Driving Sustainability through Packaging: American Packaging Summit 2024 [Summit Recap]

For our fourth summit of the season, we headed back to "The Windy City" for our annual American Packaging Summit!

Welcome to Chicago!

From May 21-22, 2024 we hosted our 7th Annual American Packaging Summit at the Chicago Marriot O'Hare!  We want to thank everyone who attended for their participation and dedication to the success of the event.

Couldn't make it to the event or simply want to relive the unforgettable moments?

No need to worry, we've got you covered.

Dive into our comprehensive wrap-up of the Summit, where we'll take you through the key takeaways, memorable moments, and an in-depth breakdown of the Summit agenda.

Table of Contents

Day 1 Highlights

Day 2 Highlights

Conclusion

Testimonials

Day 1 Highlights

Day 1 of the 7th Annual American Packaging Summit began with an exciting welcome from our Room 1 chair, Sarah Keller, VP, North American Sustainability at Lindt & Sprungli. Her introductory remarks helped shape the engaging and insightful discussions that continued throughout the Summit! A special thanks to our emcees for the breakout rooms, Karmetria Burton, Ph.D., Senior Director, Global Supply Chain, Business Diversity, Corporate Strategy and Execution at McDonald's, and Oliver Campbell, Director, Distinguished Engineer, Product Development Engineering and Packaging Engineering at Dell Technologies.

To kickstart the event, Mike Walden, VP Innovation and Automation at Walmart took the stage for a very strong opening keynote. Mike dove into exploring the important role packaging plays in Walmart's Supply Chain modernization journey, and real-world examples of automation implementation at Walmart. 

Shortly after, we heard from Shimei Fan, Chief Scientific and Sustainability Officer at Coty, as she presented a plenary session on using sustainability as a key driver of innovation. She shared Coty's sustainability frame and journey to date, the importance of packaging innovation in deliver scope 3 de-carbon, and more! 

Next up was a plenary session hosted by Louis Flory, President and CEO at Effex Management Solutions. He discussed how to maximize packaging efficiency through innovative workforce solutions, including exploring the critical role humans play in packaging success, attracting top talent to maximize productivity and a current client success story. 

Following the captivating speaking sessions, we took a break to enjoy refreshments, network, and engage in pre-arranged 1-to-1 meetings. This intermission provided the opportunity for all participants to foster new connections and explore innovative business solutions.

Following the networking break, we began our first round of streamed sessions around Design & Innovation, Materials & Technology and Sustainability.  Attendees had the opportunity to hear from Laura Moffitt, Director, Packaging Design, Youth To The People at L'Oréal, Roman Cardenas, Flexibles Category Lead at Cargill, and Jennifer Boada-Rodriguez, Director, Global Oral Care Packaging at Colgate-Palmolive. These senior leaders discussed various aspects of packaging, including the secret to memorable packaging through creative design, and transforming + revolutionizing materials for a more sustainable future. 

Once we wrapped this round of sessions, we moved into our first round of workshops presented by our sponsors. Joined by Kevin Loecken, Account Executive & James McMonigal, PreSales Solution Consultant at Esko Brands, Mark Boska, Director, Sales, North America at Markem-Imaje, and Nate Pajka, Manager, Sustainability at Metsa Board Americas. 

Afterward, we transitioned into Lunch & Learn Roundtable Discussions, where industry experts engaged in moderated discussions about pressing issues in the field. These engaging conversations were led by executives from Metsä Board Americas, Intertape Polymer Group, Anthesis Group, Alder Color Solutions, LyondellBasell Circular & Low Carbon Solutions, and Keyshot by Luxion.

Following lunch, we returned to our session rooms for more industry-leading discussions. On the main stage, we had Karuna Scheinfeld, Chief Product Officer at Roots share her experience with empowering creative innovation through inspiring teams to explore new practices, and leveraging partnerships to drive interdisciplinary solutions and enhance consumer experiences.

In Room 2, Sushil Iyer, Head, Global Packaging at Kenvue explained the transformative science of sustainable packaging into superior product experience, including realizing the extraordinary power of everyday care for people and planet.

In Room 3, Kevin Eckerle, Director, ESG, Operations and Performance, Consumer Health at Bayer shared his insights into driving industry excellence, including a case study on how Bayer’s new packaging has reduced their plastic consumption and greenhouse gasses.

