Striking results for Labelexpo Americas

Labelexpo Americas 2006, which took place last week in Chicago, welcomed an astonishing 13,256 visitors from 88 countries, representing a six per cent increase on the previous 2004 show. Over 450 leading label industry suppliers unveiled and sold new machinery launched innovative materials and showcased the latest technologies available to this fast-changing global industry. This year marks the tenth show in Chicago and the expansion of the event reflects the continued growth of the label industry. 

Over 20 per cent of visitors traveled from outside the US, including large delegations from Mexico, Brazil, China, Japan, Germany, Denmark, Italy and the UK. Delegations from Latin America increased by 23 per cent, mirroring the accelerating growth of the label industry in this region. The show provided suppliers with the platform to launch new presses on a global stage. These launches included new machinery from Mark Andy/Comco, Aquaflex and Nilpeter. In addition, international companies unveiled new technology for the North American label market. These included Codimag from France and Italy-based Omet and Gidue. Edale, a press manufacturer based in the UK, launched its new US operations at the show. Many companies also exhibited their new digital printing equipment - showing a dramatically increasing trend in this type of printing. In addition, many companies also exhibited their latest RFID/Smart label solutions.
 

Conference program

The show provided visitors with the chance to hear the latest developments in the global label industry through an in-depth conference program delivered in association with show partners, TLMI.  Delegate numbers at the conference have increased by 61 per cent since the last show.  Highlights of the conference program included several international panel sessions on the global label industry, digital printing, servo technology, and success with prepress. Leading packaging designer Karim Rashid opened the conference on the first day with a keynote presentation on the importance of the right packaging and labels design in today's consumer marketplace. The last day of the conference was dedicated to RFID/Smart technology with experts such as Mike Meranda, president of EPCglobal US; Dave Edwards, chief technical officer at Avery Dennison; and Andrew Grace, director of RFID Business Unit at George Schmitt & Co. The conference also focused on the latest processes and trends in anti-counterfeiting labeling and packaging.

Scott Pillsbury, chairman, TLMI Board of Directors, commented: ‘The Labelexpo Americas team should be congratulated for once again putting on an excellent show. All of our members – converters and suppliers alike – were very pleased with the results of the show. Converters had the opportunity to see the latest innovations available to the industry, while suppliers reached thousands of motivated decision makers. Overall, another job well done!’

John Hickey, Chairman-Elect, TLMI, added: ‘Labelexpo Americas has served as a showcase for the latest equipment, materials, supplies and technologies available today since it was established more than two decades ago.  And, as a converter, I can conveniently see it all in one place, at one time. Anybody interested in improving their business can't afford to miss it. I know I never do!’

The Label Industry Global Awards

The show hosted the prestigious Label Industry Global Awards, with over 600 people attending. Winners included:

• Jerry Palmer, channel manager North America at DuPont, collected the Award for Continuous Innovation from sponsors Labels & Labeling, Label & Narrow Web and NarroWebTech.
• Ian Hole, director for market development at Esko received the Award for New Innovation from Eric Hoendervangers, managing director of MPS and sponsor of this category.
• Suzanne Zaccone, president of Graphic Solutions International, was given the RFID/Smart Manufacturer Award by Ewald Draaijer, managing director of XSYS Print Solutions, the sponsoring company.
• Calvin Frost, CEO of Channeled Resources Group collected the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award from Dean Scarborough CEO & president of Avery Dennison, who gave a presentation at the ceremony. The winner’s name was unveiled by Lars Eriksen, president of Nilpeter, who won this same accolade in 2005.

Labelexpo Americas also saw the major launch of a new report analyzing the North American label market. Mike Fairley, director of strategic development, Labelexpo Global Series, unveiled the key findings of the survey at a press conference and highlighted the big increase in flexo, UV flexo and digital printing in North America. The survey also focused on the effects of globalization, mainly analyzing the opportunities available to label converters in North America by selling to the emerging markets. Further surveys and market reports will be published later this year and in 2007.

Roger Pellow, Labelexpo managing director, said: ‘I am extremely happy with the visitor quality at this year’s show. The improved investment climate in the Americas has helped with equipment sales. This year marks the tenth Labelexpo Americas event and we’re delighted to see the show becoming increasingly international with many visitors coming from across the world, tapping into the latest products and learning about new trends. Many new visitors came from Latin America and Asia. I thought the Awards night was a tremendous evening and a great gathering of the industry. We look forward to seeing friends and colleagues again in Chicago in 2008.'

Exhibitor and partner comments:

Frank Sablone, president of the TLMI: ‘This year's show was extremely successful from the standpoint of both TLMI and our converting and supplier members. In addition to the networking opportunities the show floor provided, the technical level of the conference program offered converters tangible information and strategies they can take back to their own businesses. As an association in such a dynamic industry, we're pleased to see the effort and commitment that the Labelexpo Global Series continue to invest.’

Jakob Landberg, sales director, Nilpeter: ‘This year’s Labelexpo Americas was an above-average show in terms of the quality of visitors and their interest in our presses. It was especially notable for a stronger than usual willingness by American converters to invest in the very latest narrow-web technology. This factor kept our sales staff very busy, with live presentations of the FB-Line press especially creating much interest.’

Eric Hoendervangers, managing director, MPS: ‘After Labelexpo Americas 2006 we are more convinced than ever that MPS's label and packaging press technology has a significant fit for the label and packaging converters in North America.’

Seamus Lafferty, president, Stanford Products: ‘While it often takes time to realize the full success of a tradeshow, by show-close Labelexpo Americas had already surpassed what I was hoping for.  The true success of a show is of course sales - and I'm happy to report that Stanford secured orders directly from the show floor.  Especially noteworthy was the substantial number of international visitors, and the fact that they were there to close deals.’

David Jones, managing director, Alphasonics: ‘Most certainly, this year's Labelexpo Americas was a success for Alphasonics. For the first time, we exhibited independently from our agents and without doubt will be repeating the exercise in two years time. There has undeniably been a shift in American thinking with regards to environmental issues. The show was, as usual very well organized by Labelexpo, who were on hand. I must also mention the politeness, helpfulness and efficiency of the exhibition center crew who looked after us during set up.’

Bill Reichard, CEO, Gerhardt USA: ‘Gerhardt USA enjoyed an extremely successful show at Labelexpo Americas with a new look to its stand. The quantity and the quality of the contacts made over the course of the show were overwhelming. Most of us have never experienced a show like it.’

Gerben van Wijk, PR manager, Drent Goebel: ‘It was the first time that we participated as Drent Goebel North America. About the show we are really enthusiastic indeed, we signed off three deals and we hope that we can sign off some more in the near future. These deals don’t just happen at the show but need a lot of effort and time to be realized but a show like Labelexpo Americas provides a very good platform for the final discussions and a well known glass of Champagne to celebrate.’

Read the definitive Labelexpo Americas review in the next issue of Labels & Labeling!