Registration for TLMI Tech 2013 opens Wednesday, May 15^th. Here is a brief look at the information and networking packed agenda.

Wednesday, September 4

Breakfast

MORNING SESSIONS

Sustainable Label Solutions
Thin Is In:  Exploring the Challenges, Pitfalls and Lower Limits of Thin Materials

Lunch

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

INKS TRENDING NOW# – Low Migration Inks and LED Curing
Finding Tomorrows Leaders – Hiring and Training for a World-class Organization

Table Top Exhibits

Thursday, September 5

Breakfast

SESSION 1

Track A- Measure Waste:  Measure Twice, Cut Once
Track B-Business Software: Adding Capacity without Adding Equipment

SESSION 2

Track A-The Million Dollar Question, Flexo or Digital? Hear from Converters What Choices They Have Made
Track B- How to Manage Color through Pre Press and Beyond

SESSION 3

Track A-Technology Boxing Ring – Press Manufacturers Duke it Out!
Track B-FDA & OSHA – New Reforms & Standards Affecting the Industry

The 2011 TLMI Technical Conference sold out. Register early to be sure and get the insight you need to begin Turning Vision Into Reality.

Supplier of the Year

Nominations will be accepted through April 30, 2013. Download the nomination form.

Environmental Leadership Awards

The supplier and converter member companies who best demonstrate their commitment to and success in implementing sustainability measures will each be recognized with this award. Make the case for your company’s efforts by completing the application form.

TLMI Label Awards Competition

Entries are being accepted for the 2013 Awards Competition. Judging will take place in July for 70 categories, 6 new Best of Class Awards and the Best of Show. Click here for competition details and the entry form.

*The TLMI Converter of the Year is presented by packagePRINTING.

We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our members. Save the date for the 2013 Annual Meeting, October 20-23 in San Antonio.

It features:

• Eugene Singer Award Winners
• The Chairman’s Report
• TLMI Awards Competition News
• Tech Conference Sept. 3-5, 2013
• Making It Stick:  Guide to Adhesives for Labeling Applications
• From Brand Owner to Industry Supplier:  A Conversation with Sneha Shah
• TLMI’s New Strategic Brand Platform
• The TLMI / NAPL Partnership
• Model Crisis Management and Social Media Policies

To download your copy, follow the link in the March 28th email you received or log in to the Members Section.

The following members were recognized at Tuesday evening’s awards dinner with one of TLMI’s highest and most prestigious awards, Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence.

The Singer Award recognizes excellence in business management measured and defined by an established set of growth and profitability ratios through the TLMI Management Ratio Study. It is given annually to four narrow web converting companies; each company within a certain sales range category.

The Eugene Singer Award announcements are made each year at the TLMI Converter Meeting, held annually in March

World Label Awards Winners Recognized

Eight TLMI Member Converters are among the winners of the World Label Awards Competition.

The winners of the World Label Awards Competition are chosen from the first-place winners in association label competitions around the globe including TLMI, the Japanese Label Foundation (JFLP), FINAT, the Australian Label Association (LATMA) and Self Adhesive Label Manufacturers Association of New Zealand (SALMA). Entries are judged against each other in a variety of categories to determine the finest printed labels in the world.

TLMI member winners were celebrated by their peers at the Converter Meeting Awards Dinner.

Look for more details to be posted in the related sections of www.tlmi.com in the coming weeks.

Presentation materials are now available for download in the Members Section. Log in and go to Meeting Presentations to download pdfs provided by:

• Alan Beaulieu, ITR Economics
• The Generations People
• the Sustainable Materials Management speaking panel

You’ll also find a special presentation on The TLMI Brand delivered by Mike Lane (Lofton Label) of the TLMI Marketing Committee.

TLMI extends its gratitude to all our presenters and especially to the more than 150 attendees who have made the meeting a success.

The speakers have shared the three key takeaways from their scheduled presentations:

Alan Beaulieu

“There is a recession coming – but we can prosper through it.