Wrapping up the sessions, we jumped right into our next round of workshops. To unveil the power of CTI's color-changing ink technologies, we were joined by Lyle Small, Founder and former CEO/President of CTI Chromatic Technologies Inc at CTI, Gerry O'Brion, Author at They Buy Your Because, David Lukshus, President & CEO at Cog LLC, and Pat Romelli, Senior Client Engagement Manager, Metal Deco at Olberding Brand Family.

Concurrently, Dan Gillespie, Director, Technical Services at Alder Color Solutions led a workshop on the topic of using color conformance to cut costs, time, and inefficiencies in packaging production and design. 

Jeff McMahon, Managing Director at Freepoint Eco-Systems Holding showcased Freepoint’s pioneering approach to recycling utilizing pyrolysis technology to convert non-recyclable plastic waste into new plastic and exhibited Freepoint’s state-of-the-art and record-setting advanced recycling facility.

Following these engaging sessions, we prepared for our next round of one-on-one meetings and a Networking Happy Hour.

A highlight of the day included our Women in Leadership Panel, which brought together six female industry leaders to share their experiences as women in the workplace. We were delighted to be joined by Judith Waletzky, Director, Global Industrial Design at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Karuna Scheinfeld, Chief Product Officer at Roots, Silvia Bezer, Director, Sustainable Materials Science at The Coca-Cola Company, Deepali Palta, Ph.D., VP, Global Innovation And Sustainability at Kellanova, Rachael Tomasello, Global Director, Strategic Capabilities Business Colleges at Mars and Jane Chase, Executive Director at Institute Of Packaging Professionals.

To wrap up the day, we held a Panel titled "Crafting a Sustainable Future Through Packaging," which featured six senior leaders from various packaging companies. A special thank you to Jeffrey Whitford, VP, Sustainability And Social Business Innovation at MilliporeSigma, William Dolak, Director, Product Sustainability at Walgreens Boots Alliance, Teo Medellin, Director, Corporate Packaging Sustainability at Procter & Gamble, Ame Igharo, Senior Director, Sustainability Strategy at Ulta Beauty, Jeff Bezzo, Executive Director, Plastics Sustainability at SC Johnson, and Jessica Black, Director, Sales at JBM Packaging for sharing their insights with us.

The day concluded with closing remarks, followed by a vibrant Networking Drinks Reception, bringing together our valued delegates, sponsors, and speakers to form new connections! 

Day 2 Highlights

Day 2 of the American Packaging Summit kicked off bright and early with a Networking Breakfast, followed by our emcee, Sarah Keller, providing their opening remarks to create excitement for the day ahead.

Joining us to present an engaging Opening Keynote was Oliver Campbell, Director, Distinguished Engineer, Product Development Engineering and Packaging Engineering at Dell. Titled "Igniting Sustainable Packaging: Future-proofing Innovation For a Green Tomorrow," Oliver shared a case study on how Dell implemented sustainable practices to achieve 50% of their product content and 100% of their packaging using sustainable by 2030, and more incredible insights.

Once Oliver's keynote concluded, we were joined on stage by Paula Steenstra, Director, Design and Packaging at McDonald's for her plenary session. Paula shared her knowledge on creating winning package design at McDonald's, and how to create distinct and memorable brand experiences. Thanks again for the WcDonald's merchandise, Paula! 

For our second plenary of the day, we heard from Aflal Rahmathullah, VP, Product Development And Engineering at Porex. Aflal shared his knowledge on improving the user experience with porous delivery systems, including enabling packaging innovation across CPG industries, and more.

After our initial Day 2 morning plenaries, we enjoyed our final networking break of the summit with more engaging 1-2-1 meetings and refreshments!

Post networking, we resumed our separate speaking sessions, starting with Stephen Cholowsky, VP, Global Packaging R&D at McCormick & Company. Stephen shared what packaging innovation and sustainability look like at McCormick, strategies for engaging consumers to make conscious purchasing choices through education and effective messaging, and more.

Judith Waletzky, Director, Global Industrial Design at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. took the stage in Room 2 to present her session on the topic of igniting packaging design strategies for unparalleled brand impact - developing new signature visual languages for unique franchises while maintaining overall heritage brand equity. Lastly, Brianne Maier, VP, Dairy Foods R&D and Culinary Center at Land O'Lakes spoke about packaging sustainability through setting goals, creating roadmaps, and building partnerships & talent. 

