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An industry in transition – 2010 EXFOR and PAPTAC Annual Meeting

In view of the socio-economic forces battering the industry, industry experts speaking at the Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada’s (PAPTAC) Annual Meeting and EXFOR trade show urged participants to transform their companies and…

In view of the socio-economic forces battering the industry, industry experts speaking at the Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada’s (PAPTAC) Annual Meeting and EXFOR trade show urged participants to transform their companies and propel the industry forward in new directions.

As one FPInnovations executive noted, “The good old days will not be back.”

The annual meeting took place February 2-3 in Montreal. Although the attendance didn’t quite reach last year’s level, there were still more than 750 participants who took part in the conference and trade show, making this a major annual event in our industry.

“We were extremely pleased with the quality level of the presentations during the 20+ technical and business sessions,” says Greg Hay, executive director of PAPTAC.

Both exhibitors and participants were pleased with the networking value of the event. The welcome reception on Tuesday and Wednesday’s business luncheon provided opportunities to socialize, and business sessions on climate change, carbon credits and energy management complemented the technical sessions and trade show.

“Never before has our industry faced such a myriad of internal and external change agents. This collection of change agents will stimulate and force an entirely different industry of the future,” said Jacquelyn McNutt, keynote speaker.

She predicts new product portfolios will emerge tied to public opinion and political will on the subject of carbon and climate change.

Biorefining continues to be a hot topic in paper industry circles. Several sessions addressed the technical aspects of converting existing mill assets to use biomass in novel ways, while other speakers took a more global view of climate change issues and alternative energy strategies.

As the annual gathering wrapped up with graduate student seminars on Thursday, participants went away knowing they had benefited from the shared wisdom of their colleagues in the local industry, as well as global experts in business and climate topics.