Betsy Cohen, vice president of sustainability at Nestlé will deliver the keynote address Monday, Nov. 10, at the Conference at PACK EXPO. Her presentation, “More Safety vs. Less Material? Where Does Packaging Go?” will dovetail with the conference’s overall theme of “Change, Innovation and Sustainability.”

The three-day conference (Monday, Nov. 10-Wednesday, Nov. 12) will be held in conjunction with PACK EXPO International 2008 (McCormick Place, Chicago; Sunday, Nov. 9-Thursday, Nov.13). Both events are sponsored and produced by PMMI.

Cohen will discuss the challenges, conflicts and competing values packaging professionals must balance every day.

A graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard Business School, Cohen received the St. Louis Business Journal's Most Influential Business Women award in 1999. She is also Nestlé Purina's board member for the St. Louis United Way and is involved in the Missouri Botanical Garden's Sustainability Committee, a world renowned center for biodiversity.

In her current role, Cohen coordinates sustainability-related matters throughout several Nestlé divisions in categories including beverages, confections, prepared foods and pet products. In addition, she is vice president within Nestlé Purina's Pet Products Company for a specialty line of products.

"Sustainability and the environment are at the forefront of global debate. With increasing legislation and pressure for environmentally friendly packaging, the challenge becomes understanding what sustainability means for your company and how to start applying its principles to your business," says Ben Miyares, PMMI vice president of industry relations and director of the Conference at PACK EXPO. "Industry leaders such as Nestlé are making great strides in defining successful sustainability practices and responding to market demands."

Glenn Wright, commercial vice president, North American Plastics, The Dow Chemical Co., and Trevor Cusworth, director, Deloitte Consulting LLP, will also present keynote addresses during the Conference at PACK EXPO. Cusworth will speak on "Packaging Sustainability: From Boardroom to Break Room" Tuesday, Nov. 11. Wright's session, "Packaging - Elemental to a Sustainable Future," will take place Wednesday, Nov. 12. Keynote sessions run from 10:10-10:40 am.

Industry professionals can register for keynote speeches and the entire Conference at PACK EXPO program at www.packexpo.com. Registration fees received on or before Oct. 21, 2008, will be $55 per session. After Oct. 21 and on site, the cost will increase to $75. Registration for PACK EXPO International 2008 is required to register for conference program sessions.

To register for PACK EXPO International 2008 or learn more about the show, visit www.packexpo.com.

About PMMI
PMMI is a trade association with more than 550 member companies that manufacture packaging and packaging-related converting machinery, commercially-available packaging machinery components, containers and materials in the United States and Canada. PMMI's vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging, and its mission is to improve and promote members' abilities to succeed in a global marketplace. PMMI organizes the PACK EXPO trade shows: PACK EXPO International, PACK EXPO Las Vegas and EXPO PACK México. Learn more about PMMI at pmmi.org

PACK EXPO International will be held November 9-13, 2008 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. The show will be co-located with PROCESS EXPO and Converting & Package Printing EXPO. PMMI also produces EXPO PACK México, the premier packaging show in Mexico serving the Latin American region. This show will be held June 23-26, 2009 at Centro Banamex, Mexico City, Mexico. PACK EXPO Las Vegas will be held October 5-7, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit www.packexpo.com for more information.