Networking, FTA style—it was in plain sight, everywhere you looked at Labelexpo Americas 2022.
The event, held Sept. 13-15 at The Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, attracted a multitude of members—printers and suppliers alike. No surprises there:
- More than 25 percent of exhibitors were active FTA supplier members. In fact, FLEXO Magazine’s August Exhibit Guide showcased 104
- Label converters alone account for 38 percent of the organization’s printer roster and better than 20 percent of FLEXO’s circulation. By number, the roll approximates 140 firms, covering the gamut of everything from single-owner/operator shops to large, multi-location international corporations. Many, of course, were on hand
- The contingent of FTA members present counted heavily in the 13,569 participants registered at the conclusion of the event
- Activity was brisk at Booth 454—the Association’s home base on the exhibit floor
Robb Frimming, FTA’s new president, reported on his first in-person experience at a trade event in his current role. “Our onsite team had the opportunity to meet with many of the FTA member companies also exhibiting. It was incredible to see the number of ‘Proud Member, FTA’ plaques on display. This generated interest in what FTA brings to the printing industry: best-in-class training/certification opportunities, FLEXO Magazine and the multitude of other member benefits that include both our physical and virtual events, and our technical publications.”
Citing highlights, he continued, “We previewed FIRST 7.0, which was released at our Fall Conference event, and had the chance to discuss how FIRST methodology can be implemented with our booth visitors. International interest was at an all-time high. Labelexpo Americas 2022 was an excellent reminder that face-to-face interaction helps us understand each other better, and allows us to better serve our members.”
Ready & Resilient
Members themselves, reflected on the experience as well. Specifically:
“The aisles were buzzing!” declared Eaglewood Technologies’ Peter J. Mulheran. “It was clear that our industry has missed that personal touch and interaction that was hindered these past few years. Suppliers have been hard at work improving their technologies to better suit the needs of our advancing industry and were excited to formally present them.”
Jake Zimmer of Spinnaker Coatings alluded to similar feelings. “The last few years with such limited travel and supply chain issues were a real challenge. It’s clear after spending a week at Labelexpo that this is a thriving and resilient industry committed to growth and success that will continue for years to come.”
PRATI’s Marco Palomba proclaimed, “We could feel again the life and the excitement of the market. Looking forward to the next show!” Chery Brown of Yazoo Mills added, “Attendance was amazing! It was great to see so many people ready to congregate in person again!” And Matt Burton, A B Graphic International, voiced a common observation: “It’s these moments that make the label industry a great place to work… The level of interest we received across a whole range of finishing lines was really gratifying.”
Long-tenured FTA member exhibitors delivered positive assessments as well. For example, Paul Sharkey, FLXON, said, “We’ve exhibited at 15 Labelexpo shows. The quality and volume of traffic at our booth was excellent, resulting in greatly qualified leads. We were most surprised by the number of pressrooms we engaged that we had not known existed. Now we have a lot of follow-up work to do—a good thing! It was nice seeing friends and making new ones.”
“Sun Chemical was excited to interact with our customers and suppliers within this vibrant industry,” stated Heather Buchholz. “It was wonderful to see after a long hiatus that Labelexpo continues to highlight and reinforce how this industry continues to evolve and grow.”
Bob Flynn, Mid American Rubber, noted, “Labelexpo Americas 2022 brought the personal element back to doing business, after more than two years of remote work and quarantines. It was both great and important to see our customers and industry friends in person. It provided the perfect opportunity to reconnect, to prospect and to stay abreast of all the changes to our industry.”
Directional Change
Show organizers invited FTA printer members and others to set new goals and explore broadening opportunities, setting “Aspire, Evolve, Succeed” as the theme and promising tips on how to:
- Keep ahead of competitors
- Drive costs down
- Improve efficiency
- Enter high-value, niche markets
- Improve supply chain management
- Optimize workflows
- Reduce press downtime
What was said openly on the floor made it clear that the event delivered on those pledges. Most prominent among the statements echoed time and again: “No running flexo press can be found in any hall.” The words themselves reinforced the obvious digital transformation of the label industry is happening and it’s happening now—right before our eyes, as well as at our hands.
