FPA 2025 FlexForward® Conference
The Hotels and Venues
300 Poydras Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
A hotel room block has been secured at the Loews at a rate of $209/night. Booking information will be available via confirmation email once registration has been completed and paid. This special rate will be available until the block sells out or October 3, 2025. We encourage you to secure your room when you receive your registration confirmation.
Discover What’s Next in Flexible Packaging – Live from NOLA
Join us in the vibrant heart of New Orleans for the FPA 2025 FlexForward® Conference, hosted at the elegant Loews New Orleans Hotel. Set against the backdrop of the city's rich culture, world-class cuisine, and lively music scene, this event offers the perfect blend of business and Southern charm.
- Connect with industry leaders.
- Gain fresh insights from cutting-edge educational sessions.
- Explore the latest innovations in flexible packaging.
All while enjoying one of America’s most iconic destinations. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn, network, and be inspired in the Big Easy.
Returning to this year's FlexForward® Conference are sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities. Showcase your latest innovations to fellow industry leaders during networking events as a tabletop exhibitor and highlight your company’s commitment to the future of flexibles as a featured sponsor—sponsor benefits include your company logo on the event lanyard and an opportunity to host guests in your own private speakeasy during the Welcome Reception. Click on the links below for a full list of benefits.
Hot Topics. Fresh Perspectives.
Discover the trends, policies, and innovations that are shaping the future of flexible packaging. From EPR and material recovery to market updates and brand strategy, this year’s sessions provide a comprehensive overview of the forces driving industry growth and sustainability.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): The Road Ahead
- Unlocking the Future of Flexible Packaging Recovery
- Reinventing Flexibility: Fiber's Role in Sustainable Packaging
- Off the Shelf: Brand Power Through Flexible Packaging
- Polyethylene & Polypropylene Market Update
- Driving Growth: The Economic Power of Flexible Packaging in the U.S.
- State of the U.S. Flexible Packaging Industry
- State of the Global Flexible Packaging Markets
- State and Federal Policy Updates
Note: Session titles, descriptions, and speakers are subject to change as program planning progresses.
Event Agenda
Speakers

Dan serves as President & CEO of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), the association representing U.S. converters of film, foil, paper and other materials into packages for food, medical device and industrial products. Prior to joining FPA in 2024, Dan served as Executive Director for AMERIPEN – the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment. A well-known leader in the U.S. government affairs arena for more nearly 20 years, Dan has represented multinational corporations, various coalitions, and trade associations representing several Fortune 500 companies. He is particularly passionate about environmental, sustainability, and packaging issues and has advocated extensively in those areas at the local, state, and federal levels in the U.S.

Russell Grissett is the CEO & President of TOPPAN Packaging Americas and Chair of the FPA Board of Directors.
Russell joined Toppan as CEO and President of TOPPAN Packaging Americas following Toppan’s acquisition of Sonoco’s Flexibles and Thermoforming businesses in April 2025. Prior to joining Toppan, he was with Sonoco for over 30 years where he was most recently President of Global Thermoforming and Flexibles and an Officer of the company.
A graduate of Auburn University with a degree in Industrial Engineering, Russell remains actively involved with his alma mater as a member of Auburn’s Industrial Engineering Alumni Council. He also serves as Chair Elect of the Flexible Packaging Association and contributes to Clemson University as a member of the FRESH Advisory Board.
Russell lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, Christina, and their three children. In his free time, he enjoys boating, mountain biking, hiking, cooking, and watching college sports.

Andrew (Andy) is a registered federal lobbyist who has testified before the U.S. Senate and lobbied in over 25 state capitols. Prior to joining Serlin Haley, he served as vice president of government affairs for the Toy Industry Association, where he oversaw TIA’s advocacy programs at both the state and federal levels. Andrew also has directed the national government affairs program of the Consumer Specialty Products Association.
Andrew received a Bachelors of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, Indiana and a Masters of Business Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

During his 24-year career, Esteban has experienced all aspects of the petrochemical value chain, through commercial and marketing assignments with Repsol Química in Spain, Tetra Pak in Panama, and New Castle Industries in Houston. That cycle of experiences, spanning chemical producers, polymer converters, and consumer product companies, was a key success factor for his transition to the chemical consulting industry, where Esteban worked under the umbrella of renowned firms like Townsend Tarnell, Nexant ChemSystems, CMAI (now part of IHS Chemical), and Wood Mackenzie, honing his price research, reporting and forecasting, market research, and analysis and feasibility studies skills.
During his tenure at CMAI, Esteban was responsible for the discovery and analysis of supply, demand, cost, and price dynamics for polyethylene and polypropylene in the Americas. He was also the lead in several proprietary studies, including feasibility studies, market analysis, and due diligence reports.
Before founding ChemPMC, Esteban headed Wood Mackenzie’s polymer practice, designing and implementing the company’s polymer services, which features scenario-capable long-term supply and demand models, logistic demand forecasting tools, global trade grids, as well as seasonality-driven short-term supply and demand models, and in the process trained a global team of analysts located in Houston, London, and Singapore.
Esteban has been a featured speaker at North and Latin American chemical and polymer associations meetings including APLA, IPA, ANIPAC, Canadian Plastics, or CERI, as well as consulting firms and producers-led events. Esteban holds a Chemical Engineering Degree from the Instituto Químico de Sarrià in Barcelona, Spain as well as an MBA from Rice University’s Jones School of Business.

Suzanne Shelton is a senior partner at ERM Shelton, the nation’s leading marketing communications agency entirely focused in the sustainability space. She regularly counsels C-level executives at Fortune 1000 organizations on how to best define and leverage their sustainability approaches to drive business results. She currently serves on the board of BioLogiQ, and recently served on the board of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the executive advisory board of Cyclyx. She is also a member of the Exceptional Women Alliance. Ms. Shelton offers insights and inspiration on conference stages around the country, guest writes for Trellis, and directly manages a team of leaders who, collectively, have made the company a success story since 1991.

Clint Smith has over 12 years experience working for global market intelligence agencies, 8 of which at Euromonitor International, providing strategic insights on international markets and consumers. He has worked closely with numerous Fortune 500 B2C and B2B multinational companies, including packagers, packaging associations and raw materials suppliers of packaging.
With Thanks to Our Sponsors
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