Speakers and Session Highlights

NAPIM’s 2025 Annual Convention/Technical Conference Speakers

September 8 - 11, 2025 | Omni Charlotte | Charlotte, NC

Join us in Charlotte, NC to hear from leading speakers at the 2025 Annual Convention/Technical Conference. Learn about emerging topics impacting the industry and have the opportunity to participate in sessions led by impactful ink industry and top business leaders. Read more about this year's speakers below. *More information coming soon.*

Tuesday, September 9

8:30 AM -9:30 AM

Agitating the Ink with AI: Crafting Your Enterprise AI Strategy for Immediate Impact

Steve Metcalf is the visionary founder and CEO of IMAGINE AI LIVE, the world's first truly AI-native conference and event platform for enterprises and businesses. With decades of leadership experience in technology and digital strategy, including executive roles at Accenture and SAP-Ariba, Steve leverages his expertise as a Chief AI Officer to help organizations implement practical AI applications. His background as a successful CEO of a global industrial technology company in the printing and packaging space, combined with his passion for AI-driven innovation, makes him a sought-after advisor for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to startups, as he continues to champion collaboration and accelerate AI adoption across industries.

In this compelling keynote, Steve Metcalf will challenge conventional thinking about AI implementation in business environments. Drawing from his extensive experience working with enterprises across various industries, Steve will demonstrate how executives and leaders can leverage AI to drive significant business outcomes. Attendees will learn practical frameworks for assessing AI readiness, identifying high-impact use cases, and implementing solutions that deliver immediate ROI. Through real-world case studies and interactive examples, Steve will reveal how businesses similar to yours have overcome common barriers to AI adoption and transformed their operations. This session will provide executives with actionable strategies they can implement immediately, regardless of their technical background, to stay competitive in an increasingly AI-driven marketplace. Don't miss this opportunity to develop a clear, strategic roadmap for your organization's AI journey that focuses on business results rather than technical complexity.

Tuesday, September 9 

10:30 AM -11:30 AM

Digital Printing Technology Developments in Packaging

Paul Edwards has had a 30+ year career in the Digital Printing Industry, helping drive the analog to digital transition in print across multiple industries and applications.   He has delivered innovative printing systems and ink technologies to address new markets and to open new digital print application areas. Specific examples of Mr. Edwards achievements include the development of the first commercial Ink Jet label press and the first commercial UV LED Digital printer and ink system.  He has delivered digital ink and printing systems across multiple industry verticals including Labels, Display Graphics, Ceramic Tiles, Textiles  and Direct to Object packaging applications

It is very exciting times in the packaging market! The interest in implementing digital printing into the various packaging applications is at an all-time high. Driven by both an understanding of the benefits of digital print from a Brand perspective and the need to effectively address the reduction in average job lengths across the industry. This presentation outlines some of the major developments related to digital printing in packaging applications, taking a close look at printing systems, inks and coatings.

Wednesday, September 10

9:00 AM -11:00 AM

Keynote: Economic and Policy Update and Roundtables – What to Expect for the Remainder of This Year and Beyond 

Alex Chausovsky is the Director of Analytics and Consulting for the Bundy Group. He is a highly experienced market researcher and analyst with more than two decades of expertise across subjects including economics, manufacturing, automation, advanced technology trends, and business cycle analysis. He has consulted and advised companies throughout the US and Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia. In his investment banking advisory role, Alex is a trusted source of information for owners and executives of privately held firms who are seeking a business sale, acquisition, or financing.

Alex has delivered over a thousand presentations, webinars, and workshops to small businesses, trade associations, and Fortune 500 companies across a spectrum of industries, and is the go-to source of industry data and insights for business owners and leaders. Alex's analysis has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, on the BBC, and on NPR, and he is a Top Voice on LinkedIn.

2025 Technical Conference

Tuesday, September 9

1:00 PM -1:45 PM

Design Plastics Packaging for Recyclability using the APR Design® Guide - Scott Trenor - Association of Plastic Recyclers 

Scott Trenor is the Technical Director at The Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR). He is leading efforts on APR programs in design for recycling, recyclability testing protocols and global harmonization of packaging design and testing protocols. Scott has over 20 years of experience in the polymer industry with roles including Principal Scientist & Global Sustainability Lead in the Plastics Additives business at Milliken & Company and a Senior Scientist at Kraton Polymers.