The focus was clearly on the latest developments in digital printing and digital embellishment, along with sustainability and workflow automation—with several traditional flexographers and their supplier partners taking up the sustainability and automation mantels.
FTA supplier members expressed thoughts along those lines as well. Stu Serchuk, Beta Industries, said, “It is truly a great platform to connect with the marketplace and we’re glad to participate in it.”
Victor Gomez, Epson America Inc, relayed, “Customers at our booth seemed to be jostling to have a close look at our SurePress digital UV label presses. More importantly, they seemed to have come with investing in mind. We came away from the show with units sold, and with many solid prospects with whom we expect to conclude business shortly.”
Launch Pad
Unveiling of new advanced technologies and a steady stream of new product introductions, stepped far beyond the realm of digitalization. FTA members spoke to their experience:
Mell Bishop, ACTEGA, proclaimed, “It was the ideal platform to launch our new ACTExact SafeShield low-migration ink range, as well as showcase our other latest innovations in inks, coatings and varnishes to an excited, captivated audience… Perhaps our most rewarding takeaway from the show was the chance to properly connect with the industry—our customers, prospects and peers—something that we were all so eagerly anticipating.”
For his part, Mike Agness, HYBRID Software, pointed to an initial precedent: “This was the first time HYBRID Software attended Labelexpo as part of a complete corporate group with our sister companies. The crowds were great. We were busy throughout the entire conference and conducted far more demos than we expected—with more leads than we had collected for any US show during my 10 years at the company.”
Similar reflections were expressed by Fernando Giran, Fedrigoni Self Adhesives. “This was our first time exhibiting at Labelexpo Americas under our new brand identity of Fedrigoni Self-Adhesives—the umbrella brand for Acucote, Arconvert, Ritrama, IP Venus and Tageos—and it did not disappoint. We had a very successful show and enjoyed meeting many of our customers and prospects face-to-face after a long hiatus.”
Marcus Greenbrook of GEW added, “Our new AeroLED product launch was warmly received with a lot of great interest. It’s good to be back!” Tom Herold, Unilux was of a like mind. “The show was timed perfectly with the launch of our new Dual UV Print Monitoring System—something our customers really need to see and test-drive before making a decision. … Labelexpo Americas 2022 was the time to make an investment and showcase our best equipment on a running machine, versus playing it safe with brochures and videos. I’m happy to say that investment really paid off.”
The Take-Away
The consensus was clear: The label and package printing industry is fast-paced and constantly evolving. Technological advances are driving change and addressing challenges that range from automation to labor shortages and sustainable solutions. Productivity and efficiency are center stage, and trimming waste and saving energy are important elements on the path to continued success. Connectivity is key. Innovation is spawning evolution. Results will reflect its impact.
Craig Powell, printIQ, was among FTA members that stood in agreement with the course of progress. “We received dozens of great leads, had many amazing conversations with visitors to our booth, and were able to connect with both customers and other partner companies. It was great to demo and unveil some of the innovative and new features we have in our software platform for the label industry. We are excited to continue nurturing and growing the new relationships from the show and look forward to participating in the next one.”
Tom Kirtz, Telstar Engineering was very direct. “The phone is ringing with quote requests and questions about the most challenging press production ideas.”
Tasha Ventimiglia, Labelexpo Americas show director, summed everything up. “It was wonderful to finally welcome the label industry back to Rosemont. The show floor was buzzing with excitement. Multiple deals were done. Visitors got the chance to see close-up the new presses, materials and converting equipment developed by suppliers. We look forward to welcoming exhibitors and visitors back to Labelexpo Americas 2024!” Dates are yet to be announced, but the traditional mid-September timeframe is seen by many as a lock.