Loftware, a supplier of enterprise labeling and artwork management products, has announced that Convergence 2022 attracted over 2,100 labeling, packaging artwork, and supply chain professionals, making this year’s conference the most successful Convergence in Loftware history. Participants included employees from 1,124 companies within 32 industries and across 92 countries.

The three-day virtual event hosted over 45 sessions for both end-users and Loftware channel and alliance partners, highlighting the latest thought leadership and emerging technologies focused on forward-thinking and innovative labeling solutions. Speakers included representatives from Gartner, GS1 US, SAP, VDC Research, Epson, Videojet, Domino, and many more. In addition to panel discussions, insightful presentations, and valuable networking opportunities, attendees accessed Loftware Spectrum, Loftware NiceLabel, Loftware Smartflow, and Loftware Prisym 360 live product demos and participated in guided solution tours.

“We want to thank everybody who joined us for this year’s record-breaking event. I think the significant turnout at Convergence 2022 highlights the increasing appetite industry professionals have for exploring new ways to transform their business and supply chain through labeling best practices,” said Bob O’Connor, Loftware president and CEO. “We hope attendees developed the strategies, new relationships, and insights needed to secure growth in their operations both now and in the future. As our customers and partners continue their journey towards labeling excellence, the entire global team at Loftware is always available to help and support at every step along the way.”

To kick off the event, O’Connor led a panel discussion with industry-leading executives. The conversation explored the significant role that cloud technology plays in digital transformation programs and highlighted the many benefits this model offers to companies of all sizes. On day three, O’Connor also hosted an interactive panel discussion with members of the Loftware senior leadership team, which consisted of fielding questions from a live audience. This Q&A session featured insights on how Loftware develops and delivers programs and solutions which help customers embrace best practices and future-proof their labeling. The group also touched on the growth of the company and spent time outlining how the company has evolved over the past few years with new acquisitions and how Loftware teams continue to support their global customer base.

John Blake, Gartner senior research director, delivered the day two keynote, which featured insights from this year’s Label & Artwork Management (LAM) Market Guide, which is due out in December. He highlighted the costly results of inaccurate labeling and discussed how non-declared allergens, mislabeling, and inaccurate packaging graphics continue to be a leading cause of product delays and recalls, ultimately costing manufacturers millions of dollars in lost sales. He outlined how compliance violations in the pharmaceutical industry have exceeded $50 billion since 2000, while the average cost of non-compliance has grown by 43% over the past nine years. Blake explained why implementing an Enterprise Labeling solution – one that links labeling processes with business processes to drive speed, accuracy, and compliance – helps to eliminate the risk of labeling errors, thereby saving companies money, time, and brand reputation.

Presentations from other industry experts included a session on “Labeling with SAP for S/4HANA compliance” from Ralf Coenning, chief product owner at SAP Product Compliance, and a panel discussion featuring industry experts from GS1 US. This presentation covered supply chain visibility and explored how EPC-enabled RFID technology and 2D barcodes, such as the GS1 DataMatrix, are revolutionizing the way evolving consumer expectations are met across the food service, retail, grocery, and pharmaceutical supply chains, particularly regarding traceability and visibility.