Label Leaders of Tomorrow holds third annual excursion

This year’s Label Leaders of Tomorrow (LLT) excursion ‘is going to be hard to top’, says Mike Barry, national sales manager at Domino. 

LLT is TLMI’s community for emerging leaders, open to any TLMI member. The group provides networking, education and professional development at events throughout the year. The group is led by Barry; Ginnie Gandy, sales manager at Channeled Resources Group; and Katie Harrington, senior marketing manager at Winpak. 

About 50 attendees participated in the excursion, which took place in Appleton and Green Bay, Wisconsin, from July 15-16. Appvion and Green Bay Packaging hosted the group, providing education, tours and social activities throughout the two-day event. 

‘We’re not age discriminatory; it’s emerging leaders,’ says Barry. ‘If you’re new to the industry, new to your role, new to your career in general, this is the place to come.’ 

Engaging emerging leaders 

LLT emerged out of a TLMI committee meeting four years ago in Austin, Texas, where some attendees expressed interest in a group for young professionals in the labeling industry. Gandy and Harrington were involved in leading the group from the very beginning, with Barry getting involved shortly afterward. TLMI’s membership committee helped expand the group. 

‘The goal was to make TLMI less intimidating for people who are newer or younger, who would walk into a TLMI meeting and not know anybody,’ Gandy says. ‘We wanted to create a space for people to meet one another and make it a little bit easier to introduce them to TLMI and to the industry as a whole.’ 

The group has since grown. It’s now open to anyone new or emerging in the industry, with no age restrictions. It also provides professional development, educational opportunities and mentoring, in addition to networking.   

The group meets four times a year: at TLMI’s Annual Meeting, Committee Summit and Converter Meeting, as well as at the LLT excursion. At the Annual Meeting and Converter Meeting, LLT generally has a social activity near the start of the event, while at the Committee Summit, LLT usually hosts a trivia activity. LLT sometimes also holds educational programming, such as an AI lunch and learn with Imagine AI Live’s Steve Melcalf at last year’s Annual Meeting. 

This year marked the third LLT excursion. The first year, Avery Dennison hosted the excursion at its facility in Mentor, Ohio, where attendees were able to learn about materials. The second was co-hosted by Domino, Labelexpo and Labels & Labeling in Chicago, with participants learning more about digital printing. Every year, there is also education on other topics, such as technology, regulations and career paths. 

‘Word is out at TLMI about who we are and what we’re doing,’ Gandy says. ‘We’ll get emails from new people who’ve come from companies who have just hired, who they want to introduce to the industry or to other people. They know to come to us to get the word out and help integrate them at different events.’ 

The third excursion 

This year’s programming began on the afternoon of July 15. At Appvion’s facility in Appleton, participants toured the plant and learned about thermal labels. Afterward, LLT members headed to Appvion’s Farmhouse for barbecue, games and socializing. 

The next morning began at Appvion’s facility again, for a careers panel, an AI workshop and education on RFID, sustainability and private equity. 

LLT excursions include a career panel every year. This time, Appvion president Kevin Clunie moderated a conversation with Barry, Appvion’s Beth White, Green Bay Packaging’s Amy Hammen and Label King’s Turi Fiske. They spoke about their backgrounds in the labeling industry and shared advice. 

'There are so many opportunities here, especially for younger people like us,’ Fiske said of the labeling industry during the panel. 

The afternoon continued at Green Bay Packaging’s facility in Green Bay, with a presentation on the company and a tour.  

Later, participants headed to Lambeau Field for a guided tour of the Green Bay Packers stadium, and then to a nearby Packers house for dinner and socializing. 

For many people who attend LLT excursions, this is their first TLMI event, Barry says. ‘We’ve introduced probably 100 people to TLMI over the course of the three events that we’ve done, which is fantastic,' he says. 

LLT will continue their programming at the upcoming TLMI Annual Meeting on Marco Island, Florida, Oct 12-14. On the first evening, there will be a first-time attendee reception with LLT members and the TLMI board. Those interested in being a part of LLT can also follow the group through its LinkedIn page.