Finat tackles industry challenges at Technical Seminar 2018

Industry association Finat will use its forthcoming Technical Seminar 2018 to address the many common challenges facing printers and converters today, and look at how to overcome them and achieve ‘real results’.

The next biennial Finat Technical Seminar takes place March 7-9, 2018 in Barcelona

Topics such as digitization, automation, decoration and finishing are recurring themes for the industry, with the 1.5-day seminar designed to help companies understand the technical challenges, and improve their organizational efficiency, service and profitability by implementing new techniques, methodologies and by employing the workers’ skills and knowledge to the fullest.

Papers presented will show from a technical standpoint new features and requirements in printing, converting and processing to keep the labeling industry moving forward and add value in the supply chain.

Presenters will include: Chris Ellison, Finat president and managing director of OPM Group; Jeroen van Bauwel, director of product management at Xeikon; Geert de Proost, director, solutions marketing at Esko; Daragh Whelan, process manager at Bobst Firenze; MPS global marketing manager Marjolein Ekkelboom; Bo Meyer, European business development manager at UEI Falcontec; Heinz Schweiger, group research director of printing inks at Zeller+Gmelin; Jonathan Sexton, marketing manager for energy curing and narrow web at Sun Chemical; Gary Seward, managing director, Pulse Roll Label Products; Dr Axel Niemöller, head of R&D at Sihl; Dr Anil Gaikwad, head of R&D at Cosmo Films; Raymond Lu, general manager at Dragon Foils.

The program also includes troubleshooting workshops, to be moderated by De Ruyter Strategy. Two specific scenarios will be explored in parallel sessions: self-adhesive multi-layer peel and reveal labels, led by John Hammond, sales director at Nilpeter UK, and flexible packaging and sleeve labels, led by Nanette Thomas, CEO and founder of Synthogra.

Andy Hobsbawm, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Evrythng, will deliver the keynote presentation. He will look at the technical side of the way in which smart products can transform brand relationships, business operations and service experiences. With live demonstrations, he will show how to transform labels into smart, digital assets. Closing Finat Technical Seminar 2018 will be an exploration of traceability, food safety, authentication and branding with smart labels from Günther Dieroff, sales and marketing manager at Beneli. He will show how smart labels embedded with electronics, software, sensors or actuators are used to increase consumer engagement, as well as to provide traceability and product security.

Download the full program here.

Jules Lejeune, Finat managing director, commented: ‘The world is changing: growing geographically smaller through globalization, and universally bigger via the clouds. In this complex value chain, the challenges that face participants at all levels today are massive. Our time-honoured print technologies have new young digital partners; new label decoration and finishing technologies; new substrates; new inks and curing methods and much more. On top of that, brand owners want just-in-time delivery, personalization and price restraint. How can we win in this multi-faceted arena?’

The next biennial Finat Technical Seminar takes place March 7-9, 2018 in Barcelona.

Read about more industry event sin the L&L Events diary