The 2024 NOVA Brand Owner Bootcamp has officially come to an end. This year’s event, held in Pittsburgh, PA, marked our largest gathering to date, with over 50 packaging decision-makers from globally recognized brands and retailers in attendance.
Each year we strive to reconnect with previous attendees and welcome new ones. This year we were thrilled to see guests from seven new organizations! The brands represented included Colgate Palmolive, Hershey, Kraft Heinz, Sargento, Kellanova (Kellogg’s), Nestlé, Mars, General Mills, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Tyson Foods, L’Oréal, Aldi, Target, Publix, Ahold Delhaize, and Giant Eagle.
Our event once again surpassed attendees' expectations. Many participants remarked that “this isn’t just a conference, it’s an experience.” From BOB’s Grocery Store to Grocery Games, leading industry speakers, and a consumer panel, attendees left with new knowledge and valuable connections with their peers. 
Throughout the three-day event, numerous conversations took place, where organizations shared their successful roadmaps for commercializing recyclable and sustainable packaging. We are confident that new packaging innovations will soon appear on grocery store shelves as a result of connections made at this year’s Bootcamp.
Each year, we present an award for the most impactful presentation. Previous winners, Ghislaine Bailey and Anna Rajkovic, have highlighted NOVA’s efforts to bring FDA-compliant rPE to the market. We are thrilled to announce that a NOVA employee has won this award for the third consecutive year, surpassing 12 other presentations. This year’s Beacon of Brilliance (BOB) award was presented to Brant Wunderlich for organizing an exceptional consumer panel led by Schmidt Market Research. The panel provided valuable insights into consumer adoption of recycled and recyclable materials and highlighted opportunities for industry improvement.
The planning for BOB 2025 is underway and we look forward to bringing everyone together again for inspiring conversations and collaboration.