Introductory presentations: Four threats, four experts, four perspectives

Introductory presentations: Four threats, four experts, four perspectives

The packaging industry has not yet fully recovered from the coronavirus crisis (and for that matter it is not clear whether we are really at the end of it) and has immediately been exposed to new threats: 1) the shortage and high prices of materials, including recycled materials; 2) rising energy prices; 3) the unavailability of personnel in all positions and related pressure on wage growth; 4) the decreasing purchasing power of consumers. To fully understand these four threats, we have invited four experts to share their expert opinions:

1. Jake Weighell, an analyst from Smithers, will highlight current and future trends in the packaging industry, focusing on new opportunities, challenges and risks for each key packaging type. His outlook will cover hot topics such as sustainability, e-commerce, supply chain disruption, consumer demands and more. It will also provide an exclusive analysis of the cost and availability of different types of packaging materials, as this affects not only every other trend in the packaging industry, but every single aspect of the industry at present.
2. Josef Kotrba, who led the energy consulting team and served as chairman of the Czech branch of Deloitte until August 2022, will speak about the development of the energy market. He now deals with consultations for large projects in the electricity industry, mainly in the field of optimization of production and consumption, transformation, renewable sources and distribution.
3. The present and future of human resources will be discussed by Jaroslava Rezlerová, who has led the company ManpowerGroup with a turnover of four billion CZK for more than two decades. She is a founding member and president of the Association of Personnel Service Providers. Since 2018, she has also served on the board of directors of the American Chamber of Commerce.
4. The impact of inflation on consumers and their purchasing power and preferences will be examined by Linda Straková of NielsenIQ, the world’s leading information services company, based on exclusive new research. What can producers of packaged goods and their suppliers expect from consumers in the upcoming months and years? Where will they be shopping? What sorts of packaging will they reach for while in the stores? Will they turn away from more expensive sustainable solutions in favor of cheaper, less-sustainable alternatives?