- sugar land (houston), Texas
- 1-3 September 2026
Plastic Product Decorating summit
Schedule
2026 event theme:
Decorating 2.0: Technology that transforms plastics
*schedule subject to change
Tuesday, September 1st
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Registration
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Optional Event: Sugar Land Space Cowboys Baseball Game
Wednesday, September 2nd
General Sessions – All Attendees
7:30 – 8:30 am
Registration
7:30 – 8:30 am
Continental Breakfast and Supplier Trade Fair
8:30 – 9:30 am
Operational Efficiency, Economic Pressure and Market Demand: How to Succeed in Plastics
Keynote Speaker: Laurie Harbour, Wipfli
9:30 – 10:15 am
Brand Appeal: What’s Working in Product Decoration
panelists to be announced
10:15 – 10:30 am
Supplier Trade Fair and Networking Break
In-Mold technology breakout
10:30 – 11:00 am
Molding Simulation
to be announced
11:00 – 11:30 am
In-Mold Coatings
to be announced
11:30 am – Noon
Technical Test Procedures: Updated Guidelines from IMDA
to be announced
direct-to-object technology breakout
10:30 – 11:00 am
Surface Activation Technology
to be annnounced
11:00 – 11:30 am
Pad Printing
to be announced
11:30 am – Noon
topic to be announced
to be announced
Noon – 1:30 pm
Extended Buffet Lunch and Supplier Trade Fair
1:30 – 2:00 pm
Diversification in Plastics Labeling & Decorating: Good for Business, Good for Customers
Jim Naatz, Sussex IM; Lindsey Dimon, Falcon Plastics
2:00 – 2:30 pm
Beyond Laser Marking: How Laser Surface Texturing is Expanding the Role of Plastics Decoration
Dustin Will, RAYN Technology
2:30 – 3:00 pm
Why Decorating Projects Fail, and How to Set Them Up for Success
John Kaverman, Pad Print Pros
3:00 – 3:15 pm
Technology Focus: Inkcups
3:15 pm - 3:30 pm
Break and Supplier Trade Fair
4:30 – 5:00 pm
The Significance of Electrostatics in Decorating and Labeling Processes
Travis Baker, Muller Technology; Paul Uglum, Uglum Consulting
4:00 - 4:30 pm
UV Inks
to be announced
3:30 – 4:00 pm
Solving Design and Production Challenges with IML & IMD
Keith Farthing, PolyFab
5:00- 5:30 pm
2026 IMDA Awards
The winners of the 2026 IMDA Awards Competition are announced.
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Networking Event: Supplier Trade Fair and IMDA Awards Reception
thursday, September 3rd
General Session – All Attendees
8:00 – 8:30 am
Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 9:15 am
Keynote, Day 2: New Decorating Frontiers with AI
to be announced
9:15 - 10:15 am
Storyteller Sessions: An inside look at how innovative decorating objectives were achieved
Five applications will be featured.
Roundtable Discussions
10:15 – 11:00 am
Continuing Conversations: Succeeding in Today’s Plastics Industry
Laurie Harbour and Lisa Lehman, Wipfli
10:15 – 11:00 am
Smart Selling: How to Set Your Company Up to Meet Sales Goals
to be announced
11:45 am – Noon
Final Remarks / Conference Adjourns