easyFairs continues to expand its exhibition activities and has for the 2013 NEC event added Labelling Innovation. This will be co-located with Packaging Innovations, Ecopack, Contract Pack, Packtech and Print Innovations to display packaging solutions. Neel Madsen looks at what will be on show.
Having attended the UK Packaging Innovations shows, both in London and at the NEC over the past couple of years, it is clear to me that what started out as a niche event for packaging has now taken on the entire value chain and appeals to everyone involved at all levels of the labels and packaging industry. The number of visitors has grown steadily and new companies are added to the list of exhibitors at an impressive rate, proving the trend that more focused industry events will survive and even thrive, while the bigger, more general, trade shows are struggling. Add to this the fact that packaging print is the only growing market segment and you have the recipe for success.
Perhaps the show is also a hit because there is much to engage the visitor in addition to simply looking through the displays on the stands. The numerous learnShops present a varied programme of topics, this time with leading speakers from Sunny Delight, Landa, Warburtons and Arla Foods to name but a few, while the Big Packaging debate is another of the main draws. Added to this is the support the event receives from various industry associations, such as the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), the Packaging Society, EFIA, BPIF Labels, BPIF Cartons and the Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA). Further features including the Lion’s Lair, and new this year, the Big Print Debate and a conference, also enhance the experience.
‘Over the years our show has continued to grow, and is now the UK’s leading annual event for packaging. We see thousands of technologists and specifiers, product designers, brand managers and retailers at the event every year because people know it’s the place to see masses of inspirational new ideas, materials, concepts, suppliers and machinery – all under one roof. 2013 is set to be another record breaking year.’
Matt Benyon, managing director of easyFairs UK Ltd.
Packaging Innovations will also host a live edition of the popular twitter forum #PACKCHAT in the Social Media Lounge. Here show attendees will debate with the ‘twittersphere’ regarding a critical packaging issue.
The organisers have also highlighted nano technology, augmented reality, cost cutting and sustainable solutions as key focuses for the show, and these topics run as a red thread through the event.
Print is big
According to the show organisers, the print side of the show reflects industry forecasts and is growing rapidly. Hence the introduction of the Big Print Debate whose participants include FlexoTech Awards judge, Matthew Daniels, global packaging capability leader – printing and decoration at Unilever, and Karen Graley, packaging and reprographics manager at Waitrose. The main topic is the future of digital print.
‘At the 2012 show in London, we presented a learnShop seminar which provided us with a great opportunity to give visitors an insight into how we approach the creative process and ensure the end result adds value to the product and increases its marketability. The show proved to be the ideal platform to launch our new brand to the UK market and showcase some of our latest high end, luxury packaging concepts to prospective customers.’
Cuan O’Callaghan, sales manager, Leo Luxe
Also on the panel is John Charnock, director and owner of Print Research International, who commented, ‘Printing and packaging deals with the physical and aesthetic, although the placing of the pigment onto a substrate can become digital, and so it should; the process of manufacturing products such as, books, magazines, boxes, bottles cannot.
‘Many processes will be controlled by digital information, but processes that a printer (whether digital or not) has to fulfil in order to service their customers, such as folding, cutting, creasing, embossing, are the difficult and expensive components.’
Will Parker from Reflex Labels, who will also be on the panel, added, ‘Digital has established itself in print and packaging for the last 20 years, but in a niche fashion. Now it is time for it to deliver. New technologies on the horizon have the potential to make this the ‘decade of digital printing’, the market requirement being for web driven, short run, digital quality printing.’
Sponsored by the IoPP, the inaugural Packaging Innovations Conference will run alongside the show featuring experts from Unilever, Procter & Gamble, SABMiller, Iconoculture, Kingfisher, Nestlé, Alliance Boots, Mintel,Space NK, the NHS, Waitrose, Wm Morrison Supermarkets, British American Tobacco, Heineken International, DHL and Gü. On the second day of the conference, the focus will be on labelling and digital print with contributions from Douglas Hutt, global packaging materials development consultant at SABMiller and Els Dijkhuizen, Heineken design and concept development manager as well as a panel discussion rounding up the pros and cons of ‘Digital printing on pack versus labelling’ with Karen Graley and Paul Young, director, head of packaging services EMEA at DHL.
A shop for learning
The learnShops schedule is brimming with topical debate. Top of the bill is Landa Digital Printing whose European sales manager, Gerry Mulvaney, will explain the concept of nanography and its benefits for the packaging printer.
Highcon will be presenting a seminar on ‘Euclid theory in practice – digital finishing for folding cartons’. Chris Baker, vice president and sales and business development, said, ‘Digital cutting and creasing makes short run package converting profitable and allows you to offer more design creativity and flexibility, enabling speed to shelf for the most demanding customers.’
Managing director of API Foils, Will Oldham, will be presenting a seminar dedicated to cold foiling. Entitled, ‘The foil that came in from the cold’, the seminar will cover how new print machinery is creating exciting packaging opportunities for cold foil applications, as well as overcoming common challenges associated with this process.
