Afera Annual Conference 2019
The European Adhesive Tape Association’s premier yearly event took place 9-11 October 2019 at the Pestana Palace Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal, boasting the highest attendance rate ever, 10 intriguing future-focussed presentations, numerous networking opportunities and a beautiful location in one of Europe’s accessible and inspiring metropolises.
Focussing on “Making the Tape Business Future-Proof”, including its effect on the workforce, business models, supply chains, sales channels, technology, product development and the application process, the Conference provided over 150 tape industry professionals with the opportunity to interact with tape industry leaders, sales and technology drivers and field-expert speakers. Attendees came from 15 European countries plus India, Turkey and the U.S. and included delegates from businesses along the entire adhesive tape value chain: tape manufacturers, suppliers (raw materials, machine and packaging), converters, distributors, research institutions, national tape organisations and other international counterparts.
“I keep saying it every year, but it is true: This is one of the best Annual Conferences Afera has ever put on!” reported Evert Smit, Afera president and head of R&D at Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG. “Firstly, the event showed that there are a lot of topics and issues moving in the adhesive tape industry, and we were able to harness them for this event. And as Afera does, we will continue to build on them. Secondly, the human factor was secured, because we are a family—this group behaves like a family.”
“Year over year, the Annual Conference increases in quality and value to our Members,” explained Jacques Geijsen, Afera Marketing Committee chairman and managing director at American Biltrite, Inc. EMEA and ABItalia. “It is the perfect platform from which ‘competitive colleagues’ can form their opinions, and our participant survey feedback enables us to continue fine-tuning the event.”
Programme review: It's about more than just business intelligence
Committee Meetings and General Assembly
Outside the conference room
What participants had to say
Antitrust law
Photos
Event survey
Afera Annual Conference 2019
Working programme presentations (download for Members only)
The Lisbon Conference blog
AWA Global Specialty Pressure-Sensitive Tape Market Study 2019: discounted + special Europe edition for Afera Members
Content for the 2019 Afera annual event
Update on the changing environment of PSA tape raw materials
H.B. Fuller’s Global Business Manager of Tapes and Labels, Melanie Ott, tells us what affects feedstock prices globally. Read
Data and trends in tapes for the European building & construction industry
Evert Smit discusses the market trends, drivers and opportunities for manufacturers of B&C adhesive tapes in Europe. Read
Expanding opportunities for PSA tapes in the building & construction market from a North American perspective
PSTC Marketing Committee Chairman Graeme Roan tells tape manufactures how and why specifiers choose tapes for both residential and commercial/industry projects. Read
How do tape-related businesses, employers and managers attract future workforce?
At Afera’s recent Annual Conference, Deloitte Human Capital Consulting’s Christiane Schober elaborated upon her discussion of demographic change in the workforce, offering deeper insights into current workforce trends and anomalies linked to the tape industry. Read
Bioinspired polymers in medical adhesion
How Dr. Kamperman of the Univ. of Groningen is using her experience in polymer science, materials development and the study of natural systems to create a new class of surgical adhesives that could be used for deep tissue bonding. Read
Afera’s most recent Annual Conferences
2018 – Athens, Greece – "Innovation and digitisation in adhesive tape technology"
2017 – Turin, Italy – "The next Generation of Tape Makers and Users"
2016 – Hamburg, Germany – "Managing at the speed of change"
2015 – Marseille, France – “What is our next frontier?”
2014 – Dubrovnik, Croatia – “The future of the European adhesive tape industry: Technology, trends, and markets”
2013 – Taormina, Sicily, Italy – “Moving from survival to growth in the post-crisis tape market”
2012 – Madrid, Spain – “Sustainability: Hype or your chance now?”
2011 – Berlin, Germany
2010 – Stockholm, Sweden
2009 – Cracow, Poland
2008 – Florence, Italy – Afera’s 50th anniversary celebratory conference press release
2007 – Barcelona, Spain
2006 – Nice, France