Page 63 - Food&Drink Magazine Aug-Sep 2021

APPMA NEWS
Membership drive continues
With APPMA memberships hitting record numbers in 2021, the Board would like to thank all members who have committed and renewed their memberships.
The new APPMA Associate membership category has also commenced, which is open to businesses trading in Australia that provide packaging and/or packaging materials, machinery consumables or specialised consulting services within the packaging and processing industry.
In September, APPMA welcomed Filton Packaging as the APPMA inaugural APPMA Associate member. Filton Packaging is a leading manufacturer of flexible packaging solutions for Fresh Produce, Bakery, Food Service, Retail Ready, Grocery and General Packaging. ■
Pandemic
support
from APPMA
APPMA members, along with the wider packaging and processing industry, have had to face the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ever-changing restrictions that come with it, for the past 18 months.
The APPMA, via a dedicated page on the website and other communications, has worked to ensure members have a voice and easy access to resources and accurate information whenever there are any major changes to restrictions and lockdowns across the country.
“It is important to ensure the information which members are receiving is from official bodies, so as not to cause panic or anxiety amongst the workforce and general population,” APPMA CEO Michael Moran says. “We hope the information published over the course of the pandemic has assisted member companies in clarifying often confusing communications that are put to the public from government bodies.” ■
APPMA releases webinar series as podcast
The APPMA’s Digital Lunchtime Series of webinars, which launched on 17 September and scheduled to run weekly for three consecutive sessions until 1 October, is to be made available in podcast and video format.
The series was developed after the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions in Sydney prompted the APPMA to reformat its Business & Industry Conference, which was slated to take place this September in the Harbour City. The Digital Lunchtime Series adopted the conference theme, Investing in Resilience, and rechanneled the keynote speaker and panel sessions to the webinar format.
APPMA’s CEO Michael Moran said the pandemic has put a stop to many business and industry conferences, events and meetings, but the Board wanted to ensure the APPMA continued to invest in a strong Australian manufacturing recovery.
“Right now our members and non-members need high quality information, insights and education and the critical takeaways that would have come from the conference sessions are too important and urgent to defer until 2022,” he said.
With the high level of participation and interest in the APPMA Digital Lunchtime Series, the APPMA Board has now made the decision to invest in producing and releasing the series in both video and podcast formats, to be available free of charge to the wider industry.
“As an industry association it is important we invest in supporting our members and the industry during these tough times,” Moran said.
“The opportunity to capture the learnings,
knowledge and key industry insights from the keynote speaker and industry panel sessions should not be limited to only those who could attend on the day, but rather be opened up to a wider audience.
“The sessions feature a mix of high-profile industry experts and international thought leaders covering a range of topics essential for the ongoing development, growth and protection of the manufacturing sector in Australia.”
The APPMA’s move to host a dedicated online series allows everyone the opportunity to ask questions through the live Q&A, and network with fellow industry professionals and speakers in the online meeting hub.
Moran clarified that the previously planned case studies and technical presentations for the conference will be deferred until May 2022 where there will be the opportunity to incorporate them into the AUSPACK and Packaging and Processing week events and activities. At the physical event, to be staged in Melbourne, the necessary in person interaction and engagement can once again be included to the benefit of those companies presenting on their technology innovations.
“We do not believe the current circumstances warrant or justify doing nothing, and we wanted to invest in the resilience and ongoing development, growth and protection of the manufacturing sector in Australia, which will be one of the engine rooms of our recovery.”
For all of those who could not attend the webinar series, the video and podcasts will be available for release, free of charge, in early October. ■
MACHINERY MATTERS SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 3