Paper 360
SuperCorrExpo® 2024 (SCE), September 8-12 in Orlando, FL, is the ideal setting for up-and-coming corrugated packaging professionals to not only see, touch, and demo working equipment right on the show floor, but also network with leaders, subject matter experts, and innovators.
Many see SCE as a golden opportunity for young professionals (YP) to learn, network, and grow. “SCE24 is about being future-ready, which is why it’s critical for YPs to be in attendance and participate in these industry conversations,” says TAPPI YP Division Chair Lena Decker. “We have an opportunity to see not only where the industry is going, but also to explore the roots from which our industry was built.”
Decker, a sales representative with Packaging Corporation of America, will be attending SCE for the first time. “I encourage my fellow YPs to take advantage of this opportunity to step outside of our comfort zones to engage in conversations and learn as much as possible,” she says. “For these few days we’ll have access to industry experts from around the world and see some of the latest technologies, which is a unique opportunity that we won’t have for four more years.”
Attendees under the age of 35 are invited to participate in a round of “BOXES/BINGO” at the TAPPI YP/AICC Emerging Leaders (EL) Networking Event, 4:30-5:30 p.m. September 8. Not your typical networking reception, attendees will be working the room with a purpose, finding individuals who fit the various characteristics noted on their BOXES board. Not only will it facilitate conversation, but participants will also learn fun and professional characteristics about their fellow attendees.
At the TAPPI Young Professionals & AICC Emerging Leaders Training, 5:00-6:00 p.m. September 9, attendees will walk through the process of setting three- to five-year career plans. They’ll learn the importance of planning, how to put the plan together, and how to facilitate conversations with their managers to set the plan in motion.
GATHERING THE WORLD
“SuperCorrExpo has a lot of international companies coming, so I’m really looking forward to that,” says Sara Young, senior lab technician, Packaging Corporation of America.
Young, a TAPPI YP member and chair of TAPPI’s Corrugated Testing Committee (Fiscotec), went on to say, “I want to understand corrugated packaging from an international perspective and see innovative new technologies from different countries. I don’t often have an opportunity to see how packaging companies outside the US operate—what their problems have been and various solutions they’ve tried—so I want to learn from this new perspective.”
Young encourages her fellow YPs to make the most of the SCE experience. “Take this opportunity to get involved in something new. Maybe you haven’t been able to attend many TAPPI events in the past, but SuperCorrExpo has a little bit of everything. Pick something that sounds interesting to you and put yourself out there, whether it’s YP training or maybe the Fiscotec or Corbotec lunch meetings. Explore all the options and try to make connections with different people.”
To learn more about SCE and to register, visit supercorrexpo.org. To learn more about TAPPI’s YP Division, visit yp.tappi.org.