Labelexpo Europe 2005 promises repeat success

Labelexpo Europe 2005, taking place 21-24 September, will be the eleventh edition of the world-leading international labels, product decoration, web printing and converting event.  The show will involve five halls at Brussels Expo, packed full of key suppliers and an extensive programme of seminars tackling both practical and theoretical issues.  In addition, the second annual Label Industry Global Awards will take place alongside.
The European label market accounted for a near 36 per cent of the global label market in 2004 and is still growing steadily - with pressure sensitive applications remaining at the core, and continuing to increase at 5-7 per cent per annum.  In a survey taken at Labelexpo Americas last year, a quarter of converters said that a key future trend will be flexible production requirements, with 16 per cent moving into shrink film and wraparound and 15 per cent into flexible packaging.  Shrinkwrap, stretchwrap, wraparound, IML films (and other new product decoration solutions, such as pouches) are ‘labels’ too and are the territory of the narrow/mid-web label converter - increasing the potential for both exhibitors and visitors to do business at Labelexpo Europe.
Over 450 exhibitors are expected at Labelexpo Europe 2005, including all the major players such as Avery Dennison, Gallus, Gidue, HP, Mark Andy, Nilpeter, Omet and Raflatac.  As at all Labelexpos, exhibitors at the show will display working machinery, and give live demonstrations throughout each day.  Labelexpo Europe is traditionally an excellent platform for new launches, and announcements will be made throughout the year revealing who will be debuting what.
At Labelexpo Americas 2004, over 600 people gathered in Chicago for the first Label Industry Global Awards ceremony and gala dinner.  Dale Bunnell was awarded the ‘R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award’; Avery Dennison won the Label Industry Award for Continuous Innovation’; and the ‘Label Industry Award for New Innovation’ went to HP Indigo.   At Labelexpo Europe 2005, the Label Industry Global Awards will take place on 21 September at Autoworld Brussels.  Voting for this year’s winners will begin shortly, all online at http://www.labelawards.com/.
Roger Pellow, Labelexpo Managing Director, said, “After the tremendous success of Labelexpo Europe 2003 we are very much looking forward to Labelexpo Europe 2005.  With the widening of the labels industry, and the opening up of the new European Union member states, this year’s event is set to be at least 10 per cent bigger than the last one in terms of both visitor numbers and exhibition space.”