Suppliers ask - is proposed new label show necessary?

Mark Andy/Comco, Gallus and Nilpeter have all expressed concern at the introduction of another label-specific trade show. Interviewed by Barry Hunt in Labels and Labeling magazine, all three suppliers stated that they were unable and unwilling to invest the necessary resources in Interlabel 2004, which is scheduled to open in Stuttgart in December.

Interlabel’s UK-based organiser denies that it is competing head on with the biennial Labelexpo Europe show, which held its fifteenth event in Brussels in 2003. It states that Interlabel will be the only dedicated European show taking place in 2004 and claims that the Stuttgart location marks them apart.

The support of recognized industry leaders is key to any show’s success. Interlabel is up against finite marketing budgets - which are already stretched to the limit - and the difficulty of penetrating a well-established show cycle.

‘How many shows can a niche market like labelling have?’ asks Klaus Aarestrup, sales and marketing director of Gallus. ‘We would rather invest a lot in a few shows, than invest a little in many shows.’

The full interview can be found in the current issue of Labels and Labeling.