The AWA Global Release Liner Conference and Exhibition is one of the annual highlights of the industry’s calendar – and this year’s program is appropriately focused on market growth, technology, and innovation.

Taking place 29-31 March in Chicago, the event kicks off with a full day’s forum on silicone, coating, and material technology Chaired by Dr Patti Hubbard, Vice President, R&D, for Avery Dennison Materials Group North America, the forum will include a panel discussion featuring experts from Evonik, Dow Corning, Bluestar Silicones, and Wacker, and two concurrent in-depth expert sessions examining developments in the different technology pathways – silicone and coating and materials.

Insights
On the following two days, the full conference agenda firstly focuses on industry insights, and then takes a market and application ‘deep dive’. Chaired by Corey Reardon, President and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, the program features two keynotes. Michael Apperson, CEO of Loparex will examine the current state of the industry, and will ask ‘Where do we go from here?’. David Silverstein, CEO of business strategy consultants BMGI will look at ways to anticipate technology trends to create competitive advantage, manage new product development, and protect intellectual property rights.

Additional industry insights will be provided by Corey Reardon from AWA’s latest market statistics and on trends in pulp and paper by Greg Rudder, Editor, Pulp & Paper Week; by Mesirow Financial’s MD Bill Hornell on how to drive value through M&A activity; and on specific trends in resin and film raw materials/silicone raw materials.

Markets in focus
The next day’s agenda features overviews of major market sectors today for release liner – automotive and aerospace (from 3M) and consumer electronics (from Avery Dennison). The program also looks at the demands made by composites on substrates and liners in a presentation from Web Industries, and, from FLEXcon, on release liner in ‘the digital age’ of print and production. In the current release liner industry agenda, sustainability is becoming a major focus – and the issues and opportunities it represents will be discussed in full.

Complemented by a supplier tabletop exhibition and networking breaks, as well as evening social activities, the event will also feature the presentation of the AWA Release Liner Industry Leadership Award. The event is sponsored by industry-leading companies, including platinum sponsors Bluestar Silicones, Dow Corning, Mondi, Sappi, UPM, and Wacker.

Full program online
The AWA Global Release Liner Industry Conference 2017 will once again bring together all threads of this diverse industry value chain. The full program is now available on the AWA website, www.awa-bv.com, where it is also possible to register online.