Couldn't make it to Milwaukee for the FTA? Here's a brief recap of the highlights!
The Format
The format of the conference was completely different from what we've seen previously. The half day sessions on Sunday and Wednesday were still in a keynote style session in the ballroom, but Monday and Tuesday featured presentations during the show for the full day rather than having sessions in the morning and the show in the afternoon. I think there were positive and negative aspects to this format. On one hand, I think it provided a lot of flexibility for printers and converters to balance the sessions along with meeting vendors. However, I think it was significantly less flexible for vendors in terms of booth management, session attendance, etc. There seemed to be a steady flow of traffic at all times, meaning it was easy to miss a session you wanted to see due to a spur of the moment discussion. Thankfully all the sessions are recorded and free to access for FTA members, so if you missed something, you can catch up later (which is what I'm doing!!!). The FTA also had some new opportunities such as onsite FIRST training and a session for first time attendees. As we face labor and experience challenges in our industry, I think these new additions make the industry more accessible to new people.
Hall of Fame
This year was particularly exciting because Catherine Haynes was inducted into the FTA hall of fame by our President and CEO, Dave Nieman. It was well deserved and we are happy that Catherine was recognized for her efforts to better the industry! (Read more here!)
The Sessions
The topics were varied this year and covered everything from AI in the industry, labor, the flexo/digital break, sustainability, and a lot of other buzzwords and key phrases I've been hearing a lot in the field. There were also some sessions from brands like Coca-Cola which I think was a critical perspective to share. I'm looking forward to reviewing the content I missed through the FTA's MemberConnect.
The Coffee
I was so excited to participate with the sponsored coffee cart as a part of LIFT (Leaders Inspiring Flexo's Tomorrow) and Women of Flexo. We had some great dialogue with people new to the industry and I hope to see some returning faces next year(and also hopefully some returning good coffee next year)! I think it is a good time to keep an eye on LIFT, we have a lot of dedicated members that are looking to grow the community and make a difference.
In Conclusion
It was great to see the FTA team working on strategies to freshen up the annual Forum. This is such an important event for our industry. I expect they will continue to massage the format to enhance the event experience for all. We are excited to be in Fort Worth next year! Be sure you don’t miss out in 2027!
What did you think of the FTA Forum this year? Comment below!