Plastic packaging is ubiquitous in our modern society, serving as the primary materials for delivering products to the consumer. While these materials offer numerous advantages such as durability, cost-effectiveness, safety and versatility, their environmental impact, especially in the context of recycling, cannot be understated. We will explore hurdles and approaches to increase the recyclability of plastic packaging, how APR approaches design for packaging and how print and inks affect the recycling processes.

1:45 PM -2:30 PM

Microplastics 2025: Current Regulatory Landscape and Implications for the Printing Ink Industry - Lindsey Foster - BASF

Lindsey Foster is a Product Steward at BASF Corporation supporting the North American Resins and Adhesives businesses. In this role she navigates the complex regulatory landscape of product safety and provides strategic regulatory guidance to ensure compliance and promote sustainable practices. Prior to her current position, Lindsey served as the Environment, Health, and Safety Specialist for BASF’s Chattanooga manufacturing sites, where she focused on enhancing workplace safety and environmental stewardship. Lindsey holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Master’s degrees in Public Health and Environmental Engineering, equipping her with a strong foundation in both science and regulatory affairs.

2:30 - 3:15  PM

Key Technical Considerations in the Development of Food Packaging ( including formulation, design, and chemical aspects) -  Keith Vorst - Iowa State University

Dr. Keith Vorst serves as the Director of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Dr. Vorst worked in industry for three major packaging companies and automotive manufacturer prior to joining academia. Dr. Vorst has over 70 publications and 13 published or pending patents for plastics characterization, package design, contamination monitoring, medical device manufacturing, and polymer design.

Food packaging aims to preserve food quality and safety as well as to extend food shelf-life. Inks used on packaging play a crucial role in communication and safety of packaging structures.   Material selection, processing, modelling, and performance are important considerations during development.  The speaker will provide real world examples of specific formulation, preparation methodology, and/or physical or chemical interaction occurring within food packaging.

3:30 - 4:00  PM

PAGES: A Novel Solvent Free, Degradable Resin for Vat Photopolymerization - Maddiy Segal - Duke University

Maddiy Segal is a fourth year PhD candidate in the Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science Department at Duke University. Her research focuses on developing new materials for additive manufacturing and high-resolution 3D printing of implantable temporary medical devices. r. Keith Vorst serves as the Director of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Dr. Vorst worked in industry for three major packaging companies and automotive manufacturer prior to joining academia.

Poly(allyl glycidyl ether succinate) (PAGES) is a novel, ultra-low-viscosity polyester that enables high-resolution (100 μm), solvent-free 3D printing on standard DLP and CLIP platforms, producing parts with exceptional dimensional accuracy and virtually no shrinkage. Its printability, combined with tunable mechanical properties and controlled water degradability, makes PAGES a versatile resin system for precision additive manufacturing across a variety of industries.

4:00 - 4:45  PM

Lawter Lecture Series

4:45 - 6:00  PM

Supplier Showcases

Wednesday, September 10

9:00 AM  11:00 AM

Kenote Address and Industry Roundtables - Alex Chausovsky Current Economic Policy 

11:00 AM  12:00 PM

Printing Inks and Coatings as Packaging Circularity Enablers - Nikola Juhasz - Sun Chemical

Dr. Nikola Juhasz is the Global Technical Director for Sustainability at Sun Chemical, where she engages with internal and external stakeholders to formulate sustainability-driven technical strategies and oversees the corresponding innovation and product development programs across all of Sun Chemical’s pigments, inks, coatings and adhesives product lines and technology platforms. She represents Sun Chemical at key global cross-industry organizations focused on sustainability and the future of packaging, including the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), and the Color Pigments Manufacturers Association (CPMA), among others.

This presentation explores the pivotal role of printing inks and coatings in enabling the recovery of packaging materials, focusing on their influence over collection, sortation, and the recyclability or compostability of packaging waste. The growing impact and requirements of extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation in North America and Europe will also be addressed, emphasizing the need for innovation in ink and coating technologies to meet circular economy objectives and increasing regulatory demands. Cross-industry collaboration will be showcased through examples that illustrate how design choices can align with evolving sustainability frameworks.

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

How the Printing Ink Industry is coping with European Regulation - Cornelia Tietz - European Printing Ink Association (EuPIA)

Cornelia Tietz has been EuPIA’s director since March 2025. Her career in Brussels spans nearly twenty years, during which she held various positions in Cefic and ReachCentrum. Amongst other she was Secretary General of ESIG, the European Solvents industry group. She holds two Master’s degrees in Humanities.

This presentation will focus on those aspects of European regulation relevant for printing inks, from food contact material (including national regulation) over REACH and CLP to packaging topics. At the same time, it will be demonstrated how our industry is reacting  and can be prepared for regulatory challenges. This includes material for members, input to public consultation or own policies and charters.

