What Happens When You Push the Dominos?
These days, if you don’t like the news, just wait a few minutes. (This advice also holds for the spring weather in Kansas.) The stock market has been on a wild ride, and tariff policy adjustments from Washington, D.C., have challenged all of us in trying to keep up. These shifting winds require patience, preparedness and the agility to respond to changing customer requirements … much like an association working to meet the needs of its members.
As we begin planning our annual conference (September 3-5 in Charlotte, North Carolina), these shifting winds bring challenges, including potential changes in budget projections, sponsor and exhibitor expectations and attendee travel approvals. Sometimes, it seems easier to let those dominos fall – but that wouldn’t best serve the membership.
Instead, we’re throwing ourselves into the game! Those involved in labeling or decorating plastic products – whether packaging or industrial applications – will hear from experts and peers in subjects ranging from economic policy and plastics market implications to automation, technology updates and problem-solving on the plant floor. We’re focusing on cost efficiencies and sending attendees home with a better understanding of not only how the plastics industry is responding to shifting winds, but also how their own operations can shift, too, to win the game.
I’d highly encourage you to get our 2025 Plastic Product Decorating Summit on your calendar. Someone should bring a set of dominos.
Registration is Open for 2025 Plastic Product Decorating Summit
The 2025 Plastic Product Decorating Summit will be held September 3-5 in Charlotte, North Caorlina. Hosted by the In-Mold Decorating Association and Plastics Decorating magazine, the event draws conference attendees from a wide range of market segments – OEMs, brand owners, molders, decorators, and those providing equipment and consumables.
The Plastic Product Decorating Summit brings together members of the plastics industry to learn, listen and discuss all types of direct-to-object plastic decorating and in-mold decorating, labeling and electronics applications. Registration for supplier tabletop exhibit space and attendees is open. More information, including programming and pre-event networking, will be available at www.productdecoratingevent.com.
IMDA Awards Competition Opens in May 2025
In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) will open its annual IMDA Awards Competition in May 2025. Entries from around the world will feature outstanding use of in-mold labeling (IML), in-mold decorating (IMD) and in-mold electronics (IMD) in packaging and durable goods applications. The 2025 IMDA Awards Competition is sponsored by the following leaders in in-mold technologies: Innovia, InkWorks Printing, KURZ, StackTeck, Sussex IM and Wipfli.
Early bird entries are accepted until June 25, 2025, with the final deadline for submission set for July 16, 2025. Winners of this year’s competition will be announced at the Plastic Product Decorating Summit, scheduled for September 3-5, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina (www.productdecoratingevent.com). Complete IMDA Awards competition information and entry form are available at www.imdassociation.com/imda-awards. For more information, contact IMDA at 785.215.8635 or email [email protected].
IMDA Welcomes Falcon Plastics
The In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) has welcomed Falcon Plastics as a new member to the organization that includes molders, label printers, material suppliers and equipment manufacturers. Falcon Plastics is headquartered in Brookings, South Dakota, with three additional US plastics manufacturing facilities and a partnership facility in China. Each of its locations offers production in different markets and focuses on agriculture, automotive, construction and industrial, electronics, medical, office products and recreational sports.