ADVISORY/TAPPI Paper Summit Features Innovative Joint Conference Presented in Seven Tracks.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...for Sunday - Wednesday (May 2-5)

TAPPI Paper Summit

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2004

In conjunction with TAPPI Paper Summit, the International Environmental Conference combines with the TAPPI Spring Technical Conference to present one of the most comprehensive programs ever. The joint conference will be held May 2-5, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Covering a wide variety of topics important to everyone in today's paper industry, the comprehensive program is divided into seven tracks: Innovations, Product Performance, People & Infrastructure, Manufacturing Excellence, Environmental, Maintenance & Reliability, and Energy.

In three concurrent sessions throughout the conference, the Environmental Track offers up to date information on the most current environmental issues as well as an overview of the environmental regulations likely to affect the industry over the next three to five years. The Environmental track features twenty-nine sessions developed by TAPPI's Environmental Division and co-sponsored by PAPTAC. Participants are encouraged to come in early to attend the Biological Wastewater Treatment Workshop and the Residuals Management Workshop, both beginning Sunday at 8 a.m.

The Innovations Track features an overview of approaches to improve mill competitiveness through optimization of products as well as the entire manufacturing operation. In the practical Maintenance and Reliability Track participants will learn how to set up a new or enhance an existing PM system; how to succeed in planning and scheduling; how to make root cause problem elimination work, and more. Participants in the Manufacturing Excellence Track will discover how focusing on process efficiency, cost optimization and consistently making a product that meets customer needs will improve the bottom line. An all-new People and Infrastructure Track will provide attendees with the latest on how to leverage their most important asset....People! In addition to learning about the latest developments in continuing education and training, attendees will hear results from a multi-mill study demonstrating how training has helped make some operations highly profitable, even those with old equipment.

Participants of the Product Performance Track will explore new approaches to measure and control pulp and paper properties within the mill; learn how new ISO and TAPPI standards for color and brightness could affect their mills and products; and increase their knowledge of online and offline testing and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Presented in twelve sessions, the DOE Agenda 2020 Research and Development Track is co-sponsored by the Institute for Paper Science and Technology and presents results and emerging technology opportunities from more than 40 DOE cost-shared research projects.

In each of these tracks, participants will find dozens of thought-provoking papers presented by industry experts, case studies from mill personnel, and lively roundtable discussions. Conference attendees can attend all of the sessions in one track or move between tracks to attend the session of greatest interest to them. In addition, all conference attendees are encouraged to view the Poster Session, illustrating some of the newest ideas in the industry. In this informal technical forum, several individual authors will present new information, results, or data on posters. The Paper Summit Posters will be available for view and study Sunday through Wednesday during registration hours. The authors will be present during the "Pub and Poster" reception Sunday from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. and again on Monday from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

The comprehensive Spring Technical and International Environmental Conference program is sponsored by TAPPI's Environmental, Paper and Board; Process Control, Electrical and Information; and Process and Product Quality Divisions as well as the Fluid Mechanics, Water Removal, and Maintenance and Mill Engineering Committees of the Engineering Division. The entire 80+ session technical program including abstracts of each paper, as well as complete registration information is available online at www.papersummit.org/spring.asp or through TAPPI's Member Connection Center at 1-800-332-8686 (US), 1-800-332-9431 (Canada) or 1-770-446-1400 or emailing [e-mail].