FLEXO: How did it evolve to meet the needs of the flexographic package printing and converting market?
ENGELKE: The flexographic industry has seen significant changes throughout my career. INFOFLEX has morphed into the premier marketplace to showcase equipment, technology and product offerings that drive the quality of the process.
SAMWORTH: I recall my first INFOFLEX at FORUM 1982 in Toronto. It was a conference room with tabletops. Now it’s booths in an exhibition hall. There’s much more to see.
JACKSON: INFOFLEX is far larger, more diverse and more international. Forty-plus years of evolution has cemented its stature as the place to be for all things flexography.
RIDDELL: INFOFLEX continued to involve both suppliers and converters to open their eyes to the newest tools being developed for the industry.
COLLINS: Over the years, INFOFLEX has grown in the number of participants but has remained focused on all things flexography. As it brings together the latest and greatest technologies and innovations within our industry, INFOFLEX content constantly changes to meet existing and future needs.
FLEXO: What strategies do you recommend printers deploy in navigating the INFOFLEX floor?
SAMWORTH: A typical INFOFLEX might have eight aisles that are 30 yards in length. You can walk the entire show in an hour. Add time for a few stops and in-depth discussions and you have a nice three-hour activity. If you want to be more organized, check the issue of FLEXO Magazine the month before FORUM. There, you can see a list of exhibitors. Make a note of those exhibitors you don’t want to miss!
JACKSON: Develop a plan and a few key goals. Talk with people who have experience for advice on potential additional booths to visit and people to see. A long conversation can take up a lot of show time, thus it often makes sense to use the time to schedule a meeting at FORUM breaks, coffee or a meal.
RIDDELL: I would recommend a standard outline to focus on pressing issues to the converter. This would outline a path for visiting pertinent booths for anilox, plate systems, digital print, etc. This would encourage a more efficient use of time, as INFOFLEX has grown so large.
COLLINS: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. Although INFOFLEX is a two-day event, time always goes quickly, so you will find you still missed a few items you had planned to address. To maximize your effectiveness during these two days, there are a few steps you can take.
- Develop a list: What are your biggest issues at work? What areas of knowledge do you want to expand in regard to any facet of the flexographic process?
- Review what vendors will be there and who can best help provide answers
- Generate specific questions to ask each associated resource
- Prioritize the outcomes you are looking for
- Map out the flexographic showroom to make a plan of attack—who you see first and location of your key targets
ENGELKE: Network, network, network! Stop by every booth, introduce yourself and talk about what opportunities the supplier brings to the table. It might surprise you that they bring something you didn’t even know existed.
FLEXO: In today’s challenging times, amid calls to increase efficiency, reduce waste, adopt sustainable business practices, print to the numbers, embrace standards, automate, educate, innovate—How can printers use INFOFLEX to their advantage? What kind of solutions should they be seeking to identify and put to use in 2023?
JACKSON: Printers should try to bring more than just management to INFOFLEX. Team members can see new technology, study the print awards to inspire future entry, and have time to ask questions and learn outside of the pressroom. It’s a great opportunity to also learn about the FIRST methodology and how to get over the bumps that they might have in implementing FIRST and process control. Meeting the students that come to FORUM and are our future flexographers establishes career-long connections. Many students are looking for internships, so seize the moment, make that first introduction and prompt an initial interaction.
COLLINS: With the increase in labor challenges worsened by the pandemic, I believe automation in tools and processes that help ensure consistency and efficiency are key needs in 2023 and beyond. INFOFLEX, along with the technical sessions presented at FORUM, help the printer develop the improvements they need to incorporate into the business to stay competitive.
ENGELKE: Think about your operations and product offerings. Think about your customers’ needs. Make a list and work the room for solutions to delight your customer and your bottom line.
SAMWORTH: You can ask questions about these topics to the people staffing the booths. Many of the booth-based advisers are technical people who are just as happy to talk about flexographic technology as they are about their specific products.
FLEXO: Why is INFOFLEX such a critical element in FTA’s networking offerings?
ENGELKE: You will not find the networking potential anywhere else in the world. And I mean that. Use this opportunity that is proven and trusted to get the most value from your FTA membership. The supplier base is ready and willing to meet your needs and provide solutions.
SAMWORTH: The Yin and Yang of FTA is the theoretical and the practical. You can attend FTA Webinars, FORUM sessions, and read FTA publications for the theoretical. Attending INFOFLEX is a good way to get the practical. Seeing and touching the physical products in person is a great complement to the theoretical.
RIDDELL: INFOFLEX has really grown over time but the most value I received, beyond the technical aspects, was the interactions with suppliers and competing converters to toss around ideas and challenges.
JACKSON: INFOFLEX is often how we get new members to join FTA and existing members to get involved with the Association’s committees.
COLLINS: You will never find a greater collection of suppliers, product information and technical experts, all focused on flexography in one location, at the same time. Other tradeshows may have more booths, but most do not focus on flexographic printing, materials and prepress. The ones at other tradeshows are always scattered about, requiring the attendee to hunt and peck for information—not at INFOFLEX. INFOFLEX is a flexographer’s one-stop shop!
Learn more about INFOFLEX 2023, preview the show floor and reserve your booth at infoflex.flexography.org.