Every year PDA holds a kickoff meeting to plan for the upcoming year.
Typically this meeting is held in January, but due to a record breaking ice storm the meeting was rescheduled for March. It was held from March 20th to March 22nd at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Over 100 people (from distributor member companies and preferred supplier companies) came together to learn about updates from PDA and collaborate for a successful year ahead. With the current challenges in the packaging marketplace this meeting was more important than ever for our PDA community.
The meeting kicked off on Sunday with a welcome reception where our attendees met to celebrate the start of the year and start conversations about the progress to come. From the chatter of the crowd, it was evident that the group was excited for the meeting ahead, and the innovation that is coming to packaging this year.
THE FIRST MORNING OF THE PLANNING MEETING IS DEDICATED TO REVIEWING THE STATUS OF PDA AND OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
PDA President, George Strobel officially welcomed the group and shared insights about exciting news for PDA. He introduced Nick Mihacevich, Chairman of the Board, who shared an encouraging welcome message to kick off the morning. Barb Dammann also welcomed the group with anecdotes from past meetings and logistics for the remainder of the meeting.
Following the introductions, the event keynote speaker, Kevin Brown took the stage to present his speech, “The Hero Effect.” Kevin is a best selling author and award winning motivational speaker. He immediately captivated the audience with his relatable humor and storytelling approach. Through his stories he incorporated many lessons that are impactful both personally and for business. The audience was moved and inspired by the end of his talk.
After Kevin’s speech, PDA committee leaders shared updates on the progress and status of PDA programs that are currently being developed.
For the remainder of the day, the members and suppliers separated to meet on more specific issues. This time was also a collaborative experience for the people in the PDA community to learn more about each other.
Monday evening concluded with a dinner that was sponsored by: Badger Paperboard, DNP, Berry Global, Sigma Stretch Film, IPG, VersaPak, BOSTONtec, and Stretchtape.
On Tuesday morning the group came together to discuss key issues and challenges. The group took time to evaluate challenges they have faced over the last year and how they dealt with those challenges. This highlights one of PDA’s goals – provide packaging companies with a place to collaborate and share information.
It was clear by the afternoon on Tuesday that everyone in the PDA community is excited about the year ahead and proud to be part of PDA. Overall, the PDA kickoff event was a huge success and a great way to start 2022.
