Events

On January 22, 2026, the SPE Southern Section hosted a Networking Social at Six Bridges Brewing in Johns Creek, Georgia. The event brought together professionals and students from across the plastics industry for an evening of networking, conversation, and community building in a relaxed setting. Attendees at various career stages connected, exchanged ideas, and strengthened professional relationships while enjoying food, drinks, and informal discussion with peers from the Southern Section plastics community.

On April 20, 2023, the SPE Southern Section hosted a Panel Discussion: Career Advancement and Networking at Georgia Tech. The event focused on career opportunities and practical guidance for engineers and related technical professionals, followed by networking and conversation with peers across the plastics community. Panelists shared perspectives from different corners of the industry, including Todd Bier (Palmer Holland), Katie Kellogg (Milliken), Jimmy Knoll (Evonik), and Abhishek Ambekar (Jindal Films), offering attendees a chance to learn from varied career paths and experiences.

On November 16, 2022, the SPE Southern Section hosted Sustainability & the Recycling Stream in Smyrna, GA, with sponsorship support from IMCD Group. The event highlighted practical pathways to improve plastics recyclability and advance circular economy goals. Larry Logan (Digimarc) discussed how digital watermarks can improve sorting and increase recovery rates in the recycling stream, including how supply-chain coordination supports adoption and how policy momentum in Europe could accelerate broader use. The program also featured Jeff Gold (Nexus Circular) explaining advanced recycling and how it can convert plastics that might otherwise go to landfill into virgin-quality resin, helping companies meet sustainability and materials objectives.

On October 21, 2021, the SPE Southern Section hosted an in-person networking social at SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta, GA. The event brought together plastics professionals and students for two hours of conversations and connections in a relaxed brewery setting, with dinner and drinks. Attendees represented a mix of roles across the industry, creating a welcoming environment for members and guests to meet new people, reconnect with familiar faces, and strengthen relationships within the Southern Section community. The strong turnout made it a successful return to in-person engagement and helped set the stage for future section events.

On October 29, 2019, the SPE Southern Section hosted a networking and bowling social at Bowlero in Kennesaw, GA, created in response to attendee feedback from the prior month’s 3D Printing event. The evening brought together nearly 20 plastics professionals for two hours of bowling, food, and relaxed networking. Attendees represented a wide range of companies across the plastics value chain, including CH3 Solutions, Solvay, Nissei ASB Company, Evonik, KraussMaffei, Pinnacle Search Partners, Omya, Ravago Americas, Colortech, M Holland Company, IMCD US, EnCom Polymers, and Radici High Performance Polymers, making it a fun and high-impact way to strengthen connections within the Southern Section community.

On August 28, 2019, the SPE Southern Section hosted a 3D Printing event at HP Inc.’s Alpharetta facility, bringing together almost 50 industry professionals and students for an evening focused on additive manufacturing in plastics. The program featured two presentations from industry leaders: Frank Bowker (Stratasys Direct Manufacturing) on 3D printing and advanced applications, and David Tucker (HP Inc.) on plastic part design using the Multi Jet Fusion process. In addition to the technical sessions, attendees toured HP’s facility to see the technology and workflow up close, followed by dinner and networking with both members and nonmembers, making it a strong mix of learning and community connection.

On March 12, 2019, the SPE Southern Section hosted the Plastics Resources Sustainability Event in Cartersville, GA, bringing together over 30 industry professionals and students for an engaging program focused on sustainability in plastics. The event featured an industrial tour of Plastics Resources, giving attendees practical insight into recycling operations, along with networking opportunities and dinner. The technical program included two talks: a session on recycling by Clay Frazier (Plastics Resources) and a presentation on bioplastics by Abhishek Ambekar. The audience included students and professionals across engineering, science, and commercial roles, reflecting the broad and collaborative nature of the plastics industry.

On December 10, 2018, the SPE Southern Section hosted its inaugural event at Georgia Tech, bringing together 35 industry professionals and students for an evening focused on injection molding and plastics engineering. The program included guided lab tours in Georgia Tech’s Materials Science and Engineering department, structured networking, dinner, and a technical talk by John Knipp, Southeast Regional Manager at RJG. The event reflected the Southern Section’s mission to support education, professional development, and industry connections through the exchange of scientific and engineering knowledge in plastics.