Built for Monday: Why Annual Meeting 2026 Matters More Than Ever
By Dale Coates, CEO & President, TLMI
The conversations, challenges, and opportunities that are shaping our industry are also shaping Annual Meeting 2026.
Annual Meeting 2026 is the result of everything we’ve been working on together over the past year.
As our industry continues to navigate economic uncertainty, regulatory and legislative changes, evolving sustainability expectations, and shifting customer demands, TLMI has remained focused on one thing: helping our members stay informed, connected, and prepared for what comes next.
Over the past year, TLMI members and leaders have been actively engaged in the issues affecting the future of the label and packaging industry. From tracking the growing impact of EPR legislation across the country and advocating for the printing industry on Capitol Hill, to supporting workforce development by delivering another sold-out Label Leaders of Tomorrow excursion and awarding scholarships to member employees and students, to adding a new economic and geopolitical forecast to our member benefits, TLMI has remained focused on delivering the insights, connections, and advocacy our members need to navigate a rapidly changing environment. TLMI is at the table where important decisions and discussions are taking place.
At the same time, we’ve been listening. Listening to our members. Watching market trends. Tracking industry developments. Identifying the opportunities and challenges affecting businesses throughout our industry.
The reality is that our industry continues to evolve, and TLMI must evolve with it.
That’s why Annual Meeting 2026 has been built around a simple but important idea:
Built for Monday
More than a theme, it’s our commitment to you.
Every session, conversation, networking opportunity, and experience has been intentionally designed to deliver practical value, ideas, insights, and strategies you can bring back to your business and put to work immediately.
In fact, our planning team has operated around one simple filter:
If you can’t use it next week, it doesn’t belong here.
That’s what Built for Monday means. Not theory. Not trends for the sake of trends. Real-world takeaways that help you lead, compete, and grow in a changing marketplace.