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PROGRAMME

"TAPING OUR FUTURE"

67th Afera Annual Conference

The provisional programme can be found below. Please check regularly for updates.

We remind you that this year's Conference will kick off a day earlier than usual, starting on Tuesday, September 24th, with Committee Meetings. Members not actively participating in a Workstream of the Afera Flagship Sustainability Project are invited to attend this Meeting as observers. The Conference will officially commence on Wednesday, September 25th, with a luncheon at 13.00 EEST followed by the commencement of the Conference at 14.00. Please take this into consideration when arranging your travel and accommodation.

Tuesday, 24 September 2024

09.00 - 12.30

Afera Technical Committee Meeting - Room: Epidaurus I+II

Afera Marketing Committee Meeting - Room: Ephesus I

12.30 - 14.00

Luncheon for TC + MKC + AFSP Members - Prefunction Area

14.00 - 17.30

Flagship Sustainability Project (AFSP) Meeting Room: Epidaurus I+II
*All Members not involved in any of the AFSP Workstreams may observe this Meeting. Participants must register in advance via the registration form. Additional seating will be provided along the exterior walls of the Meeting.

Wednesday, 25 September 2024

11.00 - 19.00

Check-in at Afera registration desk - Hotel Lobby

09.00 - 12.30

Afera Steering Committee Meeting - Room: Ephesus I

13.00 - 14.00

Opening business luncheon of 67th Afera Annual Conference Prefunction Area

Conference Room - Grand Ballroom

Market Data & Trends

14.00 - 14.05

President's welcome & overview

Evert Smit, Director Scouting for Sustainability, Technology & Innovation – Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) / Afera President

14.05 - 14.15

Opening by Hosts: Setting the stage

Sonja Haug, Global ESG, Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Loparex / Afera Marketing Committee Chairperson

Brenden Drijgers, Marketing Manager, Kraton Corporation / Afera Marketing Committee Member

14.15 - 14.55

Keynote: Empowering the new era of business with AI: Manufacturing and beyond + Q&A

Christina Stathopoulos, Founder and CEO – Dare to Data (Spain)

14.55 - 15.20

Global and European market data report: Mordor Intelligence's commodity adhesive tapes global market size and share analysis: Growth trends and forecasts 2024-2029

Sasikiran Maddali, Research Manager for Chemicals & Energy – Mordor Intelligence (India)

15.20 - 15.45

Global and European market data report: AWA's Global specialty pressure sensitive tapes market 2024 plus trends and other insights
Anum Javed Beg, Market Intelligence and Business Insights Manager – AWA Alexander Watson Associates (The Netherlands)

15.45 - 16.30

Networking break - Prefunction Area

16.30 - 16.55

Insights into the global tape market from the Global Tape Forum (GTF)/CATIA Meeting, April 2024

Evert Smit – Director Scouting for Sustainability, Technology & Innovation – Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) / Afera President

16.55 - 17.20

Raw Materials for the adhesives industry: Trends and challenges

Dirk Weckesser, Senior Manager Scenario Planning & Strategic Projects, Polymers – Wacker Chemie AG (Germany)

17.20 - 17.50

Panel discussion with speakers and audience

19.00 - 23.00

Welcome cocktail & dinner - Hotel Oceana Pool Area

Thursday, 26 September 2024

09.30 - 14.30

Partners' excursion: Thessaloniki sightseeing incl. lunch

Conference Room - Grand Ballroom

Regulatory Affairs & Sustainability

09.00 - 09.05

Introduction by Hosts: Setting the stage
Sonja Haug, Global ESG, Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Loparex / Afera Marketing Committee Chairperson
Brenden Drijgers, Marketing Manager, Kraton Corporation / Afera Marketing Committee Member

09.05 - 09.30

Regulatory affairs: Upcoming E.U. legislation specifically affecting commodity and specialty tapes 
Maria Spyraki, Member of European Parliament (MEP) focussing on Chemicals, Energy Policy, Government Relations & Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) - European Parliament (Belgium)

09.30 - 09.55

E.U. environmental, social and governance (ESG): Risk management and insurance insights
Spyros Konstantis, Director and Partner – RULER consult (Greece)

09.55 - 10.20

The E.U. Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and sustainability in the adhesive tape industry: What to expect in detail on your business radar
Bastian Lehmann, Consultant – MPCG (Germany)

10.20 - 11.05

Networking break - Prefunction Area

11.05 - 11.30

Navigating European sustainability regulations: A focus on the significance of life cycle assessment (LCA)
Maria Pia Spinelli, LCA Analyst and Consultant– Ergo srl (Italy)

11.30 - 11.55

Demonstrating Afera's groundbreaking product carbon footprint (PCF) calculation tool for adhesive tapes exclusively to Afera Members: Its development process and significance to the tapes industry
Pablo Englebienne, Regulatory Affairs and Sustainability Manager - Afera (The Netherlands)

11.55 - 12.20

The functioning of Afera's PCF calculation tool: Status, features and different use cases, plus active audience Q&A
Margarida Gama, Senior Consulting Manager – Sphera (Germany)

12.20 - 12.45

Panel discussion with speakers and audience

12.45 - 13.30

Business luncheon - Regency Ballroom Terrace

14.00 - 18.00

Joint networking activity: '5 Senses' social tour in Thessaloniki

19.30 - 23.30

Meet in the Lobby to depart by bus for drinks and dinner at the Polis Convention Centre (https://polisconvention.gr/)

(dress code: smart casual)

Friday, 27 September 2024

09.30 - 14.00

Partners' excursion: Gerovassiliou Winery Estate in Epanomi area

Conference Room - Grand Ballroom

Current Tape Applications & Technology Highlights

09.00 - 09.05

Introduction by Hosts: Setting the stage
Sonja Haug, Global ESG, Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Manager, Loparex / Afera Marketing Committee Chairperson
Brenden Drijgers, Marketing Manager, Kraton Corporation / Afera Marketing Committee Member

09.05 - 09.30

Insights from the 2024 Global Tape Forum (GTF) in Shanghai and PSTC Tape Week in Orlando

Michel Merkx, Corporate Vice President and General Manager – American Biltrite Inc. / Board Member of Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC) (U.S.A.)

09.30 - 09.55

The end-user experience: How adhesive tape solutions made it possible to evolve to mass production of flexible electronics products: The barriers, experiences, and messages to suppliers and manufacturers of adhesive tapes
Barry Wild, Process Development Manager – FlexEnable (U.K.)

09.55 - 10.20

A dive into multi-process converting and the value of a network in product developemtn

Yvonne van Zadelhoff, General Manager – Tacon, Tape Converters Holland B.V. (The Netherlands)

10.20 - 11.05

Networking break - Prefunction Area

11.05 - 11.30

The end-user experience: IKEA's road towards lower greenhouse gas emission adhesives

Venla Hemmilä, Material & Technology Engineer – IKEA Sweden AB (Sweden)

11.30 - 11.55

Debonding on demand in view of the circular economy

Dr. Matthias Popp, Head of Adhesive Development - Fraunhofer-Institut IFAM

11.55 - 12.25

Panel discussion with speakers and audience

12.25 - 12.35

Key Themes and learnings: Putting the 2024 Annual Conference and European adhesive tape business into perspective

Hosts Sonja Haug and Brenden Drijgers - Afera Marketing Committee

12.35 - 12.40

Concluding remarks

Evert Smit, Afera President

12.40 - 14.10

Closing business luncheon - Prefunction Area

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