Guido Iannone is chief sales officer and president for Mexico, South Africa and China at label converting group All4Labels. He is taking part as panelist at the Labelexpo Americas Converter Leadership Lunch. We recently caught up with Guido to gives us insight into what the sessions will be coverin. 

How’s it going at All4Labels?

Guido Iannone: It is an honor to be part of such an innovative, multicultural and ever-changing company! We are thrilled about our exciting plans for the future, which involve innovative strategies and initiatives that will propel us towards continued growth and success.

Can you share some of what you expect the panel discussion you are particpating in to cover at Labelexpo?

We anticipate covering several key topics that are shaping the future of the packaging industry. Firstly, there is a clear trend towards digitalization within the industry, with a growing emphasis on leveraging digital technologies to enhance processes and meet evolving consumer demands. Secondly, the integration of interconnection and automation is set to drive the development of smart factories in the future. It is essential for us to embrace new technologies and innovations to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving landscape. As a global group, All4Labels is committed to driving this change and leading an open innovation system. We believe in fostering collaboration among experts, suppliers, and customers to collectively develop the technologies that will define the future of packaging.

Digitalization is one of the major trends in the label industry. What role is that playing in All4Labels’ business growth, often seen as an innovator in the digital space?

Digitalization is playing a significant role in All4Labels’ business growth, as the company is recognized as an innovator in the digital space as well as a pioneer for innovative and sustainable solutions. The Group’s commitment lies in continuously improving workflows to enhance communication with customers, streamline the supply chain, and drive continuous development in quality and safety performance. Becoming a digital mature organization means also being able to increase our capacity of making data-driven decisions on label design, material selection, and production processes. In the future of our industry, I see predictive data analysis as a crucial asset to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and personalize customer experiences.

With access to real-time data, we as converters can respond quickly to changing market trends and customer needs. At the core of these efforts are there our people: a multicultural team of talented employees who collaborate to shape the future of packaging. At All4Labels, we support the digital evolution by training people and upskilling our talent. Only with the involvement and support of our teams can we best leverage our growth and evolution toward the smart factory of the future. Our challenge is to empower the entire community, which today counts +6.000 employees globally, by combining the innovative spirit of younger talents with the awareness and market knowledge of our more experienced specialists.

Where do you see are the biggest business opportunities for the label industry right now?

I see three main areas of strategical growth: first, designing a clear journey towards geographical expansion will offer business expansion opportunities. Brand owners are increasingly looking for global suppliers with strong local footprint, to reduce lead times, manage the supply chain more effectively, as well as to comply with regional regulations and adapt to changing market demands. At All4Labels we have recently invested massively in our site in Mexico City by moving into a new state-of-the-art 50.000 sqm production facility equipped with cutting-edge technologies for PSL and SSL to enable a consolidation of our global leadership and to better serve our customers in Mexico and the North America region.

Second, by focusing on sustainable solutions that promote circularity, such as eco-friendly materials and recycling initiatives, converters can meet the growing consumer demand for environmentally conscious products. Within All4Labels STAR Portfolio, we have launched the new STARDIRECT patented technology that allow to print attractively signed products with lower environmental impact. We are establishing STARDIRECT production across multiple sites globally, such as UK, Spain, Italy, Brazil and others, making All4Labels the partner-of-choice for brand owners seeking no-label-look, high-speed dispensing, and sustainable solutions.

Lastly, as the world is changing much faster than our perception is able to understand, we need to embrace smart and digital packaging technologies to respond to growing demand for product authentication. Through our division INTEGRITAG we are supporting customers to evolve their packaging by including digital and smart labels, for improved brand protection, consumer interaction and supply chain efficiency.

What single piece of advice would you give to label converters planning their 5-year strategy?

My personal mantra is to “think big, start small, learn fast.” This approach emphasizes the importance of setting ambitious goals, taking incremental steps towards them, and embracing a rapid learning process to adapt and grow effectively. This is what I would suggest to my teams and to the industry. At All4Labels we are building and leading an innovative and digitally driven organization, by creating a data-informed culture throughout our people and by upskilling our talents to lead the way in propelling our company towards the future of packaging. I personally believe that AI will be a true game-changer in our industry by enabling real-time track-and-trace, predictive maintenance, and optimized production, with potential applications in personalized packaging, smart labelling, and autonomous inspection, transforming the way products are labelled and tracked. And this is exactly what we at All4Labels are planning to embrace in the near future.

What are you most looking forward to seeing at Labelexpo Americas 2024?

I am looking forward to getting involved in the latest advancements in the label industry, innovative technologies and insightful discussions on industry trends and best practices. The great added value of participating in experiences such as LabelExpo is in the opportunity to meet with key-people of the whole supply chain to continue and nurture the ongoing active discussion toward the growth of our industry, with open dialogue, exchange of ideas and sharing of know-how.  It will be an exciting event for industry professionals to explore and stay updated on the latest developments in the label industry!