Looking forward to Packprint Summit Americas 2013

David Pittman previews what you will hear, which companies you will meet and the contacts you will have the opportunity to make at the inaugural Packprint Summit
Looking forward to Packprint Summit Americas 2013

David Pittman previews what you will hear, which companies you will meet and the contacts you will have the opportunity to make at the inaugural Packprint Summit

Next week sees the successful Labelexpo event brand launch the Packprint Summit series, with Packprint Summit Americas 2013.

Packaging and package printing technologies have long been part of the makeup of Labelexpo Global Series events, from the market-leading Labelexpo Europe and Labelexpo Americas machinery exhibitions, to the worldwide Label Summit series of conferences.

Printing and converting equipment OEMs through to pressroom consumables suppliers have long used such events to promote their respective products applicable to the package printing market, and since 2011 this has been augmented by dedicated feature areas at the European and American Labelexpo shows.

These have been designed to show narrow web label printers the opportunities presenting themselves to extend into other packaging medium, such as folding cartons and flexibles, as well as focusing on the region’s package printing market.

Labelexpo Europe 2013 was a record-breaking year for the show, and for package printing as the Package Printing Workshop feature area itself drew its biggest attendances yet.

This success is now to be carried forward with Packprint Summit Americas 2013, taking place November 5-6 in Miami.

A two-day conference, this event aims to shed light on the key topics, trends and challenges in the North and Latin American package printing markets.

Presentations

Focused presentations will form the bedrock of the conference, including those looking at design, MIS, materials and finishing.

Evelio Mattos, creative director at Design Packaging, will address the new realities of package design, looking at global design trends, structures and processes, while Tony Estrada, business development director in Latin America at Spear, will look at redesigning products to maximize shelf appeal.

Stan Usry, flexibles sales director at EFI Radius, will look at how implementing an effective MIS/ERP system can increase enterprise-wide profitability, with Jerry Henson, sales manager at Mark Andy, to look at new printing technologies impacting today's short-run world.

Flint Group’s John Gaber and Mike Buystedt, product director for packaging inks and vice-president of its North American narrow web division respectively, are to explore recent advances in UV inks for food labels and packaging, including high-performance inks for LED curing, low-migration UV ink technologies for food safe packaging and EB curing as an alternative for food applications.

On the subject of materials, Nanette Thomas, founder and managing director of Thomas Graphics, and Klaus Damberg, president and chief executive officer of Eurocast, will explore the latest developments in materials, next-generation materials for flexible packaging, the use of natural and sustainable materials, and the challenges in the printing and converting of these materials.

Chris Baker, Highcon’s vice-president of sales and business development, will look at new developments in short-run finishing, and compare the features and benefits of in-line, off-line, conventional and digital processes.

Highcon has recently taken its first steps into North America, with Anro to install its Euclid digital cutting and creasing system by the end of the year.

Michael K. Walsh, business development manager at SICPA Securink, will then look at brand protection, addressing short- and long-term security systems, implementing new technologies to protect products, on- and in-package technologies, and instant verification.

Case studies

Case studies peppering the conference program will provide real-life examples of some of these technologies.

Sarah Goldthwait, marketing director at Powerful Yogurt, will speak on creating new opportunities in brand development and positioning . Speaking after Tony Estrada of Spear, she will look at Powerful Yogurt's packaging concepts and design, and identifying the target audience and creating packaging that “sells”.

Paul Browning, quality control manager at Palmas Printing, will provide a cases study of transforming a print operation from prime labels to flexible packaging, with the transformation challenges and looking at the future of Palmas Printing. He will speak in collaboration with Raul Matos, vice-president of sales and marketing at Karlville, and cover lamination and short run pouch technology, and combining in-line and off-line lamination.

Panel discussions

Panel discussions will provide delegates with a cross-section of further opinions and thoughts on other key topics in the package printing market across the Americas.

A digital package printing panel will look at selecting the correct digital press according to a printer’s business, and is to be comprised of: Michael Ring, president of Xeikon America; Alexander Mercon, HP Indigo’s market manager for labeling and packaging in Latin America; and Jeffery Corley, digital label and flexible packaging specialist at Screen USA.

A printer panel discussion will then look at the challenges facing converters and the market opportunities in the Americas. Browning of Palmas Printing will take a seat on this panel, as will Tom Zumbiel, marketing and sustainability director at Zumbiel Packaging, and John Côté, vice-president of innovation and manufacturing technology at Multi Packaging Solutions.

A further editorial panel will discuss the industry and current trends, and anticipate future trends. Moderated by Danielle Jerschefske of Labels & Labeling, she will be joined on stage by David Pittman of Packprint World, Tom Polischuk of packagePRINTING and Robert J. Moran from FLEXO Magazine.

Networking

A table-top supplier exhibition aims to provide further educational opportunities to delegates, with suppliers to the package printing industry to outline their products and technologies throughout the two-day show.

Those to be part of the exhibition include Goss International, KBA, Nilpeter, Omet, Muller Martini, MPS, Nuova Gidue, Durst, Mark Andy, Stork, Xeikon, HP Indigo, EFI, Colordyne, Epson, Screen USA, Meech, RotoMetrics, Accraply, GEW, Wilson, Finzer Roller, Yupo, K Laser, Eagle Systems, Harper Corporation of America, INX, Enercon, Polymagtek, Flint Group, Sun Chemical, Midway Rotary, Tresu, Karlville, Collins Ink, Bunting Magnetics and Alphasonics.

An additional boat tour of the South Florida harbor will provide additional networking opportunities.

Tasha Ventimiglia, event director for Packprint Summit Americas, said: ‘Packprint Summit Americas is an exciting new event for the package printing industry calendar.

‘In addition to the educational value of the conference sessions, the summit is designed to give a cutting-edge insight into the North American and global package printing industry, and facilitate new business connections, discussion and the sharing of best practice between delegates and exhibitors.

‘We hope that attendees will be provided with the best possible platform on which to operate more competitively in both the domestic and global marketplace.’

Find out more about Packprint Summit Americas here

Register to attend here, using the code PPSA1 for a last-minute discount  

Read more features from Packprint World here