The AIMCAL 2020 R2R and SPE FlexPackCon Virtual Conference will be held Oct. 19-23, 2020, in place of the in-person technical conference traditionally held each year. A completely interactive experience awaits attendees, exhibitors, and speakers who will participate from their homes or offices. Agenda details and registration information may be found on the AIMCAL website at https://www.aimcal.org/2020-r2r-usa-conference.html.
The switch to a virtual format adds a day to the meeting focused on flexible packaging, battery technology, and flexible and printed electronics. The agenda encompasses the full range of roll-to-roll technologies and developments with emphasis on sustainability-related advances and includes market overviews and plenary keynote addresses.
Day one (Monday, Oct. 19) opens with a welcome from AIMCAL and SPE, recognition of the first inductees in the AIMCAL Hall of Honor, an R2R extrusion coating market overview by Corey Reardon of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, and two short courses presented from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. The first short course is Slot Die Coating Technology by Mark Miller of Coating Tech Slot Dies. The second is How to Solve the Most Difficult Web Handling Challenges by Neal Michal of Converting Expert LLC.
Each subsequent day begins and ends with Virtual Exhibits and Networking. Daily sessions open with a trio of keynotes, include a brief break for Virtual Exhibits and Networking, and resume with presentations organized in four or five tracks focused on Flexible Packaging, Web Handling, Extrusion Coating, Vacuum Web Coating, Coating and Laminating, or Electronics Processing and Materials. At the end of each block of sessions, an expert panel answers questions from the audience. The conference concludes with a Virtual Happy Hour and Group Meetings.
Attendees can create a personal schedule of technical presentations, Direct Message people they know or would like to meet, and plan Video Meetings with any attendee, exhibitor, or speaker. A Presence Tracking feature allows attendees to network in real-time with anyone who is on the same page. Context-aware Chat areas are visible on the right side of every conference page to enable discussion of the subject being presented.
Like the in-person event, the Exhibit Hall presents new products, services, and technologies. Each virtual exhibit includes a company profile and email, website, and social media buttons as well as a Direct Message option to contact a representative. Exhibitor pages also may include access to downloadable brochures and viewable videos, which may be updated each day of the conference.
The cost of the conference is $550 for members, $670 for non-members with discounts for groups from the same company. Check the AIMCAL website for the full agenda and to register.
