Labelexpo founder Clive Smith passes away

It is with great sadness that the Tarsus Labels Group announces the death of Clive Smith, founder of Labelexpo

Clive Smith launched the first Labelex show in London in 1980 to showcase coding, marking and labeling technology for the garment and wider package and product labeling industries. The show was sponsored by Mike Fairley’s Labels & Labeling magazine published by his Cowise group, a partnership that was to endure throughout the show’s history. 

In 1985 Smith moved the show to Europe, originally running at the Rogier Centre in Brussels before moving to its final home at Brussels Expo. Finat supported the seminar program for the first time, and this was later followed by an agreement to exclusively partner with the European show.  

Smith signed an agreement with TLMI to exclusively support Labelexpo America, with the first show taking place at the Rosemont Center Chicago in 1990. In 1991 the first Labelexpo Asia show took place at the World Trade Centre, Singapore. 

In 1998 Tarsus took over ownership of the Labelex/Cowise group.  
At Labelexpo Europe 2019 Smith was honored with a Global Label Industry Special Recognition Award. 

Labelexpo Europe remained located in Brussels until this year, when it was announced the show will move to Barcelona in 2025.