The International Molded Fiber Association (IMFA) concluded its 27th Annual Conference earlier this month, bringing nearly 200 global industry leaders to Miami for three days of strategic insight, technical innovation, and collective action. Held April 30 to May 2 at the Hyatt Regency, the event reinforced molded fiber’s critical role in solving today’s most urgent packaging and environmental challenges.
With stakeholders spanning regulatory agencies, research institutions, manufacturers, and technology providers, this year’s conference emphasized molded fiber’s potential to replace single-use plastics at scale—and the innovation and infrastructure required to make it happen.
“Our industry is reaching a tipping point,” said Gary Visser, Executive Chairman of IMFA. “This year’s conference showed how molded fiber is no longer a niche alternative—it’s a mainstream, scalable solution that’s gaining traction across sectors and continents. From the students presenting bold design ideas to industry leaders developing global fiber strategies, the momentum in our field is undeniable. We’re solving real-world problems—plastic waste, carbon emissions, resource scarcity—and we’re doing it together. That kind of collaboration is what drives lasting change.”
A key highlight of the conference was the return of “The Five”—a high-energy series of rapid-fire presentations from leading innovators in machinery, materials, and manufacturing. Experts from Fiber Thermoforming Technology (FTT), Southern Pulp Machinery, TAW, Dalton Electric Heating, and Sustana Fiber shared insights on everything from forming precision and energy efficiency to fiber recovery and the future of circular inputs. The session concluded with an engaging audience Q&A, sparking meaningful dialogue across disciplines.
In her keynote address, Ann O’Hara, President of Huhtamaki North America, challenged the industry to unite across geographies and sectors to accelerate the adoption of molded fiber solutions. Drawing from her global leadership perspective, she urged attendees to position molded fiber not just as a sustainable option, but as the standard for packaging innovation in a shifting regulatory and consumer landscape.
The conference also spotlighted the future of the industry through IMFA’s annual Student Design Competition. This year’s top prize went to Preston Briggs and his team from the University of Wisconsin–Stout, who reimagined the packaging for a household waffle iron using molded fiber, combining functional design with environmental impact.
Later that evening, the IMFA community came together to recognize one of its own. Executive Chairman Gary Visser was honored with the Joe Grygny Lifetime Achievement Award, the association’s highest honor, for his decades of leadership, technical contributions, and long-standing commitment to advancing the molded fiber industry. He is only the eighth person to receive this prestigious recognition.
The final day of the conference featured IMFA’s hands-on Molded Fiber 101 workshop and committee report-outs, followed by a scenic group fishing excursion—a reminder that connection and camaraderie remain at the heart of the association’s work.
Looking ahead, IMFA will carry this momentum into Europe, where the 28th Annual Conference will take place April 13–17, 2026, in Barcelona, Spain. Pre-registration is now open at imfa.org/28th-annual-conference.
The International Molded Fiber Association (IMFA) is the premier international trade association for the molded fiber industry, whose mission is to promote the global growth of molded fiber products and advocate for environmental sustainability. The Association represents the diverse scope of the molded fiber industry - from independent manufacturing owners to industry affiliates to large multi-product, international companies.
