19th European PLACE Conference highlights challenges of balancing sustainability with product protection, TAPPI Journal July 2025

After its founding meeting in 2023, members of the newly formed committee began work on organizing the 19th European PLACE Conference, which was ultimately held this past May in Munich. The event marked a pivotal moment of both continuity and renewal. With a robust program featuring 38 presentations and 19 posters, the fully booked event was a resounding success, underscoring the enduring relevance and growing momentum of the conference.

Author: Peter A. Gellerich

ABSTRACT: The European PLACE (Polymers, Laminates, Adhesives, Coatings and Extrusion) Committee was founded in 2023 with the goal of continuing a biennial conference for the flexible packaging and converting industry, including converters, OEMs, raw materials suppliers, and academia. Previous iterations of the PLACE Conference were organized by TAPPI, but the new European Place Committee has now found a home within bdvi e.V. (Bund Deutscher Verpackungsingenieure), which is the Association of German Packaging Engineers, a registered nonprofit organization.