Labelexpo conferences and Label Academy master classes

Besides enormous amount of new equipment on show, Labelexpo Americas 2022 also brings a comprehensive conference and educational program for this year’s event. The high-profile 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 educational program comprises six one-hour conference sessions on 13 and 14 September, plus two Label Academy master classes.

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. 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 of Finat, and John Wynne, CEO of Fortis Solutions Group, who will open the conference with a joint overview of the global label market. Mike Ferrari, founder of Ferrari Innovation Solutions, will chair a panel discussion on supply chain complexities.

Day two is designed around future‑proofing your business. Topics include M&A activity, the changing industry landscape and diversification. Highlights include a panel discussion chaired by Bob Cronin, managing partner at The Open Approach. This will examine how M&A shapes the label and package printing industry and how converters adapt. Other day two speakers include Bruce Hanson, CEO of 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-OneLP’s Tom Hauenstein, on the topic ‘Opportunities beyond PS labels’, which delves into some innovative ways the industry is diversifying. Panelists included Martin Leitner, product manager at Durst Group.

Master classes
The two in-depth master classes will cover digital embellishment on September 14 and self-adhesive label materials on September 15. The former features 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 of GM; integrating digital embellishment into existing systems; and the design and branding perspective, given by Doris Brown-McNally, brands innovation lead at HP Graphic Arts. Attendees will also see this in action on the show floor, with highlighted state-of-the-art examples of the 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; adhesives 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, CEO Channeled Resources; and testing methods and procedures.

Tasha Ventimiglia, Labelexpo Americas event director, said: ‘Since our last show in 2018, the industry has shifted significantly, due primarily to the pandemic and ongoing supply chain challenges, so this is our opportunity to offer a face-to-face educational platform in the region, where attendees can bring their industry knowledge up to date. Places are limited for conference and master class sessions, so I’d strongly encourage visitors to book as soon as possible.’

John Wynne, CEO of Fortis Solutions Group, said: ‘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 opportunity to network with industry experts and the industry’s leading suppliers.’

Henkel’s Valerie Alexis said: ‘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.’

For full details, to book a place at the conference or to reserve a master class spot, visit: www.labelexpo-americas.com/features-and-schedules