This spring, suppliers, manufacturers and other tape industry professionals will convene at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn., for the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC) Tape Summit 2014. The week-long event will be held from April 28-May 2, and will offer a range of educational sessions and networking opportunities for those involved with pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs).

Understand Industry Issues

Tape Summit 2014 will kick off with Tape University, which will consist of two courses: The Fundamentals of PSA Tape, and Adhesives and Advanced Technologies of PSA Tape. Experienced instructors will cover topics like polymer science, formulation, adhesion science, testing and more in both courses. The Fundamentals of PSA Tape will provide a basic overview of these technologies, while the Adhesives and Advanced Technologies class will delve more into the technical aspects of polymer properties, adhesion theories, and manufacturing techniques.

During Tech 37, PSTC’s annual three-day technical seminar, more than 20 industry experts will present on the latest innovations and issues in the PSA world. The keynote address will be given by John Warner, Ph.D., president and CTO of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, on Wednesday, April 30. Other seminars will include “The America Invents Act: How Recent Changes to U.S. Patent Law Affects International Business and the Tape Industry” by John Fallon, partner at Mandelbaum Salsburg; “Characterizing PSAs for Semi-Structural Applications” by David Dillard, adhesive and sealant science professor at Virginia Tech; and “Rheology and Slot Die Coating Technology” by Mark Miller, CEO of Coating Tech Slot Dies.

Connect with Others

The PSTC Spring Membership Meeting will take place concurrently with Tape Summit. For the first time in 2014, the PSTC member community will welcome the Global Tape Forum to the Tape Summit. The meeting agenda will encompass a variety of events, including the Welcome Reception (open to Tape University attendees as well) and Membership Dinner on Monday, April 28. Members will also learn about organization updates and relevant industry initiatives during the General Sessions on Tuesday, April 29. Jeffrey Rosenweig, international business expert and associate professor of finance at Emory University; and Peter Legge, professional speaker and chairman/CEO of Canada Wide Media Ltd., will both present during the General Sessions.

Other opportunities to network with fellow attendees will emerge during the Tape Summit Reception, the Exhibitor Lunch, the Global Test Methods Committee Meeting and the Global Tape Forum Meeting. In addition, more than 55 exhibitors will share the latest PSA technologies and developments on the show floor from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30.

 For additional details, visit www.pstc.org.