Conference program and speakers confirmed for Label Summit Latin America 2019

Taking place May 14-15 at Plaza Mayor Medellín in Medellín, Colombia, the summit is aimed at senior decision makers working within the label and package printing industry. The educational event aims to equip delegates with in-depth knowledge as well as strategic insights into how they can help move the sector forward in Colombia and the wider region. With this in mind, the conference program has been designed with a strong business and strategy theme, featuring a diverse range of topics.

A key focus for day one of the summit is legislation and industry trends in Colombia, the wider region, and globally, alongside design and branding. Speaker highlights include: Alexander Hernández Muñoz, head of product development at ICIPC, who will set out recent changes in Colombian legislation and the impact on the printing industry; Cesar Augusto Bernal Gonzalez, founder and managing director of Colombian converter Everest Printed Solutions, who will lead a session on the use of technologies to support start-ups, packaging design, and how sustainability and materials will shape this in the future; Diddier Solano, area sales director UPM Raflatac – gold sponsor of the event – will use his keynote session to touch on how a label can build a brand for the future; and Tatiana Duarte, executive president of Colombian trade association ANDIGRAF, who will present key industry trends to watch for the future.  

The second half of day one features sessions themed around design and branding. Guillermo Dufranc, graphic project manager at Tridimage, will speak on designing products for different generations. This will be followed by a panel featuring regional brand experts that will discuss creating products with stand-out presence. Confirmed panelists: Luis Arevalo, design and packaging director Latin America, Colgate-Palmolive; Catalina Botero Jr, brand development director, Grupo Familia; Luisa Garcia, brand manager, Compañía Nacional de Chocolates (Grupo Nutresa); and Ader Cárdenas, design manager, Quala Nova.

Day two will focus on business markets, new opportunities and the current market trend for diversification. Juan Sebastián Estrada Hernández, Ideeo CEO, opens day two of Label Summit Latin America to discuss business diversification. His business has moved from commercial printing to folding cartons and labels. He will address moving into label production from other printing industries, making the move into mid and narrow web, and attracting new clients by diversifying your product offering.

A further highlight is noted as returning speaker Fernando Gabel, executive vice president and general manager, Latin America at All4Labels Group, who will present on mergers and acquisitions. Drawing on his experience, he will share insight into how to best to overcome the challenges for a successful transition and how to form new business partnerships. Steinhauser owner and president Tara Halpin will then examine how to implement a positive company culture to grow your business, for example through attracting fresh talent and maintaining staff loyalty. José Gutierrez, MCA North country manager, HP, will be part of a panel discussion that will examine the future of print – including intelligent products, and how the industry needs to respond to consumer expectations. Other topics covered on day two include: business diversification into labels and flexible packaging; automation and MIS implementation; and lean manufacturing and just-in-time production, from managing multiple operations and in different countries, exporting from Colombia and neighboring countries, and making manufacturing more environmentally sustainable.

As usual at Label Summit Latin America events, a table-top exposition complements the conference program, with more than 60 industry suppliers showcasing the latest products and technological advancements.

Jessika Bustamante Meisner, Label Summit Latin America 2019 event manager, commented: ‘The prestigious line-up of speakers for this year’s Label Summit Latin America in Colombia is testament to the strength of this event. Converters in the region have an unquenchable appetite for learning about the industry – something we saw very much in evidence at Labelexpo Americas 2018, which, with a 95 percent increase in visitors from Latin America since the previous edition, has given this year’s summit real momentum.’

She added: ‘This is the most diverse conference program we have put together. With many high-profile brands represented, it’s an exclusive opportunity for delegates to gain first-hand insight into current and future industry trends, understand the constantly changing regulatory environment, and apply this knowledge to their own businesses and when working with brands.’

Tridimage’s Dufranc said: ‘Label Summit Latin America is an excellent platform for sharing experience and insight. Every generation has its own needs and expectations, and packaging design provides a whole range of possibilities to engage with consumers. Latin America, for instance, has an especially young consumer audience, so label converters and brand owners alike would do as well to understand this growing market. With this in mind, I will be showcasing successful packaging design strategies through engaging images, videos and music, which will reveal how to get right to the heart of your target.’

An early bird attendee rate is valid until April 26. The full two-day delegate pass for printers/converters, brand owners and designers costs $215 USD ($270 USD thereafter). Two-day supplier/manufacturer only passes cost $825 USD. Full event passes include access to the table-top exposition, conference sessions, lunch, evening networking reception and refreshments.

For information on this, and other industry events, read the L&L Events diary