We extend our gratitude for contributing to the success of this year’s ICMA Card Manufacturing & Personalization EXPO. Under the theme “Onward! Future-Proof Your Card Strategy,” we underscored the resilience of the global card industry amidst disruptive forces such as digital cards and AI.

During the opening remarks, Jeffrey Barnhart, the founder and executive director of ICMA, emphasized that innovation is the cornerstone of progress in the global card industry. He stated, “From pioneering technology to sustainable practices, innovation permeates every aspect of our industry.”

As environmental consciousness grows, the global card industry is increasingly embracing eco-friendly materials and practices to meet consumer demands for sustainability.

Throughout the EXPO, industry leaders such as Monadnock Paper Mills, CPI Card Group and Mastercard shared insights on topics ranging from sustainability to operational efficiencies.

Barnhart also acknowledged, “While innovation holds promise, it also brings challenges. We must adapt and ensure inclusivity as our industry rapidly evolves.”

Visa’s presentation addressed challenges faced by visually impaired consumers, highlighting the significance of inclusive innovation.

Barnhart reiterated, “The future success of our industry depends on innovation in sustainability, technology, personalization, and meeting evolving consumer preferences.”

Following is the full list of ICMA EXPO topics and presenters:

• Moving Forward with Economic Insight by Patrick Luce, Expert Economist, ITR Economics
• Reduce. Reuse. Rethink Gift Cards. by Lisa Taylor, VP Sales & Marketing and Julie Brannan, Director, Sales & Sustainable Solutions, Monadnock Paper Mills
• U.S. Consumers’ Behavior About Payment Cards (Physical and Digital) by James Sufrin, SVP NORAM Payment Services, IDEMIA
• Eco-Focused Enters the Growth Stage: Staying Focused on the Essentials to be Competitive by CPI Card Group
• The Mastercard Sustainable Card Program by Joe Pitcher, Vice President, Industry Standards, Mastercard
• Experience of Physical Card Payment for Consumers with Visual Impairments by Heather Bock, Director, Global Brand & Innovation, Visa
• Unlocking the Future: The Evolution of Biometric Cards Over the Last Decade by Antonio D’Albore, VP Sales, Zwipe
• Will Banks Play a Role in the Mass Adoption of Crypto by Consumers? by Emmanuel Proust, G+D
• Card Design Trends Shaping the Industry by Jared Stillman, Key Account Manager NORAM Payment Services, IDEMIA
• Digital Order Automation / Small Order Processing by George E. Daddis Jr. PhD, CEO/President, Bristol ID Technologies
• Biometrics: Breaking Through to Mass Adoption by John Calzaretta, President and CRO, Sentry Enterprises  
• Digital Intelligence Brings ROI to Card Personalization & Issuance by Zain Aleem, Director Business Analysis & Consulting, Entrust      
• Coextruding Toward the Future by Pietro Parmeggiani, General Manager, SPICA Srl
• ACE: The Answer to Improving Hiring and Employee Retention by David Tushie, ICMA Standards and Technical Representative, Magellan Consulting Inc.
• Onward! Future-Proof Your Social Media Strategy, Natalie Spangenberg, Social Media Manager, ICMA

The EXPO provided attendees with global perspectives on card industry trends, technological advances, business growth opportunities, and methods to improve manufacturing and personalization. The event also offered numerous opportunities, including a golf outing and the Élan Awards of Excellence ceremony and dinner, for attendees to network with industry thought leaders, colleagues, and current and prospective clients. The EXPO also included an exhibition of more than 50 leading card industry suppliers showcasing equipment, materials, card components and services as well as Advanced Card Education training and exams.

For more information about the EXPO, visit icma.com/icma-expo.

ICMA Brings Card Manufacturing Lifecycle Full Circle with Production 360

ICMA’s new Production 360 experience brought the card manufacturing lifecycle full circle, uniting general managers, engineers, designers and other card plant personnel with industry innovators, leading-edge technology providers and supplier partners for networking opportunities and educational presentations to help solve plant challenges and move card manufacturing forward.

This comprehensive event, held from May 15-16 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, provided valuable networking opportunities and educational presentations aimed at addressing plant-specific challenges and advancing card manufacturing practices.

Jeffrey Barnhart, ICMA’s founder and executive director, emphasized the significance of education in overcoming the myriad challenges faced by manufacturers on a daily basis. He noted that Production 360 offered a well-rounded blend of forward-thinking insights and technical expertise to benefit the industry as a whole.

The first half day of seminars started at 1 p.m. on May 15 and included the following presentations:

• Exploring Bonding Approaches on Eco-Friendly Card Materials: Comments of a Bonding Engineer, Christoph Krämer, Senior Market Manager Cards & Security, BU Technical Products, Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG
• Advanced Printing Technologies to Empower Security Features of Physical Secure Credentials, Ferdinando Filippone, Head of Operations, IXLA LLC
• Ensuring Profitability in Card Manufacturing, George E. Daddis Jr. PhD, CEO/President, Bristol ID Technologies
• Card and Device Personalization Validation Certification: Self-Testing, Brian Summerhayes, Managing Director, Barnes International Limited

The second half day of seminars started at 9 a.m. on March 16 and included the following presentations:

• Digital Intelligence Brings ROI to Card Personalization & Issuance, Zain Aleem, Director Business Analysis & Consulting, Entrust      
• Coextruding Toward the Future, Pietro Parmeggiani, General Manager, SPICA Srl
• ACE: The Answer to Improving Hiring and Employee Retention, David Tushie, ICMA Standards and Technical Representative, Magellan Consulting Inc.
• Onward! Future-Proof Your Social Media Strategy, Natalie Spangenberg, Social Media Manager, ICMA

Attendees of Production 360 were granted scheduled access to the exhibit hall, where they could engage with a diverse range of equipment, materials, and technology providers. Additionally, the event included the prestigious Élan Awards of Excellence ceremony and dinner on the evening of May 15, recognizing outstanding achievements in design innovation, security, and technical prowess within the card industry.

Some participants maximized their experience at Production 360 by combining it with the Advanced Card Education-Manufacturing (ACE-M) training and exam program. ACE-M covers various aspects such as PVC/plastics, inks, adhesives, printing, collation, lamination, die-cutting, and standards/testing.

For more information about Production 360, visit icma.com/icma-expo/production-360.