Themes and sessions

From May 27–29 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, FL, the GPF will have sessions on innovative types of packaging that snack and bakery producers can use for their products, as well as pressing industry issues. 

“The biggest issue in packaging today is sustainability,” comments Peckenpaugh. “All of Europe and an increasing number of U.S. states have passed extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation, and packaging converters and brand owners need to be prepared with solutions as these program stipulations roll out to the industry.”

This EPR discussion goes deeper than just the switch from multilayered laminate to mono-materials, he adds—it brings the entire packaging picture into focus, involving inks, coatings, closures, and more.

Sustainability is a core focus at GPF, and will be explored in sessions such as Driving Sustainability in Flexible Packaging (Thursday, May 28, 1:45–2:30 pm), presented by Latricia Fry, sustainability and market development manager, Inteplast Group. 

“Kicking off the event on day one, we will offer a high-profile keynote panel entitled A Flexible Packaging Roadmap to Navigating Extended Producer Responsibility [May 28, 8:30–9:30 am] featuring commentary on what brand owners and packaging converters need to know to comply with EPR programs rolling out across the industry,” adds Peckenpaugh. “This is information every brand owner and flexible packaging converter needs to know today to minimize EPR impact tomorrow.”

He also recommends checking out the three converter-led sessions to dig into more depth on specific EPR topics, such as aligning with existing and emerging recycling programs, an analysis of compostable packaging solutions, and scaling mono-material pouches for a truly circular economy.

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Other educational highlights include:

Pouch Digitalization: Evolving Strategies for Consumers (Thursday, May 28, 9:30–10:15 am), with Jonathan White, managing director, Mezzo Investment Banking and Jack Knott, CEO, marketing agency Group 1123. The discussion aims to change several prevailing beliefs, such as that digital print is limited to short runs; that analog and digital compete along a fixed cost curve; and that scale and centralization are required to optimize manufacturing.

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The State of Flexible Packaging (Thursday, May 28, 11:15 am–12 pm), presented by Dan Felton, Flexible Packaging Association. Factors related to packaging continue to present a challenge to CPG producers, with regulatory oversights and sustainability concerns being top of mind. Felton will offer an update on the state of the U.S. flexible packaging industry, including regulatory policy issues. 

Convenience and On-the-Go—Why Compostable Packaging is the Solution (Thursday, May 28, 3:30–4:15 pm), with Rodrigo Castaneda, VP and general manager North America, TIPA. Castaneda will share why certified compostable packaging is a practical solution for convenience-driven applications, covering key factors influencing brand adoption, such as performance, barrier requirements, machinability on existing equipment, and investment considerations. Attendees will learn how compostable pouches are being used today across the market.

Developing, Scaling, and Validating Monomaterial Pouches for a Circular Economy (Thursday, May 28, 4:15–5 pm), with Haley Rapp and Astrid Torres, Toppan Packaging Americas. The presenters will explore how flexible packaging converters are advancing fully recyclable monomaterial pouch structures using PE- and PP-based systems. Recyclability, performance, and manufacturability can be balanced across applications such as snacks, granolas, and confections. Conference-goers will learn about technical challenges, sustainability implications, and more.

Evaluating Regulatory Consistency of Post Consumer Recycled Content for Food-Grade Applications (Friday, May 29, 11:15 am–12 pm), with Kristin Edie, director of sustainability and regulatory, Charter Next Generation (CNG), and Jennifer Lott, technical director, SGS, a testing and inspection company. Packaging that also meets strict food safety rules has spotlighted how post-consumer recycled (PCR) resins can be produced and validated for FDA compliance. CNG, working with SGS and other customers, is running a study to evaluate FDA-compliant PCR films as a pathway to more circular packaging. 

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"There's real value in how the Forum helps me understand topics that I have little knowledge of; e.g. electron beam technology. What I learn here translates into higher bottom line profits for my customers,” notes Dave Considine, sales manager-packaging, Hermann Ultrasonics.

View the full conference agenda here.

Exhibitors

“Anybody that has anything to do with the pouch industry, which is explosively growing, is under one roof,” says David Haley, Distinct Packabilities (supplier of custom retail packaging and labels). 

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GPF attendees can visit the conference’s exhibit hall, where they can browse booth offerings from suppliers of flexible packaging materials, plus manufacturers of equipment, adhesives and coatings, films and substrates, chemicals and resins, and more.

The hall will be open the following times on Thursday, May 28: 

• 7:30–8:30 am
• 10:15–10:45 am
• 12–1:15 pm
• 3–3:30 pm
• 5–6:30 pm

Credit: BNP Media

Exhibitors include companies such as Berry Converting, BW Converting, Labthink International, Menshen Packaging USA, Inc., and others.

Networking events

“Global Pouch Forum offers the best of both worlds—a wealth of information presented in an intimate setting, with ample opportunities for networking,” Peckenpaugh shares, adding that the Clearwater area, including the conference’s host hotel on Sand Key, has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. 

This year’s conference will include plenty of time to network, such as:

• Sunset Beach Bash (Wednesday, May 27, 5:30–7:30 pm): A kickoff to the GPF, where attendees can relax with drinks and light bites, enjoying oceanfront views as the sun sets, and network with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors.
• Networking breaks, lunches, and receptions (May 28 and 29)
• Morning Yoga (Friday, May 29, 7 am): Conference-goers can start the morning feeling refreshed and energized with a session featuring gentle movement, stretching, and mindful breathing. This event is open to everyone, regardless of yoga experience.

"What I liked most about the Global Pouch Forum were the networking opportunities and reconnecting with industry colleagues,” shares Roger Stainton, president, Bossar. “It gave me a chance to step away from the regular work day to think 'outside the box.’”

Steve Fairfield Memorial Award

The Steve Fairfield Memorial Award for Flexible Packaging Innovation, sponsored by Skjodt-Barrett Foods, annually honors a top innovation or innovator in flexible packaging.

Use of flexible packaging continues to expand across a broad range of consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories, helping brand owners catalyze growth, drive category disruption and excitement, and reach new customers and markets. In 2007, Steve Fairfield, namesake of the award, began the process that led to the introduction of baby food and purées in pouch packaging, a move that reportedly revolutionized the category. Fairfield passed away in May 2024, leaving behind a legacy that will strive to inspire industry innovators for generations.

In March, Packaging Strategies announced sustainable solutions supplier AeroFlexx as its 2026 recipient of the award.  AeroFlexx, an Innventure company, challenges CPG brand owners to reimagine the possibilities for liquid products, it says, offering one flexible package that replaces the traditional bottle, closure, and label. 

On Friday, May 29, from 8:35–9:30 am, AeroFlexx’s CTO Cedric D’Souza will accept the award and present a keynote exploring the benefits of the company’s mono-material liquid packaging technology and illustrating its potential across multiple CPG categories.

For more information about Global Pouch Forum and to register for the event, visit packagingstrategies.com/global-pouch-forum.