspects. Panelists include Patrick Meyer of Wellx and FPA legal counsel Hogan Lovells; and the presentation of preliminary results of FPA’s market research examining New and Existing Materials: Claims and Insights. For more information on the 2012 FPA Fall Executive Conference, visitwww.flexpack.org