Breaking the Mold

With the doors opening for the inaugural LOUPE Americas, the event serves as an important reminder of evolving to meet the demands of a changing industry. As label converters increasingly search for ways to boost their book of business, they head to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, USA, with one thing in mind: growth. 

New technology adorns the halls of the popular trade show, which has rebranded from Labelexpo after more than 40 years. The latest products, ranging from automated printing presses to sustainable substrates, will play a pivotal role in driving that growth.

Applications such as flexible packaging and folding cartons will serve as additional revenue opportunities for the first ever attendees to LOUPE Americas. There are other growth opportunities, as well, which can help converters break the mold and expand. In-Mold Labels (IML), for example, have long served as a niche category of the label and package printing industry. With end-use markets always evolving, the benefits of IML are clear. This packaging type meets brand requirements for enhanced durability, visual appeal, and design flexibility.

According to AWA Alexander Watson Associates, North America comprises 22% of the global IML market, with the region oriented toward blow-molded IML-EB applications. Growth is modest at 2.2%, but North America has an opportunity to expand, notes Corey Reardon, AWA president and CEO.

“Food applications – the tubs, pots, and other rigid containers where IML-IM excels – account for 60% of global IML demand,” says Reardon. “Household chemicals form the second-largest segment at 19%, ahead of industrial chemicals at 12%, with health and personal care (4%), beverage (3%), and other uses (2%) completing the picture.”

In the future, AWA forecasts the global IML market to grow at a CAGR of 2.3% over 2025-2028, taking volumes to approximately 1,674 million square meters by 2028. Learn more about IML on page 54.

There are other ways to drive change, too. With the proliferation of counterfeit goods soaring to record highs, security labels have become a key sector of the labeling industry. Smart technology has long been a popular topic, although the products were never cost feasible to adopt at scale. Meanwhile, mandates from global retailers like Walmart have changed the game for this technology. 

The need for product authentication extends to serialization, QR codes, covert markings, RFID/NFC technologies, holography, and forensic security features, to name a few. Security labels (page 58) are functional in nature, and they’re another rising growth opportunity for LOUPE Americas attendees looking to branch into new markets.  

The opportunities are out there, making LOUPE Americas, formerly Labelexpo, one of the most pivotal shows in its tenure. Let L&NW serve as your guide in the pages that follow, from new applications like IML and security labels to our LOUPE Americas preview (page 66). Safe travels, and we’ll see you in Rosemont!

Greg Hrinya, Editor
[email protected]