Ghent, Belgium – In addition to its own stand at Labelexpo Europe, Esko will highlight its position as a market-leading innovator in label design, prepress, workflow and printing solutions through its presence in an impressive number of industry partners stands. “Through our extensive partner network, we gain an unparalleled view of industry trends and realities, allowing us to help customers future-proof their businesses by delivering stronger solutions that open the door to new opportunities and improved profitability,” states Philippe Adam, Vice President Global Marketing at Esko. “These relationships also lead to further development of our solutions, improving the breadth and depth of our offerings in compliance with open standards and by linking to industry partners that are leaders in their respective domains.”

All-around and omnipresent

“To ensure our solutions perform to the best of their ability and address as many market-driven opportunities as possible, we are always looking to team up with leading technology and solution providers,” Adam adds. “Esko chooses to work with those who deliver top-performing label and packaging solutions to not only ensure optimum results, but also to foster long-term development relationships. This approach allows the company to create the best possible end-user experience and support customers’ future growth and profitability.

“The greater the integration offered by this collaborative thinking, the more able we are to jointly deliver true solutions. By joining forces, and by leveraging the strengths of industry-leading companies, we create more effective approaches to the business of labels and packaging,” Adam continues. “Visitors at Labelexpo will experience the extent of our partner network, ranging from systems integration, driving presses through DFE’s, and integrating color technology and expertise to imaging the best possible flexo plate for the job, and driving finishing systems, both analogue and digital.”

Win an Apple iWatch, Sport Edition

To encourage visitors to experience the full network of solutions, Esko and its partners are hosting a balloon contest, with an Apple iWatch, Sport Edition, being given away daily at 16:00 at the Esko stand. “We wanted to have a fun game with a great reward for visitors to the show,” Adam explains. “Esko hostesses will be handing out participation forms to all visitors at the entrance to the show. As they visit each partner booth, they will observe 1.5 metre balloons with partner logos that contain a letter. They simply complete the form by filling out the letters in the correct box, drop it off at the Esko stand and try their luck at the drawing each afternoon.”

With the range and variety of partners in the Esko network, Esko always stands ready to help label and packaging converters – regardless of size or complexity of operation or printing technologies used – build consistency, flexibility and profitability into their production workflows. “We are proud to be a trusted advisor to the labels and packaging industry,” Adam concludes. “Visitors to Labelexpo will see this in action. We are eagerly looking forward to the event and to spending time with current and prospective customers to learn more about how we might help them, today and in the future.”

What partners say

Apex (hall 11, booth B20): the ongoing partnership with Esko and the manner in which the respective products work together have improved customer experience for both companies.

Asahi Photoproducts (hall 5, booth C20): works with Esko for more than 15 years. Having Asahi laser imager installations at each of Esko’s Tech Centers, in Belgium, Japan and China has helped the company to better support customers and inform R&D efforts.

Cerm Benelux (hall 6, booth A42): a global supplier of Business Management Software for narrow web printers, Cerm offers a total integrated workflow and teamed up with Esko to develop a fully automated solution, covering the one-up approval cycle and automated step-and-repeat and bringing significant benefits to the joint customers.

CHILI Publish (hall 4, booth C65): plugs powerful online document editing tools into Esko WebCenter, ensuring ultimate editing and visualization abilities for production staff and end-users, substantially enhancing the user experience.

Codimag (hall 11, booth D21): at Labelexpo, Codimag organizes AnifloLive demo’s where printers can bring a PDF file for conversion to an expanded color gamut file using Esko Equinox. The file will be processed by Automation Engine and then printed live on a VIVA 340 Evolution press.

DuPont (hall 1, booth B16): shares a long-term partnership with Esko that is committed to innovation in sustainable packaging print solutions, providing the highest quality and productivity.

Durst Phototechnik (hall 8, stand B26): as a leading manufacturer of professional digital imaging systems for graphic, labels and package printing, Durst Phototechnik works with Esko using its Digital Front End (DFE) Rip and color management software for a more complete customer solution.

EFI (hall 9, booth C40): many packaging and label companies rely on EFI Radius ERP software to efficiently manage company-wide information. It integrates with production via Esko Automation Engine to enable a more profitable business.

Epson (hall 9, booth A50): Epson and Esko bring together advanced digital technologies that provide customers with an effective way to streamline prepress and workflow in order to print consistent, high-quality color labels.

Flint Group (hall 5, booth A41): its mission is to contribute to the continuous success of the narrow web industry. The company is a strong believer of partnerships between printers and suppliers, as well as among suppliers, and considers these vital to ensure long term industry growth. As such, Flint Group is also proud of its partnership with Esko.

Fujifilm (hall 9, booth A34): is a leading global supplier of advanced print production systems for many different applications. Its partnership with Esko allows to incorporate leading-edge solutions that enrich the customer experience, adding value that would otherwise be difficult to achieve.

HP Indigo (patio): its strategic partnership with Esko combines the unmatched quality, versatility and productivity of HP Indigo digital presses with Esko's leading workflow tools for an extremely efficient end-to-end workflow.

Label Traxx (hall 9, booth A10): Label Traxx MIS integrates with Esko’s Automation Engine, passing bi-directional data to streamline prepress. It communicates the production parameters of each job to Automation Engine and status updates are returned to the MIS. This type of bidirectional communication, enabled by a great working relationship between the two companies, is a must in today’s highly competitive marketplace where automation is key.

Mark Andy (hall 4, booth C45): the aim of Mark Andy is to be a total solutions partner. By working with Esko, the company is able to maximize the quality and efficiency of the entire workflow, from receipt of artwork to on-press printing to delivering the best finished printed products.

Omet (hall 6, booth C49/C53): partnering with Esko means sharing the best available label and packaging printing technology to support customers, help them improve performance and ensure a high level of customer satisfaction.

Theurer 3C (hall 6, booth A62): the Theurer 3C C3 MIS/ERP software for labels, flexible packaging and folding carton delivers out-of-the box integration with Esko Automation Engine for maximum efficiency in prepress and production workflow. The joint customers are reaping the benefits of the Theurer/Esko collaboration.

X-Rite (hall 7, booth A10): by blending X-Rite’s expertise in communicating, formulating, measuring and managing color with Esko’s deep knowledge and expertise in the labels and packaging industry, both companies are better able to support customers in meeting color standards and expectations on a wide range of materials and with a broad array of printing technologies.

“Esko’s prepress and workflow systems are the de facto standard, and we are pleased to see our industry partners appreciate the levels of quality, reliability and consistency that can be achieved through integration. Taking time, cost and errors out of the entire production process while ensuring top quality and consistency is the primary goal of labels and packaging operations today. Our partner strategy is designed to ensure that they achieve this goal, now and into the future,” concludes Adam.