Speakers from Tesco and Procter & Gamble will line up with the Conservative Party Shadow Minister of Business and Enterprise, and supply chain professionals and think-tanks, to discuss how to create business confidence through packaging innovation at the Starpack Summit 2009.

The summit, at IOM3, London, on May 21, will examine ’’how successful new product development, packaging innovation and sustainable developments can help create business opportunities in the face of one of the worst downturns in economic history ‘’.

The speakers will include Mark Prisk, Shadow Minister for Business and Enterprise; James Walton, chief economist, Institute of Grocery Distribution; Kirstie Hawkes, sustainability affairs manager, Procter & Gamble, UK & Eire; Andy Goldsmith, Tesco’s packaging project manager; Michael Cronin, chairman, flexible packaging Europe & senior VPresident, Alcan Food Europe; Packaging Federation chief executive Dick Searle; Jacob van Kogelenberg, product manager, secondary packaging, Bosch Packaging Technology; and Mark Barthel, special adviser for WRAP.

Part of a programme of events including the Starpack Industry Awards and the Student and Schools Starpack Awards, the Starpack Summit 2009 is organised by Majic on behalf of IOP: The Packaging Society (a division of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining) with lead sponsor WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme). It is produced in association with Packaging Today and supported by Packaging Professional.