FINAT congress focuses on innovation in self-adhesive labeling

‘Innovation - the driving force behind self-adhesive development’ is the timely theme for the 2004 FINAT Congress, to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, 2-4 June 2004.   According to Jules Lejeune, Managing Director of FINAT – the worldwide association promoting the interests of self-adhesive labeling:  ‘At no time in our history has the self-adhesive labeling industry faced so much competition from so many alternative pack decorating technologies.   We have to focus on developing a continuing stream of new solutions for our brand-owner customers if we are to remain the dominant labeling technology’.
Hosted by FINAT in conjunction with the Danish Label Association at the Radisson SAS Scandinavia Hotel, the FINAT Congress embraces the FINAT General Assembly, open committee meetings (technical, marketing and converter committees), and networking and social events, as well as the formal conference program.

Setting the formal conference program in context, Jrgen Larsen, Chairman of the Danish Label Association, will address the delegates on the topic of ‘The Association as a vehicle for self-adhesive industry development’.   The opening conference session focuses on the current status and future trends in the industry - and features a keynote address from end-user Frank Banke Troelsen, Vice President, Brand Development/Global Branding for Lego Systems A/S.   The annual statistical market update in terms of material usage follows, and Jules Lejeune will report on FINAT’s market trends survey.   One of the label converting industry’s senior statesmen, Preben Hadberg of Klimax Etikettering, will deliver an update on the Danish labeling market.

In the session specifically devoted to innovation and development, issues surrounding self-adhesive laminates; new application areas; and developments in silicone technology are raised.  Christian Simcic, Group Vice President, Fasson Roll Worldwide, Avery Dennison Corporation, Wilco van Zwieten, Commercial Director of Panoval SA. and Thomas Koini of Wacker- Chemie are the speakers, along with Corey M Reardon, CEO of packaging and converting industry market research consultancy AWA Alexander Watson Associates, who provides a market overview of innovation and development across the whole of the label market - not just self-adhesives.

End-user trends and developments are the subject of the final conference session, which provides a full program of papers from brand owners on various aspects of packaging and labeling:  Henrik Skov Madsen, Manager, Group Purchasing, for Tulip; Tony Barnett, Senior Packaging Engineer, Procter & Gamble; Astrid Kirkesen, Manager, Packaging Materials and Design, Amersham Health AS; Maren Baermann of DHL Germany; and a Packaging Management expert from Beiersdorf.  This particularly strong lineup of end-user speakers responds to delegate reactions to last year’s similar session - and is likely to provide a stimulating and thought-provoking climax to the program.

Full details of the conference program, the opportunity for members to register online, and information on FINAT’s supporting calendar of events is available via the FINAT website at http://www.finat.com/ , or from the Secretariat at PO Box 85612, 2508 CH The Hague, The Netherlands, tel 31 70 312 39 10, fax 31 70 363 63 48, email info@finat.com