Returning back to a plenary session, Michael Prince, VP and Head, Warehousing and Jeff Czarny, VP, Packaging Development at Tyson Foods presented how to optimize the symbiotic relationship between packaging and warehousing through employing packaging designs that facilitate easier handling and storage, reducing time, labor, and damage in warehousing operations.

Our Lunch & Learn Roundtable Discussions featured four incredible sessions from the following industry leaders: Tricia Brady, Senior Director, Creative at Conair LLC, Jeffrey Whitford, VP, Sustainability and Social Business Innovation at MilliporeSigma, William Dolak, Director, Product Sustainability at Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Paula Steenstra, Director, Design and Packaging at McDonald's.

Following the insightful lunch sessions, attendees returned to Room 1 to hear the final Panel of the Summit: Elevating Your Packaging Career. The educational panel featured Jeff Czarny, VP, Packaging Development at Tyson Foods,  Rachael Tomasello, Global Director, Strategic Capabilities Business Colleges at Mars, Sushil Iyer, Head, Global Packaging at Kenvue, and Jane Chase, Executive Director at Institute Of Packaging Professionals. These four industry leaders discussed tips for utilizing the essential skills and knowledge to excel in the dynamic world of packaging, discovering how building a robust professional network can open doors to career growth and mentorship, and more!

The Summit concluded with a Fireside Chat around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Packaging industry led by Tish Archie Oliver, Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer at Unilever North America, and our emcee Sarah Keller, VP, North American Sustainability at Lindt & Sprüngli. A special thank you to Tish for sharing her insights on the importance of DE&I in the industry and helping wrap up the Summit!

A massive thank you to our emcees Sarah Keller, Karmetria Burton, Ph.D., and Oliver Campbell, for their hard work throughout the Summit.

In celebration of our attendees' outstanding participation, we're delighted to unveil our prize champions! A big congratulations to Ben Bergeson, Manager, Packaging at Ultradent who was our survey winner, and Jason Dudek, Director, Packaging Innovation at Ferrero USA, the networking superstar!

Conclusion

As we conclude our breakdown of the 7th American Packaging Summit, it is clear that the industry is at a pivotal juncture, driven by innovation, sustainability, and consumer-centric approaches. This year's summit underscored the necessity for packaging solutions that not only meet the functional demands of the market, but also align with the growing environmental consciousness of consumers and businesses alike. 

The insights and collaborations forged here will undoubtedly shape the future of packaging, fostering a more sustainable, efficient, and customer-focused industry. We look forward to witnessing the continued evolution and achievements in this vital sector, inspired by the visionary ideas and relentless dedication showcased at the summit. Thank you again to everyone for your contributions to this fantastic event!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR: 8th Annual American Packaging Summit | May 2025 in Chicago, IL

Visit the summit's website to learn more and secure your pass today!

Save your spot at next year's discussion as an attendee, solution provider, or speaker with early registration opening now! To keep yourself in the loop about upcoming Summits, explore our event calendar at generisgp.com/events. 

Testimonials

This is the best packaging conference. The breadth of the speaker lineup and their content is incredible.

        Oliver Campbell, Director & Distinguished Engineer, Dell Technologies

Great experience overall! It has been really great to hear how larger companies have scaled their efforts and has brought a lot of inspiration to our team for a more sustainable future.

It was great! Nicely organized and structured. A lot of nuggets of information that will help me in my everyday work environment. The event was certainly worth the time and expense to be here! Overall, a very professional, informative and productive conference.

This was one of the most inter-connected and personal conferences that I have attended. It gave each one of us some time to network and build the right connections. The team handled our onboarding, registrations and every other detail very meticulously! The panel discussions were very insightful too.

       Varsha Lakhwani, Category Lead, FGF Brands 

Fantastic! I appreciate the smaller format that encourages collaboration and networking. Topics are varied and interesting. Thank you for a very valuable 2 days!

         Catherine Price, Associate Brand Manager, Seagram’s Escapes

This is a great summit for a more in-depth look at packaging than a large packaging tradeshow. The topics were relevant and impactful.

The event never disappoints whether it’s the speakers, topics or location. The networking opportunity is second to none.

Learn more about our upcoming North American events and secure your spot today:

• American CIO & IT Summit | June 12-13, 2024
  
• American Medical Device Summit | October 1-2,2024
• American Food Manufacturing Summit | November 7-8, 2024
• American Automotive Summit | November 12-13, 2024
  
• ...and more 2024 events!

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