It’s 2022, and there’s a new experience taking the stage! Grab your duffel and toothbrush and get ready: you’re going to love this, guaranteed.
WHAT IS the[PACK]out?
The[PACK]out (tPo) is a major new packaging industry event that rethinks and retools the concept of industry conferences. The[PACK]out upends “Meh” with “MUST-DO” for everyone in the healthcare packaging community.
HOW the [PACK]out Began
A casual crew of healthcare packaging colleagues (Oliver Healthcare Packaging’s Jenn Goff, Packaging Compliance Lab’s Sarah Rosenblum, Plastics Ingenuity’s Kiley Djupstrom, Network Partners’ Karen Polkinghorne, and Johnson & Johnson’s Rod Patch) found themselves lamenting that industry events had gotten into a rut.
They realized that annual conferences had become like eating a piece of white toast every morning for years: nothing really wrong with it, but “meh.” As they stood in that lobby, they saw a bright lightbulb go on and so they kept going; “Wouldn’t it be great IF…” and soon, those IFs became a plan.
As Rod Patch put it, “the[PACK]out name came later, but the genesis was sparks of unmet needs. We felt that the medical packaging industry was lackluster in education, knowledge sharing and opportunities for experiences to learn from one another. We felt a vacuum of recognition and professional development. We felt our industry was not providing enough opportunities at a high enough level of quality and that these unmet needs could no longer be ignored. We felt a passion to do something about this and we found others who shared our passion for improvement as well as feeling disappointment in the past options.”
Jenn Goff agreed. “My first thought was… let’s do this! I saw the value and knew we had the talent to pull off an exceptional event that our industry had been deserving of for too long! While the projects we work on as packaging engineers are purposeful and gratifying, our contributions can sometimes lack the celebration or recognition they deserve. This conference was going to be a way to recognize this community and its importance to healthcare!”
And Sarah Rosenblum, of Packaging Compliance Labs, added, “the[PACK]out gives us the chance to realign as an industry. When the[PACK]out was first born, I was ecstatic at the opportunity to be a part of an industry shaping event. I think the[PACK]out will play a major role in industry development and professional development, growing the packaging engineers of tomorrow.
WHY the[PACK]out is So Different
Jenn Goff, Oliver Healthcare Packaging, commented on the energy that’s building as the event agenda takes shape. “I am excited about our speakers, our content, our format, our location. All the things! TPo will be different than anything our community has ever experienced. It will spark innovative thoughts, drive collaborative partnerships and create an environment to solve complex problems. The best part is that there will be fun and recognition throughout! I can’t wait.”
Rod Patch, Johnson & Johnson, agreed. “TPo is not a conference, not something you just attend. This is not a place to mark your presence, but rather, this is an experience, a space to show your existence, share your passion and both give yourself to the industry and the community and to take from others KEE information (Knowledge, Education and Experiences).
The industry is only half of the community. The industry is critical to the science of materials, the engineering of designs and processes and delivery of life saving medical devices to the care providers and care points. But the community is also about recognizing the users and the patients the industry serves. Most conferences attempt to support an industry. TPo strives to serve the healthcare medical packaging community and that makes tPo a MUST-DO event!”
WHAT’S Going to Happen at tPo?
Jenn Goff shared that tPo keeps adding new opportunities to the agenda, and there’s already plenty on the roster, “Our agenda is shaping up with the who’s who in healthcare packaging along with new names and great ideas. We’re building around three pillars: Design, Usability and Sustainability – and we’re including personal development opportunities, too. The networking opportunities will be endless.
Our industry shares many common challenges. Versions of the same problems are being solved all the time. The[PACK]out brings together the community of people experiencing these challenges and is fostering an environment to brainstorm, network and engage with others.”
WHY You Can’t Miss The[PACK]out 2022, INAUGURAL EDITION
Sara Rosenblum couldn’t contain her enthusiasm. “I think everyone in our industry can agree; the field gets smaller and smaller the longer you are in it. We know that packaging engineers are the final step to launching life-changing medical solutions and changing healthcare as we know it. That group often goes unrecognized, and we are here to turn that around. We need a time to celebrate and collaborate, and tPo is the ticket!”
Rod Patch added, “When we say this is a passion project, we mean it—with passion!”
In closing, and encouraging everyone to come together at The[PACK]out, Jenn Goff reflected, “For anyone who has met me personally or professionally, they know I am passionate about healthcare packaging. I am grateful to give back to a community who has given me so much. Not only will this conference recognize and connect others to help them be even more effective in their roles, but it will allow sustainability of the knowledge in this industry as new talent enters and tenured talent retires. To have the opportunity to work with this group of people who are also passionate about this industry has been an experience I will continue to cherish.”
VISIT the tPo website for more details as they happen.
We can’t wait to see you there!
