iNews November 2005

ISTA 2006 Dues Now Conveniently Payable On-Line
Invoices for 2006 membership dues were mailed in early November. You can pay by mail or fax, but we've made it even easier to pay online this year!

Member delegates can simply Login to the Members Only section of the ISTA website and click Pay Dues. You can then review and print your dues invoice, as well as pay online by clicking Pay Now. Enter your credit card information (the site is secure), click Finish and you're done! You'll be able to print a confirmation page and you'll get an email confirming your payment. A sales receipt will also be e-mailed to your attention.

You can pay by fax if you wish – complete the bottom portion of your dues invoice and fax it to ISTA Headquarters at +1 517-333-3813. No cover sheet is necessary. If your company would prefer, we also accept payment by check or wire transfer. For our bank details please contact us.

If you need to add a Purchase Order number to your invoice, please contact Meredith Young.

Be sure to pay by the January 31, 2006, deadline to get your full member benefits in 2006! Only members that have paid dues are sent their complimentary copy of the Resource Book as well as a copy of the Procedures on CD. Other valuable benefits, such as use of the Certification Mark, promotion of a Certified Lab, certification of packaged-products and personnel, and your Members Only website access will be suspended if dues are not paid. Don't risk a loss of member benefits – Login and pay your dues today!

Attention, Testing Laboratories! – Update, Enhance Your Lab Listing
All ISTA Certified Labs need to update their listings for the 2006 Resource Book. The deadline has been extended to November 23 (next Wednesday), so don’t wait! While you’re at it, take a look at the enhanced showcase listings which are now available.

It’s important that the lab listing information is correct; once the Resource Book has been printed, changes obviously cannot be made in the publication. Click Here to go to the Member Login area of the of the ISTA website. Login, choose “Edit User Profile” then review (and edit as necessary) ALL the information, including your LABORATORY INFORMATION. Once you are satisfied with your lab's information, come back and Click Here to complete your information verification, add any enhancements desired, and Submit the form. You must complete both of these steps, and the deadline is next Wednesday, November 23.

The Directory enhancements are an exciting feature for the 2006 Book. This section will now be in full color and printed on premium gloss stock. The geographically sorted chart will be color coded, making it easier than ever for prospective customers to locate your laboratory. Showcase opportunities include enhancing the complimentary listing with your company’s logo, lab description, equipment capacities and capabilities, and even a color background behind your entire listing for emphasis. Click Here to view a sample layout of this enhanced Laboratory Directory.
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Advertise in the 2006 Resource Book NOW!

Production of the ISTA 2006 Resource Book is in full swing, but there’s still time to get your company’s ad into this must-have book – if you act quickly.

The Resource Book includes all ISTA Test Procedures, the Guidelines for Selecting & Using Procedures & Projects, and a new enhanced Directory of ISTA Certified Laboratories (see preceding article). It continues to be a wealth of information and resources for ISTA members and for all packaging professionals working in areas of distribution, package design, testing, and damage prevention. Advertising in the Resource Book will put your message in front of this select and focused audience.

Contact Kathy Joneson at ISTA Headquarters TODAY to place your advertising order and for complete information. Ad materials and contracts must be received no later than Wednesday, November 30th, 2005.
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Read All About It! Dimensions.06 Information Available

You’ll be getting a brochure in the mail soon, and the website is complete. All information on Dimensions.06, ISTA and IoPP’s International Forum on Transport Packaging, is now available. See you in San Antonio April 18-21, 2006!

You can visit www.dimensions-info.com to see the program, speakers, special events, and much more. You can register and make your hotel reservations on-line as well. Be sure to check out the FAQs (Have QUESTIONS? on the home page), with a convenient quick-click index to get your inquiries answered fast!

Sponsorship opportunities are still available in four levels. All sponsors receive recognition and promotion on the Dimensions.06, ISTA and IoPP websites, in the ISTA PST Newsletter, in pre-conference materials, and at the Forum itself. Then, according to level, sponsors may receive additional tangible benefits. Click Here to see the current 2006 Sponsors, and to find out more about securing a sponsorship.

Dimensions always includes exhibits, too, and space is available. The Exhibitor Reception has an hors d'oeuvre spread which has become legendary, and provides the perfect atmosphere for presenting your company’s products and services. With follow-up exhibit time the next day, there’s ample opportunity to conduct some business at a relaxed pace. Click Here to see a current list of exhibitors, and Click Here for complete details on becoming an exhibitor.

ISTA Participates in Parcel Shipping and Distribution Forum

ISTA was quite active at the recent Parcel Forum in Chicago. We produced a pre-conference workshop, gave a presentation in the main program, and took part in an “expert panel” discussion.

The Forum is dedicated to providing current real-world information on the entire parcel-shipping operation, from order entry to final delivery. Over 200 people attended this three-day event, which included a both a conference and commercial exhibits.

ISTA’s one-day workshop was entitled Packaged-Product Testing, and featured information on Procedure 3A – the Parcel Delivery System general simulation test. In the morning, Ed Church and Bill Kipp of ISTA introduced the Association and our testing approaches, then outlined the methodology and benefits of Procedure 3A. In the afternoon, Chad Thompson of UPS Professional Services (and ISTA’s VP of Testing & Certification) hosted an excellent tour of the UPS lab in Addison, where the staff demonstrated tests involved in 3A and other protocols.

Ed Church participated in the “expert panel” discussion, Fifty Innovative Operation Improvement Ideas. This was a fast-paced session with five participants giving quick, specific suggestions for improving the efficiency of parcel shipping activities. Ed focused on ideas related to preshipment testing and engineered package design.

Procedure 3A was again the main topic of discussion during Ed’s and Chad Thompson’s presentation Ride Along With Your Package as part of the main conference program. Several audience members asked good questions about testing and its relationship to the actual small parcel distribution & transport environment.

Fall CPLP Workshops – Successful and Enjoyable
CPLP Workshops are always successful in terms of individuals earning their certificates. A highlight of the sessions held recently in Countryside, IL was a very enjoyable evening tour of the nearby UPS CACH facility.

Certified Packaging Laboratory Professional workshops are fast-track, in-person classes leading to recognition as a CPLP Technician or Technologist. The material can also be taken as a self-study program on-line or in printed form. To date, almost 500 certificates have been awarded. Click Here for complete information on the program, with a link to the current list of CPLPs.

Congratulations to the latest recipients: Brian Biggs of Packaging Logic, Technician; John Clark of CTL Group, Technician; and Tim Glasmeier of gh Testing, both Technician and Technologist.

The group is shown here on their tour of the UPS Chicago Area Consolidation Hub (CACH). This 1.5 million square-foot facility processes between 1 and 2 million packages daily, utilizing the industry’s most advanced computerized handling/sorting technology. The tour included extensive views and explanations of the main sort, small package sorting (known as the “bullfrog”), the handling of irregulars, loading/unloading, and the state-of-the-art control room. Mind boggling! Thanks to UPS’ers Chad Thompson for the arrangements, and to Tracy Koblich for a great tour!
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IMPEPA Seminar To Be Held March 2006

The International Molded Pulp Environmental Packaging Association will hold its 9th Molded Fibre Product Seminar at the Crowne Plaza Riverside Hotel in San Antonio, March 10-12, 2006.

There will be 11 speakers dealing with molded fiber technology, including presentations on molding systems, slurry treatments, markets for molded fiber packaging in Europe and China, and designing of molded fiber packaging.

Click Here to visit IMPEPA’s website.