Spring Technical and International Environmental Conference.

Covering a wide variety of topics important to everyone in today's paper industry, the 2004 TAPPI Spring Technical and International Environmental Conference has something for everyone. Encompassing all aspects of technology and processes, the comprehensive program is divided into seven information-packed tracks:

Environmental

In three concurrent sessions throughout the conference, get the information you need to ensure that your operation can properly address the most current environmental issues such as Boiler MACT, New Source Review reform rules, and more. Plus, get 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.

Innovations: Applications, Applied Research, Work in Progress Technology

Find out how you can use innovative approaches to improve your mill's competitiveness through optimizing your product and your entire manufacturing operation. In the nine sessions of the Innovations track, participants will discover recent developments in paper forming, advances in filler technology, and how to improve the efficiency of stock approach systems. This group of sessions will help you identify new approaches that can impact your mill.

Maintenance and Reliability

Find out what others are doing in the critical areas of maintenance and reliability in this practical track featuring mill presentations from International Paper, Bowater, Smurfit-Stone, and SAPPI. 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! The eight sessions of the maintenance and reliability track are sponsored by TAPPI's Maintenance and Mill Engineering Committee.

Manufacturing Excellence: Best Practices, Processes and Optimization, Cost Reduction

Discover how focusing on process efficiency, cost optimization and consistently making a product that meets customer needs will improve the bottom line. The nine sessions of the Manufacturing Excellence track cover waste minimization, energy savings, and excellence in the way control systems are used. Hot topics include energy-reduction measures, optimization of flow-approach systems in paper machines, and efficient use of key pieces of equipment.

People and Infrastructure: People Issues Within Companies and the Systems That Support Them

Learn how to increase profitability by creating a system that focuses on the development of a technologically advanced workforce. In seven sessions open to all Spring Technical and International Environmental Conference attendees as well as all Mill VIP Program participants, you'll learn how to increase profitability as measured by return on capital employed (ROCE).

Product Performance: End User Applications, Testing and Measurement, Quality Assurance

Find new ways to improve mill operations by increasing your knowledge of testing processes and the appropriate use of test data. In this seven-session track, participants 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.

U.S. Department of Energy Agenda 2020 Research and Development

See results and emerging technology opportunities from more than 40 DOE cost-shared research projects in the areas of raw materials, mill processes, fiber recycling, and wood preparation and products. Presented in twelve sessions, the DOE Agenda 2020 Research and Development track is co-sponsored by the Institute for Paper Science and Technology.

In each of these tracks, you'll find dozens of thought-provoking papers presented by industry experts, case studies from mill personnel, and lively roundtable discussions. This comprehensive program is sponsored by TAPPI's 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. View the entire 80+ session technical program--including abstracts of each paper--online at www.papersummit.org or have a copy of the program sent directly to you by calling 1-800-332-8686 (US), 1-800-332-9431 (Canada) or 1-770-446-1400 or email [e-mail].