The future of interest rates and inflation.

Planning now for the prosperity to come after the mild downturn.”

Captain Michael Abrashoff

It’s Your Ship: Leadership, Accountability and Choosing the Right People

“Learn how to create a culture of accountability using the ‘It’s Your Ship’ approach to leadership.

Understand why a culture that makes people feel safe will bring out the best in each individual.

Learn to lead differently by looking at your organization through the eyes of your ‘crew’.”

The Generations People

“Understand who the generations are and how they differ.

Identify ClashPoints™ in your workplace.

Manage more effectively by learning how to connect with each generation.”

TLMI converter members may register for the meeting by responding to the email invitation they received or by going to the registration website. The site includes a full agenda and a constantly updated list of attendees.

New for 2013, the judges will also name six (6) entries Best of Class. The new awards are:

Best of Class – Flexography & Letterpress
Best of Class – Multi-Process
Best of Class – Offset Wine & Spirits
Best of Class – Flexo Wine & Spirits
Best of Class – Digital
Best of Class – All Other (including Screen & Gravure)

Awards Competition Chairperson Steve Lee explained, “Each year the judges see exceptional work created through a variety of processes. We feel strongly that the most outstanding work produced via each deserve special recognition.” Therefore, the judges will select the most outstanding entry in each class for the new Best of Class distinction.

Following selection of the Best of Class winners, judges will go on to name a single extraordinary entry, Best of Show.

2013 marks the 36^th anniversary of  TLMI’s prestigious Awards Competition. The submission entry deadline is July 1, 2013. All winners – Category, Best of Class, and Best of Show – will be announced at the 2013 TLMI Annual Meeting, October 20-23.

All converter members are encouraged enter. Competition details and the entry form can be found here.

Join in January

to reap a full calendar year of benefits.

January
Release of the 2013 North American Label Study
NEW BENEFIT – provided at no cost to members (a $5000 savings)

March
Converter Meeting – March 3-6, Four Seasons Resort, Palm Beach, FL
Ratio Benchmarking Study reports released, networking (converters only)

May
TLMI Scholarship winners announced
supporting those pursuing careers in the industry

July
entry deadline & judging for Annual Awards Competition
prestigious awards in 70 printing categories and one Best of Show

September
2013 Technical Conference – Sept 3-5, Hyatt Regency, Chicago, IL
member-to-member educational programs, supplier tabletop

October
2013 Annual Meeting – Oct 20-23, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa
Converter & Supplier of the Year, expert speakers, networking, supplier tabletop

Year Round
L.I.F.E. ® Certification
TLMI periodicals – monthly e-Newsletter and Hot Off The Press industry news round-up, TLMI Illuminator
TLMI Reports & Studies – Index & Trends Reports, Wage & Labor Study
Partnership Discounts – NAPL, FedEx, Dun & Bradstreet and more

Click for the full list of Converter Benefits and Supplier Benefits.

Our industry is changing rapidly. There has never been a more vital time to have the resources that only TLMI provides at your fingertips. Take advantage of this special membership offer. Complete and return the Membership Application today. If you have questions, please Contact Us. We are glad to help.

*Membership is subject to eligibility requirements and Board of Director approval.

Model Crisis Management Plan

A strong and clear plan for handling a crisis is an asset for a company. TLMI encourages members to use this model plan, adapting it to meet their specific needs and situation.

The model plan includes:

First Response – Basic steps and initial contacts
Crisis Management Teams – On site and off site names and contact information
Checklist –Management Team Members basic responsibilities and Crisis Center Information
Checklist – Crisis Center basic supplies and general company literature
Communications Objectives – Target Audiences
Telephone responses – base outline of what to communicate
Media Statements – Sample Q & A statements
Injuries or Fatalities – Guidelines for delivering bad news
Contact lists:

• Emergency Services
• Local city and state government
• Media services
• Key Customer and Suppliers
• Site neighbors
• Company PR firm, EAP, Crisis Counselor and local hospital
• Video graphic specialist
• State government representatives
• Newspapers and Local TV station
• Local business leaders, including the Chamber of Commerce

Model Social Media Policy

Social media has become an increasingly important communications and outreach tool for TLMI member companies. A company may also figure in the personal social media activity of its employees. This can pose risks for the company. The model policy helps to explain those risks to employees and offers guidelines for respectful and appropriate social media content and behavior.

