The organizers of Labelexpo Americas 2022 have confirmed the details of the event’s conference and learning program for the region’s largest trade show for the label and package printing industry, now in its 17th edition. The speaker line-up includes representatives from ACTEGA, Avery Dennison, Blue Label Packaging Company, Cartes, Cerm, Channeled Resources, FINAT, Fortis Solutions Group, GM, Henkel, HP Indigo, Kurz, Label Traxx, Mactac, S-One LP, TLMI, UPM Raflatac, Xeikon and 3M.

The three-day educational program comprises: six one-hour themed conference sessions taking place on 13 and 14 September 13-14, the first two days of the three-day show; plus two technical half-day Label Academy led master classes over days two and three of the show.

Day one of the conference is designed to explore some of the label and package printing industry’s key technologies and trends, including industry 4.0/automation, and supply chain challenges. Among the session highlights is “What does an automated future look like?”, chaired by Steve Metcalf, chief marketing and IoT officer, Baldwin Technology, which will comprise a case study presentation followed by a discussion exploring how far automation will change the industry, the Industry 4.0 powerhouse and the next generation of fully automated digital converting. Panelists include: Geert van Damme, managing director, CERM; Christian Menegon, global business development manager, Labels & Packaging, HP Indigo; Rob Mayerson, president, Label Traxx; and Andrew M Boyd, president, Blue Label Packaging Company. Other Day one speakers include: TLMI president Linnea Keen, Jules Lejeune, managing director, FINAT, and John Wynne, CEO, Fortis Solutions Group, who will open the conference with a joint overview of the global label market; while Mike Ferrari, founder, Ferrari Innovation Solutions, will chair a panel discussion on supply chain complexities.

Day two is designed around future-proofing your business. Topics include mergers and acquisitions, the changing industry landscape, and diversification. Session highlights include “The changing market landscape” panel discussion chaired by Bob Cronin, managing partner, The Open Approach. This will examine how M&A is shaping the label and package printing industry, and how converters are adapting. Other Day two speakers include Bruce Hanson, CEO, AWT, who, together with Cronin, will precede this panel discussion with an opening session covering M&A and staying competitive. The conference closes with a case study presentation and panel discussion chaired by S-One LP’s VP of sales, Tom Hauenstein, on the topic “Opportunities beyond PS labels,” which delves into some of innovative ways the industry is diversifying. Panelists included Martin Leitner, product manager (Labels & Flexible Packaging) at Durst Group.

The two in-depth master classes will cover digital embellishment on September 14, and self-adhesive label materials on 15 September. The former features themed sessions including: inkjet coating and varnishing given by Filip Weymans, vice president marketing, digital solutions, Xeikon; special effect inks and coatings, given by Mohammad S Farahat PhD, director of R&D, Novel Device Technology, Sun Chemical; digital foiling techniques, given by   Michael Aumann, director – digital embellishment solutions, Kurz; digital embellishment and laser die-cutting, given by Virgilio Micale, director of sales, Cartes; an Ecoleaf case study from ACTEGA; digital embellishment and workflow given by Uffe Nielsen, CEO, GM; integrating digital embellishment into existing systems; and the design and branding perspective, given by Doris Brown-McNally, brands innovation lead North America, HP Graphic Arts. Attendees will also be able to see this theory in action on the showfloor, with highlighted state-of-the-art examples of the various technologies from participating companies on the Digital Embellishment Trail.

Topics covered in the self-adhesive label materials master class include: an introduction to the various materials in the marketplace, given by Andy Thomas-Emans, strategic director, Labelexpo Global Series; release liner substrates, given by Bruce Ruppert, manager of product development, UPM Raflatac; different adhesive types given by Valerie Alexis, senior applications specialist, Henkel; paper and synthetic paper face materials given by Angel Harvey, senior product manager – prime paper and VI, Avery Dennison; non-paper face materials from 3M; identification and characteristics of self-adhesive materials from Mactac; new uses for label waste, given by Calvin Frost, founder and chairman, CEO Channeled Resources; and testing methods and procedures.

Tasha Ventimiglia, Labelexpo Americas event director, comments,  “Since our last show in 2018, the industry has moved on significantly, due primarily to the covid pandemic and ongoing supply chain challenges, so this is our much-anticipated opportunity to offer a face-to-face educational platform in the region, where attendees can bring their industry knowledge up to date. They will be able to hear and learn from our high-profile speaker line-up tackling the most pressing issues via a strong mix of panels, technical presentations and practical case studies highlighting actual experiences and lessons learnt. Places are limited for all conference and master class sessions, so I’d strongly encourage visitors to book as soon as possible.”

Echoing this, Wynne says, “I’m very much looking forward to attending Labelexpo Americas. The two day conference program touches on the areas most relevant to our industry and appropriately helps frame the opportunities and challenges ahead of us. Further, the event is an opportune time to network with industry experts and the industry’s leading suppliers.”

Weymans adds, “The market has embraced through time the possibilities of digital printing. We are at a point where it inspires digitalizing the broader aspect of label production, beyond print looking at embellishing and converting. Various options are available, but which solution fits your business best? During this session we will touch upon embellishing processes achieved through workflow, inline printing  and offline. Different capabilities, different business benefits, with potential value for your business.”

Alexis says, “I’m really excited about sharing the different types of adhesives used in label applications. Understanding the adhesive limitations and the end-use performance requirements helps with choosing the right adhesive for applications used in label printing, so this session will be especially useful for converters, and indeed any attendees at Labelexpo Americas 2022 keen to increase their knowledge!”.

Labelexpo Americas takes place from September 13-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont in Chicago, IL, USA. Spread across 5 exhibitions halls, over 400  exhibitors will be taking part.