Labeling and packaging today are a concourse for continuous movement at all levels – in terms of markets, technologies, formats, legislation, brand owner requirements, and environmental sustainability. At this year’s European Label Forum in Berlin, taking place June 7-9, and organized by the international label industry association FINAT, management across the value chain will come together to review and debate the past year’s developments and track the pathway for the future, in a strong, strategic business context. The new business focus for the label industry’s annual event – which was successfully launched in 2015 – is being touted by the association as a “must attend” event for participants at all levels of the label value chain.

Market profile
The label industry recovered strongly from the global economic recession, with self-adhesive labelstock consumption growing in Europe overall between 2010 and 2016 at a cumulative 22.9%. While 72% of brand owners surveyed in FINAT’s latest (2016) edition of the European RADAR market analysis stated that they would NOT be migrating from self-adhesive labels as their core technology choice, many label converters have broadened their production repertoire, alongside this traditional route to success, to include other popular label production options today – such as sleeve labels, flexible packaging, and in-mould labels – to create new business and enhance their status with demanding brand-owner customers.

Digital print and labels
Digital print technologies – inkjet-, toner- and laser-based – have joined narrow web flexo and litho print today as a mainstream form of production; and, indeed, FINAT’s 2016 surveys for its RADAR analysis confirm that today about 10% of European label market sales revenue is today produced digitally. An additional feature of the Label Forum agenda will delve deeper into the subject in a presentation of the findings of a special qualitative and quantitative research study commissioned by FINAT into the current and future development of digital versus conventional printing in Europe.

Tomorrow’s business
In the face of the label and packaging industry’s vibrant and growing agenda, it is important to keep the future on the agenda of today. Apart from assessing the scenarios and possible business drivers for the next 3-5 years with the industry’s present leadership, the European Label Forum 2017 will also see the launch of a combined FINAT and national associations initiative to ensure that young talent – the next generation of managers and operators – is attracted to the label industry.

Combining expert presentations, in-depth workshops, a supplier tabletop exhibition, many valuable peer networking opportunities and a lively social programme for participants and partners, the FINAT European Label Forum, says Jules Lejeune, FINAT Managing Director, “represents a valuable starting-grid for the European label industry’s growth and profitability.”

For more details about the full program, visit: http://www.europeanlabelforum.com/programme