TLMI offers this model Social Media Policy for member use. It may be customized to best suit individual company needs.

Both policy resources may be downloaded in the Members Section. After login, click on Reports.

Lee Iacocca once said, “Management is nothing more than motivating other people.” As business owners, managers and industry leaders, we all know that the success of our companies will last only as long as the people who work for us are motivated and effective at what they do. The theme of next year’s TLMI Converter Meeting March 3-6 at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach, Florida is Successfully Leading and Motivating our People. During our time together, meeting speakers will offer us an actionable roadmap that will help us motivate our employees to meet the challenges and opportunities we face in today’s marketplace; and to ensure our company’s success in the long term.

Monday morning’s session features Mike Abrashoff, founder of GLS Worldwide. GLS is a consulting firm that works with and supports corporate leaders as they address leadership, talent and business challenges within their organization.  The title of Mike’s presentation is, “It’s Your Ship: Leadership, Accountability and Choosing the Right People.” At the age of 36 Mike was the youngest commanding officer in the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy. Over the course of his presentation, meeting attendees will learn how to create a culture of accountability using the “It’s Your Ship” approach to leadership. Mike will take the audience through a discussion that focuses on why creating a culture that makes people feel safe will bring out the best in each individual, and he will show us how to lead our companies differently by looking at things through the eyes of our “crews.”

Also presenting at the morning session on Monday and back by popular demand will be Alan Beaulieu, a Senior Analyst, Economist and Principal with the Institute for Trend Research. Alan has spoken at the 2011 and 2012 Converter Meetings and incorporates wit and humor into his presentations while providing us with a preview of what the economic landscape will look like in the coming year.

Opening the morning session on Tuesday will be The Generations People, a unique trio of speakers and experts who advise companies on how to conduct business more successfully by bridging generation gaps at work and in the marketplace. The Baby Boomer of the group is Lynne Lancaster, co-founder of BridgeWorks, a generational diversity consulting and training company with high profile clients nationwide. The Generation-Xer of the trio is David Stillman, co-founder of Bridgeworks with Lynne and one of the business industry’s foremost cultural translators. The third member of the group and representing the Millennial generation is Seth Mattison, an expert in workforce trends amongst his own generation. Seth will focus on the generational divide between younger and older generations and how bridging the gaps can infuse new ideas and energy into our organizations.

The morning’s second session will feature Darrell Hughes, Vice President and General Manager of Avery Dennison. He will be leading a panel of industry experts in a discussion titled, “Sustainable Materials Management: The Economics, Opportunities, and Challenges of Sustainable Labeling.” When it comes to sustainability, the narrow web industry has traditionally focused on lean manufacturing and landfill-free initiatives. For many of us these initiatives have not been significant or economically meaningful and companies are realizing that this framework needs to be updated with a more holistic vision. Label industry leaders are starting to focus on Sustainable Materials Management: the life cycle of materials as they trace their course through the supply chain from raw material extraction to product manufacturing, transport, use, source reduction, reuse, recycling and disposal. Learn how to start looking at label products as part of a larger system and design them to provide real economic and environmental value to brands, retailers and the recycling industry. Directly following the panel discussion, Shawn Six from Industry Insights will provide an update on the TLMI Ratio Study.

If we agree with Lee Iacocca that management is nothing more than motivating other people, then surely one of the fundamentals of leadership is to be successful at motivating our people long term. Join us at the 2013 TLMI Converter Meeting to learn how, and to ensure our employees are helping us to create a successful future.

Sincerely,

Matt Williamson
President, Brady – Americas
2013 Converter Meeting Chair