IDSA Southern District Design Conference, Co-Located with NPE2015, Will Be Preceded by Panel Discussions Open to All NPE Visitors

September 11, 2014: In an agreement between the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, IDSA will organize a conference and “IDSA Design Center” pavilion at NPE2015, it was announced today by SPI, which produces the triennial NPE.

NPE2015: The International Plastics Showcase will take place March 23-27, 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida. The IDSA conference will be held on Thursday and Friday, March 26 and 27, as an event in addition to other conferences planned for NPE2015 by SPI and the Society of Plastics Engineers.

The IDSA Design Center pavilion, located on the exhibit floor in the South Hall of the OCCC, will feature booths by design firms, processors, software developers, and other companies providing design services to the plastics industry.

IDSA also produces the renowned International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) competition annually. In addition to the IDSA Design Center, a display of the 2014 IDEA winning entries will be on display at NPE2015. SPI will present an award and scholarship to an outstanding student winner.

The IDSA’s 2015 Southern District Design Conference, will include presentations by designers representing a wide range of disciplines, a portfolio review, and Student Merit Awards presentations for the Southern District. Scheduled for the afternoon of March 26 and the full day of March 27, the event will be open to paid registrants.

Kicking off IDSA’s 2015 Southern District Design Conference, on the morning of March 26, will be two panel discussions open to NPE2015 visitors. Organized by Robert Grace, president of RC Grace LLC and former editorial director and associate publisher of Plastics News, the sessions will focus on: 1) improving communications between designers and manufacturers in the product development process; and 2) the role materials can play in creating a more sustainable planet. Panelists will include specialists in industrial design, engineering, and product development from brand owners, design consultancies, and materials suppliers.

“IDSA’s presence at NPE2015 will sharpen the focus on the role of design in advancing the practical value of plastics, their consumer appeal, and their contribution to sustainability,” said Gene Sanders, SPI’s senior vice president of trade shows and conferences. “Design professionals have created many of our industry’s breakthrough products, and NPE2015 will bring them together with all of the other participants in product development—toolmakers, material suppliers, machinery builders, processors, and brand owners.”

“IDSA is delighted to be partnering with SPI on NPE2015, the premier conference for the plastics industry,” said Daniel Martinage, CAE, executive director of IDSA. “Connecting designers with professionals in related fields continues to be a priority for IDSA, and our partnership with SPI is an excellent step towards furthering this initiative.”

For more information on IDSA’s participation at NPE, visit www.NPE.org. Additional details on IDSA’s District Design Conferences will be available soon at www.idsa.org. To secure a booth in the IDSA Design Center on the NPE floor, contact NPE Sales at 703.259.6132 or exhibit@npe.org .

Source: SPI