Feature areas and educational opportunities at Labelexpo Europe

Lisa Milburn, managing director of Labelexpo Global Series, said: ‘This is a milestone year for Labelexpo as it celebrates an incredible 40 years, so we wanted to mark that by creating our biggest, most ambitious show yet. 

‘Our objective is that the buyers attending Labelexpo Europe 2019 will, through live demonstrations, the innovative show features and expert-led master classes, find the right solutions that empower them to create a strategy which moves their businesses – and therefore the industry – forward.’

Flexible Packaging Arena The Flexible Packaging Arena is a demonstration of two press lines – one conventional and one digital – producing indirect food contact flexible packaging to the latest GMP standards. Visitors will gain new insights from the industry-wide UVFoodSafe initiative into best practice for UV curing onto indirect food contact labels and flexible packaging. This covers all stages from designing for low migration, to materials selection and treatment, food compliant ink selection and in-line UV cure dose measurement. Visitors can learn about the parameters involved in assessing whether a job is likely to pass migration testing through this live feature.

The demonstrations include UV flexographic printing of flexible packaging on a Bobst M6 press, incorporating in-line UV dose measurement and food packaging compliant UV inks; and digital printing on a CX500 Xeikon press with in-line construction of food packaging compliant stand-up pouches. In addition, visitors will be able to view food packaging compliant flexible packaging on the HP Indigo stand. Demonstrations take place each day at 11am, 1pm and 3pm, and are free for show delegates to attend. 

Brand Innovation Showcase 
Labelexpo Europe 2019 will host an exclusive invitation-only showcase for brand owners and packaging designers. The two-day program will provide presentations from top brands, designers and thought leaders and will be followed by lunch. An afternoon tour will highlight the latest technology from key suppliers. Brands and packaging designers will learn how to achieve stand-out product presence with their packaging, and a label and packaging showcase will explore award winning label and packaging designs. 

Sustainability Insight Café 
At the Sustainability Insight Café area of the show, in Hall 11, visitors will be able to see the latest sustainable products and services designed to support a more environmentally conscious label and package printing industry. 

Educational opportunities 
Visitors will be able to deepen their technical knowledge of flexible packaging and self-adhesive labels with the introduction of dedicated expert-led master classes and a workshop. These bring the number of in-depth learning programs to four – the show’s most extensive educational schedule to date.

Led by the Label Academy, the new master class and workshop will run simultaneously as half-day sessions on Thursday September 26, from 9am. The new Flexible Packaging master class will be hosted by Label Academy founder Mike Fairley alongside other leading experts and aims to equip label converters looking to enter or expand their production into flexible packaging with the essential technical knowledge required. This includes substrates, design and origination, printing and converting. 

The new Self-Adhesive Label Materials workshop will be hosted by Labels & Labeling and Labelexpo’s strategic director Andy Thomas-Emans, alongside other experts in the field of self-adhesive label substrates. Participants will learn how self-adhesive laminates are made; the importance of materials and the need for different adhesives; why different laminate constructions are needed, their usage and how to identify them; and use of different self-adhesive test methods. 

A host of high-profile specialists are lined up to present at the learning programs. They include Alex Knott, senior technical service and development scientist at Dow Chemical Company and winner of the 2018 Label Industry Global Award for individual achievement, who will present on release liner substrates, and Christopher Ellison, Finat president and managing director of OPM (Labels and Packaging) Group, who will be among the presenters at the Flexible Packaging master class. 

Two further master classes are taking place: Digital Label and Package Printing, and Inks, Coatings & Varnishes. Both will run on September 27. The digital printing master class will be hosted by Mike Fairley and leading experts from the fields of materials, pre-press printing and finishing technology. The inks and coatings master class is led by Andy Thomas-Emans and offers participants the opportunity to learn how inks, top and barrier coatings, primers and varnishes are being adapted and applied to modern narrow-web converting operations. 

Places on the master classes cost 695 euros (including the relevant Label Academy text book), while workshop places are 595 euros. In both cases, bookings include refreshments and lunch. Places are limited, so early booking is encouraged.