Educational content at Labelexpo Europe

Every day at Labelexpo Europe 2025 will feature educational content, covering automation, flexible packaging, folding cartons and more.

This educational content will take place in two locations: at The Pulse education area at Booth 7B15 on the exhibit floor, and at the Label Academy Master Class conference sessions. The Pulse will feature different themes every day, with sessions and networking events guided by industry thought leaders. This year, Labelexpo has also appointed ambassadors, experts with specific knowledge of that day’s theme, to lead programming at The Pulse. Meanwhile, Labelexpo will present two Master Classes, each providing an all-day, in-depth exploration of either RFID or folding cartons.

‘We want attendees to walk away with pragmatic knowledge they can use,’ says Katie Chapman, Labelexpo’s conference coordinator. ‘Our goal is for everyone who sits in a session to discover at least one new approach or technology that could make a real difference in their business, whether it’s learning how to expand into flexible packaging or understanding how to future-proof their operations through automation.’

Day one

On Sept 16, the first day of Labelexpo, the theme at The Pulse will be ‘sustainable labels and packaging’. Corey Reardon, president and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, and Marius Tent, founder of ViaPackaging UG and 360 PackMastery, will serve as the day’s ambassadors, lending their expertise on materials and sustainability, respectively.

Programming at The Pulse begins at 11 am, with keynote speaker Dr Leyla Acaroglu, founder of Disrupt Design, who will address circular strategies. At 1 pm, sustainability ambassador Tent, who also serves as project manager at Celab Europe, will provide practical information on PPWR for the packaging industry. Then, at 2 pm, Reardon will present a briefing on AWA’s most recent research on global label and packaging markets. The final Pulse session of the day, at 3 pm, will be a panel on PPWR.

Meanwhile, Sept 16’s Master Class will focus on folding cartons.

The Master Class will feature 30-minute sessions exploring a range of topics related to the folding carton space: its business opportunity, flexo technology, converting equipment, materials and more. Speakers include James Boughton, director of regional sales and operations development for labels and packaging at Canon (Edale); Tiziano Albanese, EMEA packaging category manager at HP; and Ludovico Frati, sales and marketing director, digital, printing and converting folding carton at Bobst.

Day two

The Pulse will explore flexible packaging on Sept 17.

Chris Ellison, managing director at OPM Group and Labelexpo’s flexible packaging ambassador, is the first keynote of the day. At 11 am, he will share how OPM expanded from pressure-sensitive labels into flexible packaging. At 1 pm, Steve Baker, managing director of Baker Labels, will discuss pouching systems. At 2 pm, Ryan Chai, strategic account solutions specialist at Nobelus, will speak about sustainability in flexible packaging. The final Pulse session of the day will feature Jose ‘Pepe’ Gorbea, global head of brands, agencies and sustainability innovation at HP, who will present case studies demonstrating how flexible packaging can advance brand storytelling, consumer engagement and shelf appeal.

The Master Class this day will focus on RFID technology and integration.

The morning session’s topics will cover RFID chip technology, real-world use cases, RFID label production technology, and quality control. Afternoon sessions will be on RFID chip programming, systems integrators and more. Speakers include Gustav Sandstrom, director of intelligent labels sales and business development EMENA at Avery Dennison; Vlad Sljapic, chief commercial officer at Graphimecc Group; and Louise Scott, senior supplies product manager at Zebra Technologies.

Day three

On Sept 18, The Pulse will examine future technologies, with Steve Metcalf, chief AI officer at Imagine AI Live, serving as automation and AI ambassador.

The first session of the day, at 11 am, will focus on the Digital Product Passport legislation. Graphimecc Group’s Vlad Sljapic and Avery Dennison’s Sophia Savvides will explore DPP and its benefits. At noon, Metcalf will speak about how label converters are using AI and automation, and what the label factories of the future might look like. At 2 pm, GS1 UK’s Camilla Young will cover the retail industry’s transition from 1D barcodes to 2D barcodes, an initiative known as Sunrise 2027. The Pulse will wrap up the day with a session on how labels and packaging connect brands and consumers.

Day four

On the last day of Labelexpo, The Pulse will explore folding cartons. Will Parker, managing director of DataSpike, is the folding carton ambassador. At 11 am, Parker will speak about why label converters are increasingly entering the folding carton space. At 1 pm, The Pulse will hold its final session on adding value to folding carton manufacturing.