The Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada recently held its 93rd Annual Meeting in Montral. It once again proved its worth by providing a world-class forum for technical personnel and mill m…
The Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada recently held its 93rd Annual Meeting in Montral. It once again proved its worth by providing a world-class forum for technical personnel and mill management. PAPTAC’s committees hosted 41 sessions, and major issues such as biorefining and the impact of the Kyoto protocol were part of the program for discussion. The event attracted key personnel from 93 operations across Canada, and from 33 international mills.
Feedback from mill people after the meeting was generally very positive. In fact, constructive comments stated an interest in seeing even more running machinery, more interactive displays and more eye-catching inventions in EXFOR exhibits. These suggestions provide a challenge to our exhibiting companies in 2008, at which time EXFOR will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
For the majority of mill personnel, the PAPTAC Annual Meeting appears to be meeting its primary objectives in terms of:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT — a chance for technical personnel to upgrade their knowledge base, learn from one another, and solve problems collectively, and
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT — promoting awareness of new and emerging technologies that can ultimately lead to improved mill efficiencies and increased productivity.
Feedback from supplier-company representatives has been more varied. Many representatives stated their high degree of satisfaction with PAPTAC’s Annual Meeting and EXFOR. The main reasons given were:
* the tremendous opportunities to meet existing clients all at one time and at one place,
* the ability to generate new contacts and leads, and
* the strength of the technical program.
One first-time exhibitor put on a demonstration of its new portable welding machine, which attracted a lot of attention. The representatives were extremely pleased with the amount of potential new business and number of contacts that were made.
Some have raised concerns that attendance levels are not what they used to be. This should not be surprising since the industry today employs a significantly smaller workforce than five or ten years ago. Nevertheless, based on the 2007 registration list, key decision-makers from pulp and paper companies continue to attend the event since it provides exceptional value. PaperWeek International is still seen as the pre-eminent annual conference and trade show, and the most important meeting place for the industry.
From the perspective of the organizer, we must look back on the origins of the association and its Annual Meeting. The reason that PAPTAC exists is to create opportunities for improving the technical and professional capabilities of its members worldwide, and for the advancement of the pulp and paper industry. Is the event still contributing positively toward this goal? The answer is an emphatic, yes.
Our thanks to all those who contributed to the success of PaperWeek International this year. We look forward to an outstanding event in 2008 from February 4th – 8th.
PaperWeek International 2007 SUMMARY STATISTICS:
PAPTAC Annual
Meeting Delegates -774
EXFOR visitors-2 812
EXFOR Exhibitors -1 793
PAPTAC subtotal -5 379
Hundreds more attended activities organized by the Pulp and Paper Products Council and the Forest Products Association of Canada.
W. Robert Wood, Executive Director, PAPTAC
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