1:45 PM - 2:30 PM

Food Packaging Migration Testing - Natasha Banke- INX International

2:30 - 3:15 PM

Packaging and Printing Innovation Deep Dive and Environmental Life Assessments  - Lokendra Pal - University of North Carolina 

Dr. Lokendra Pal is the E.J. Woody Rice Professor and University Faculty Scholar of Sustainable Biomaterials/Paper Science and Engineering in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at NC State University. The Pal 'Advanced Renewable Materials Innovation (ARMI)' Research Group focuses on sustainable materials research and advanced manufacturing innovation, leveraging green and sustainable chemistry, engineering, advanced modeling and simulations, and artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) to develop cutting-edge solutions that benefit society and the environment.

A printed package not only protects its contents but also engages consumers and reinforces brand identity. However, growing demand for sustainable solutions is transforming the entire packaging life cycle from conceptualization and material selection to manufacturing, printing and converting, logistics, and end-of-life management. This presentation will begin with recent innovations in packaging substrates, including printing technologies. Special emphasis will be placed on plastic alternatives and digitization, which offer significant opportunities for sustainability. The integration of functional inks and digital production presses is also expanding the potential of smart packaging. Finally, we will take a deep dive into environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools. Participants will learn how to assess the magnitude and significance of environmental impacts and translate emissions and resource use into impact indicators using tools such as openLCA and TRACI—empowering sustainability-informed decisions throughout the packaging development process.

3:30 - 4:15 PM

G7/ISO Standard Compliance and Digital Ink and Print - Mark Bohan - Konica Minolta 

Dr. Mark Bohan is Director Color Solutions for Konica Minolta Business Solutions, he where he responsible for production and industrial software solutions, works with R&D on hardware and software product development and is a Idealliance G7 trainer. He has carried out extensive research, technical and business assessments for users and manufacturers and continues to explore new opportunities. He supports the industry by serving on multiple boards and committees while also participating in standards worldwide.

This presentation will discuss how color management ensures consistent and accurate color reproduction across different printing processes. He will break down the essential steps involved in color management along with the tools to use and what to be aware of from a practical perspective depending on the print process. The print reference conditions used in color management will be discussed along with how to use them for optimal results. ISO standards continue to evolve and the current state of these will be reviewed, with specific reference to ISO12647-2 and how this interacts with specifications such as G7 with specific reference to both analog and digital processes.

4:15 - 5:00 PM

How Manufacturers are Increasing Uptime and Run Speeds in Sheetfed Offset Technology - Jeff Powalisz - Heidelberg  

Jeff Powalisz is a Key Account Manager at HEIDELBERG USA where he takes a consultative approach to helping customers purchase equipment, software, and services.  During his 30 years in the industry, Jeff has been an offset press operator, a press demonstrator, a Press Product Manager, and a Sales Account Manager, working with some of the largest commercial, packaging, and label companies in the world.

Recent advances in sheetfed offset technology that include automation, AI, and data analytics continue to keep this more than century old technology relevant.  Manufacturers continue to leverage these technologies to increase uptime and run speeds which ultimately lowers the cost of production.  This has contributed to the staying power of offset and has assured that it will continue to have a future in our industry.

Thursday, September 11

9:00 AM  10:15 AM

US Food And Drug Administration 2025 and Food Packaging - Panel Discussion: Bethany Woods - BASF, Naeem Mady - InterTek,Jim Bishop - Sun Chemical; Daniel Rubenstein- Steptoe&Johnson; Phil Berrier - PrintPack

10:30 AM  11:30 AM

State Regulatory Update - Rebecca McPhail and Adam Peer - American Chemistry Council

As Vice President of State Affairs and Political Mobilization, Rebecca McPhail helps ACC staff prioritize and define roles and positions on key state and local legislative proposals impacting chemicals and plastics. She also provides guidance for ACC’s political engagement activities and facilitates strong relationships and collaboration with independent state chemical industry councils.

Adam Peer promotes and advocates for policies that increase the sustainability and circularity of plastic consumer products and packaging at the American Chemistry Council (ACC) as the leader of the Plastics Sustainability Team. These initiatives help support ACC’s Circular Economy Goals to reuse, recycle, or recover 100 percent of plastic packaging by 2040.

This presentation will cover the latest, state legislative and regulatory developments and initiatives impacting the printing ink and packaging industries.

11:30 AM  12:30 PM

Panel Discussion:  Brands' Perspective on Color