With approximately 30 percent of consumers now considering the environmental benefits of a product’s packaging in their purchasing process, brand owners are under pressure to deliver more environmentally friendly packaging solutions.

Glenn A. Wright, commercial vice president, North American Basic Plastics at The Dow Chemical Company, will help brand owners navigate through the packaging “hype” to discover packaging that can truly be helpful in achieving sustainability goals in a keynote address at the Conference at PACK EXPO. The session will be held Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 10:10 a.m.

The Conference at PACK EXPO, Nov.10-12, 2008, will take place in conjunction with PACK EXPO International, Nov. 9-13, at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. Both events are sponsored and produced by PMMI.

Wright and the Conference’s two other keynote speakers, Betsy Cohen, vice president of sustainability for Nestlé, and Trevor Cusworth, director, Deloitte Consulting LLP, will each explore the conference theme, “Change, Innovation & Sustainability.”

Mr. Wright’s speech, “Packaging - Elemental to a Sustainable Future,” will cover positive environmental, social and economic impacts of packaging and highlight real benefits that often go unnoticed. Consumer and industry data featured in this session will illustrate how packaging contributes to sustainability, and that when accompanied by education and industry collaboration, may not only benefit the environment, but strengthen brand capability as well.

Wright joined Dow in 2001 via its acquisition of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) and served as Marketing Manager for the Rigid Packaging market segment. From there, he served as the North American Supply Chain Director for Plastics and Global Supply Chain Director for the Solution and HDPE businesses. Most recently, he was the Global Business Director for low- and high-density polyethylene.

Nestlé’s Cohen will deliver the Monday, Nov. 10, address, “More Safety vs. Less Material? Where Does Packaging Go?” In her session, Cohen will discuss the challenges, conflicts and competing values packaging professionals must balance daily. On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Cusworth will present a high-level roadmap for translating a company’s sustainability vision into sustainable manufacturing practices in “Packaging Sustainability: From the Boardroom to the Break Room.”

Packagers can register for the keynote speeches and the entire Conference at PACK EXPO program at www.packexpo.com. The fee for registrations received on or before Oct. 21, 2008 will be $55 per session. After October 21, 2008 and on-site, the cost will increase to $75. Registration for the exhibits at PACK EXPO International 2008 ($30 prior through Oct. 21; $60 after) is required to register for conference program sessions.

The Dow Chemical Company will also sponsor The Showcase of Packaging Innovations™ at PACK EXPO, a gallery of hundreds of award-winning packaging designs from internationally recognized packaging associations. Packages nominated for the PACK EXPO Selects™ program, which recognizes best-in-class consumer packaging, will also be displayed here.

For more information about PACK EXPO International 2008, visit www.packexpo.com or contact PMMI’s Show Department: (703) 243-8555 or expo@pmmi.org.

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 24-27, 2008 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.