If you want to learn how others in the contract packaging industry are successfully weathering the challenging economic times, and you want to network with your peers and participate in dynamic panel presentations, you won’t want to miss the Contract Packaging Association’s (CPA) 2010 annual meeting. The meeting will be Feb. 18-21 at the Naples Grande Beach Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection, in Naples, FL.
The theme for the meeting will be “Riding Out the Storm: Lessons from Survival Masters.” Lisa Shambro, president of the Foundation for Strategic Sourcing, will be one of the keynote speakers. Shambro will speak on “The ‘New’ Contract Manufacturing and Packaging Industry.” She will provide a clear understanding of primary customer expectations, how the market has and will continue to segment in the future, and the questions suppliers need to ask themselves as they develop strategic plans moving forward.
A second keynoter will be Lisa Bodell, CEO, futurethink, an innovation research and training company. Bodell is a globally recognized leader in innovation, and she also serves as an adviser on the boards of the Institute of Direct Marketing in London, the Association of Professional Futurists, and the Institute for Triple Helix Innovative think tank, which is the only innovation initiative of its kind within the U.S. government.
Other speakers will include:
• Ron McPhee, past president of Weston Foods. He will speak on “Private Label: Contract Packaging and Beyond.” Currently, McPhee is focused on business strategy and development for Nutfarms Australia and also is working for New Jersey Bakers LLC on the feasibility of a new pharmaceutical product to assist in human digestive system diagnostics.
• Ben Gordon, founding partner of Ben Gordon Strategic Advisors, will discuss “Estate Planning: Exit and Valuations.” His talk will include an update on the mergers and acquisitions market pertaining to contract packaging and also give an owner’s point of view for exit planning and other preparations for contract packagers.
• Donald Tham, co-founder of Nulogy Corp. and professor and Industrial Internship Program coordinator in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Ryerson University in Toronto, will present “Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen Methods.”
• Eric Greenberg, an attorney and an authority in food and drug law and packaging law, will present “A New Day at the FDA.”
• James Grubb, partner at Performance Growth Partners Inc. and manufacturing and operations practice leader in the company’s Operational Excellence Division, will discuss “Profitably Green: The Time for Green has Come.”
• Jim George, editor-in-chief of Contract Packaging magazine, will moderate a panel of experts at leading consumer packaged goods companies who will share secrets of “Riding Out the Storm.”
• John Riley, CPA president, will talk about the history and future of the Contract Packaging Association.
Besides the speaker program, the annual meeting also will include the president’s welcome dinner cruise, a golf tournament, and other networking events.
For details on event and hotel registration, visit www.contractpackaging.org/annualmeeting. For information on the resort facility, visit www.naplesgrandresort.com. Additional information on the annual meeting also can be found on page 33.