He said, ‘Cold foiling is by no means a new technology, but recent developments mean it is timely to look at the processes, techniques and effects for the finished products. The seminar aims to cover all aspects of cold foiling – from developments in the processes, substrates, inks and machinery to how the finished foil products have opened up new opportunities for packaging designers and printers.’
BPIF Cartons will lead a panel discussion entitled, ‘The job determines the process: folding cartons’, and Dan Pulling, business development manager from Esko X-rite, speaks about how to get ‘Ahead in the Clouds’ focusing on the PantoneLive colour management system.
What’s the attraction?
In the current economic climate, it is encouraging to see the show continues to grow. The question is, what are the organisers doing right and what attracts exhibitors to this particular event?
HP Indigo is attending for the third year running and marketing manager, UK & Ireland, Julia Cole, said that the show has always been a great platform to engage with brands, retailers and converters, and highlight the many benefits of using digital print technology for labels and packaging. This year HP Scitex will also be on stand showcasing a variety of large format application samples and offering advice to packaging converters looking to drive new business with complementary retail applications.
‘The most important drivers in labels and packaging today is flexibility and value for money. This industry, like many others, is becoming more competitive, so keenly priced capital equipment that can still deliver high production at fantastic quality is something everyone is looking for whether they are a start-up business or a company looking to expand their production capacity.’
Roy Burton, managing director, Impression Technology Europe
UV specialist, IST (UK) Ltd, is also exhibiting again and said that last year’s event was rewarding both in terms of new contact and projects. ‘For us, the show was very interesting in that it allowed us to showcase our products across a wide range of sectors, mostly print related, but not necessarily printers or converters. As such, the use of UV curing was discussed in very versatile technologies which is quite unique for this type of exhibition,’ commented Simon Mitchell, joint managing director.
With its range of software solutions, Esko is involved with the whole packaging chain from concept to shelf. Paul Bates, UK & Eire business manager, said that the show gives the company access to a broad range of stakeholders and that its aim is to provide cost reduction for its customers by process improvement and quality assurance.
Impression Technology Europe will be showing the Rapid label printing machines and said that it concentrates on both inkjet and laser technologies for the printing and finishing of labels. Its newly designed Eclipse range of digital label cutters brings greater flexibility at low investment cost for even the smallest label producers.
MIS specialist Shuttleworth will be attending again and said that the aim is to increase its profile in the label and packaging sector as well as meeting both new and existing customers and improve supplier relationships. Packaging and label customers are under increasing pressure to provide customer service excellence at a competitive price and this can be achieved by improving efficiencies by employing a comprehensive management information system.
Packaging supplier Packer Products is set to launch a new range of electronic label dispensers. The range, which includes the PLC-60, PLC-100 and PLC-130, boasts a variety of features including adjustable speed settings and an accurate stop position with a tolerance of less than 1 mm. The company said that the show format of just two days works well as it is less disruptive to the business.
‘Flexibility is a key demand from our customers. They need to be able to move jobs around the world from press to press and even from gravure to flexo to digital without any changes to the shelf impact or the colour shift. Esko’s range of integrated solutions help them achieve this.’
Paul Bates, UK & Eire business manager, Esko
Dantex will be showing its range of flexographic platemaking equipment and plates along with the Dantex 1290 compact, roll fed digital label printer, designed for short to mid run production.
DuPont will be featuring a Cyrel Fast 3000 TD system, a Cyrel DigiFlow 2000 EC and an enhanced complete Cyrel Fast round workflow to demonstrate highest quality precision printing for sleeve processing.
Pro Carton, the European Association of Carton and Cartonboard manufacturers, will be showcasing the carton packaging from the ECMA Carton awards, and expert professionals from The Packaging Society will provide one-to-one advice at the Packaging Consultancy Clinic.
Labels included
The new Labelling Innovations show offers an opportunity for label companies to differentiate themselves and demonstrate how they can provide added value to the customer.
Paul Clayton, managing director atRoyston Labels, commented, ‘We are delighted to be involved in easyFairs’ new Labelling Innovations event; it is a great addition to the show reflecting the growth within this sector. The show gives us a great opportunity to meet the end users face to face and provide them with a one stop shop for all their labelling needs.’
Label Apeel’s Stuart Kellock said, ‘Our focus this year is going to be on finishes, particularly ink finishes. With that in mind there will be an ‘ink finishes expert’ on our stand from our ink supplier Paragon Inks. But we won’t be just limiting ourselves to ink, we are going to show how to create really exciting finishes and security features by combining inks and foils together.’ The company will also be doing sticker books for people to file away and keep the samples with a bag for life to carry it all in.
Attending for the first time, Amberley Labels will be demonstrating the benefits of digital label printing to end users and is using the show as the UK debut for its HP Indigo WS6600 press. Graham Backhouse, sales and marketing director, said, ‘Fast turnaround, high quality, short print runs, lower stocks, fast response to market and legislative influences, are the main demands from customers. We are continuing to develop our digital capability, with digitally printed versions of peel and read labels, variable data.’
Packaging Innovation 2013 is at the NEC Birmingham on February 27, 10.00-17.00 and February 28, 10.00-16.00. Visit www.easyfairs.com.
