The 12th edition of Label Summit Latin America closed last week with a record attendance level. Designed to showcase the latest trends and solutions for businesses to drive profit and best practice, the two day conference and table-top exhibition attracted 1,080 attendees.

Thought leaders and many of the industry’s leading global suppliers led sessions across both days with topics ranging from education and training to innovative technologies and business transformation. Held at Mexico City’s World Trade Center on 21-22 April, the event acted as a forum for Mexican label and package printers to network with their peers.

Conference highlights included the keynote presentation by Darrell Hughes, vice president and general manager - Materials Group North America, Avery Dennison Corporation. Hughes gave an overview of the key issues shaping the industry such as the growth of middle class consumers, rapid evolution of technology and the mounting pressure to be sustainable. Other stand out sessions included Liverpool’s Felipe Iván Campo take on RFID technology and the CEO panel discussion which featured Etiquetas e Impresiones’ Ricardo Stone Aguilar, Graphic Image’s Carlos Rodriguez Garmendia and Francisco Torres from Standard Register de Mexico. 

As well as featuring an interactive wine tasting and workshop session, 2015’s Summit also supported AMETIQ’s inaugural Label Awards Mexico and expo visitors had access to over 80 Mexican and international exhibitors. Key exhibitors included: Avery Dennison, ARclad, Durst, Epson, Flint Group, Gallus, Green Bay, Hewlett Packard, Industrial Papelera, Mark Andy, MPS, Sun Chemical, UPM Raflatac and Xeikon.  

Tasha Ventimiglia, event director for Label Summit Latin America commented: “We would like to thank all of our exhibitors, speakers and delegates for making Label Summit Latin America 2015 an outstanding success. Following on from the success of Colombia last year we have again received excellent feedback from our exhibitors. This year’s event has been the highest ever attended Summit we’ve run to date and we’re delighted that we’ve again provided Mexican printers with a valuable platform to find new ways of innovating their businesses, enhance their knowledge and realize sustainable growth.”

Quotes from key exhibitors: 

Maurens Gomes, Accraply/Stanford: “2015’s Label Summit Latin America in Mexico was an amazing opportunity for Accraply to connect with existing customers and partners as well as to establish new leads for potential developments. We are glad we participated in this event and we look forward to the next Summit. Well Done!”

Mark DeSandre, ACTEGA WIT: “ACTEGA wrapped up a very successful Label Summit in Mexico City. Our booth enjoyed a constant flow of very qualified customers interested in the high-quality narrow web label inks, coatings, and adhesives that ACTEGA provides. ACTEGA is also proud to announce that we are opening a distribution facility in Mexico City and we are adding a new technical sales representative to provide the same high level support realized by ACTEGA’s customers in the US and Canada. ACTEGA was joined at the Summit by our authorized dealer Tintas Flexographicas. Mexico, here we come!”

Vanessa Spicker, DuPont Packaging Graphics: “Label Summit Latin America 2015 was to DuPont Packaging Graphics, a great opportunity to share with our customers about our latest technologies which contribute to the tag and label market. We had the pleasure to share our most recent plate for narrow web: Cyrel® DFUV is a thermal process plate that comes to color quickly and prints smooth and dense solids, without compromising dot gain, highlights and resolution. This plate is primarily targeted for the narrow web printer who needs a high performance flexo printing plate for use with UV inks.” 

Jorge Camacho, Epson: “For EPSON Label Summit Latin America 2015 was an important event with a good attendance where we had the opportunity to contact companies engaged in the label business. EPSON presented digital printing products focused on short runs and a digital press, which were well received by the attendees and will be working with companies interested in developing business. During the event besides having contact with Mexican companies, we detected the presence of Latin America as was Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.” 

Pablo Appezzado, Esko: “Label Summit Latin America was a top-class event. It was very well managed. As a speaker in the program, about 'design and prepress solutions for labels and shrink sleeves', I was impressed that everything ran on time and was professionally overseen. The traffic at the show was impressive, and the people who stopped by our booth were most often decision-makers—owners of both large and small label companies. They had specific product needs that brought them to the event. Most were interested in seeing Esko Studio, a unique set of tools for 3D packaging design made specifically for label and packaging artwork professionals.”  

Francisco Andrade, Etirama: “The participation of Etirama at Label Summit Latin America was excellent! We presented our flexo press FIT with six colors full UV, at a very special price of only USD 109,000.00, which generated dozens of contacts resulting in 80 quotations of various kinds of presses. Besides the leads generated, we have also agreed on a commercial representation with the JETRIX company, by means of Mr Julián Robledo. Etirama expects to do great business in Mexico in the coming weeks.”

Luis Heredia, Hewlett Packard: “Label Summit Latin America is a great opportunity to talk with our valued customers and prospects in the same environment, showing our HP Indigo newest technological solutions and opening new business conversations with people looking for the best digital solution available in the market. For HP Indigo is also the best way to make new industry contacts and interchange ideas and projects with a lot of the best and smartest people in the industry to improve our market understanding. It is our best opportunity to enhance our local conversations.”

Eric Hoendervangers, MPS: “Label Summit Latin America 2015 was an event the industry is looking for! An excellent conference program with interesting topics including interactive discussions. Next to the conference a continuous exhibition program which gave the visitor the chance to see and understand the latest technologies. At MPS we had many discussions and interesting meetings. Label summit Latin America 2015 was surely a success!”

Jim Auber, Novamelt Americas: “Novamelt Americas exhibited at Label Summit Latin America and was the only adhesive supplier present at this show, which underscored Novamelt’s commitment to the label market and its leading position in the manufacture and technical competence of hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives (HM PSA) with label producers worldwide.  Novamelt promoted several new technologies at the Summit, including adhesives for freezer-grade label, economical permanent, tire label, direct food contact, automotive labels, clear labels, and others.  We were very pleased with the discussions we had at the show, and with the networking with both old and new friends.” 

Leonardo Clavijo, Ventas America Latina: “It was our first Label Summit Latin America to introduce our proven Vpak technology for printing labels, flexible packaging and board applications. The show gave us a chance to meet a wide range of prospects with follow up meetings already requested. The technical innovation panel allowed us to reach a wide audience particularly interested in web offset. We look forward to participating in future Summits throughout the region.” 

Filip Weymans, Xeikon: “Having the main suppliers present at Label Summit Latin America ensured a good attendance with key decision makers positively engaged in finding ways to make their operations more effective, productive, efficient and profitable. It was clear they are keen to learn about how the label market is changing and how they can capitalize on emerging opportunities. The event was well organized and focused, which gave us the ability to discuss in detail with customers where improvements can be made while discovering from potential clients what their key issues are and what the most impactful solutions could be for them. We also stressed how smooth implementation can lead to faster bottom-line contributions – something that interests everyone. Finally, the Mexican Label Awards event also showcased regional strengths and innovations. It was great to see such positivity in production!”