The final half-day forum event hosted by Labelexpo India has now taken place, concluding an exceptionally popular series of seven events to promote the show to printers across the country, plus those in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for the first time. All seven events have significantly helped build momentum for this year’s Labelexpo India, which is set to be the biggest label and package printing trade show yet in the region. Labelexpo India 2018 takes place 22-25 November at India Expo Centre & Mart (Greater Noida – Delhi NCR).

A total of 860 converters attended the forums, which took place between August and November in the cities of Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Pune and Jammu in India, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Dhaka in Bangladesh. This is almost double the number of similar regional events hosted by Labelexpo India in the run up to the 2016 show, and across more countries. In the case of Bangladesh, it was the very first time an event of this kind had taken place in the country. The events provided an overview of this year’s Labelexpo India, previewed some of the key trends emerging, and offered a unique networking opportunity for offset printers considering diversifying into labels and package printing.

Key insights discussed included:

• UV flexo: the fastest growing narrow web printing technology in India;
• The customization of printing presses for individual customers;
• In Asia Pacific, the pressure sensitive label (PSL) growth is fastest in India at eight percent CAGR;
• The flexible packaging market in India is growing at around 15-17 percent per annum.

Jade Grace, Labelexpo portfolio director, said: “We are delighted with the success of our forums over the last few months. These have proved invaluable in areas such as Bangladesh, that have until now not had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the future scope of the labels and package printing industry. Visitor demand well exceeded our expectations and we have experienced a surge in enquiries from offset printers about visiting Labelexpo India 2018 after each event. This is a fantastic result, demonstrating how important the show is in driving the industry forward, and cementing its reputation as the key industry platform in the South Asian region. The forums are a format that clearly strike the right chord, which we will look to build on in future events.”

G Sridhara, business manager – international and specialty business, South Asia, Avery Dennison India, said of the Bangladesh forum: “[This] forum in Dhaka provided a platform for sharing insights about the potential of the label industry and upcoming trends with industry partners and flexo and offset fraternity. It was a very good gathering of 200-plus printers who were keen to know about the developments and our initiatives to address their issues.”

Hasina Newaaz, vice chairman of Bangladesh Mudran Shilpa Samity, added: “Printing is a huge sector but unfortunately Bangladesh has neither been able to contribute nor exploit this sector much. Labelexpo India 2018 is a huge opportunity for the printers of the country to break the mould and take the industry ahead. When an event like Labelexpo is happening next door, we should visit and gain the maximum benefits out of it.”

The organizer of Labelexpo India 2018 is also pleased to report an exceptional demand for this year’s exclusive, invitation-only, Brand Innovation Day on-site at the show. Taking place on 22 November, day one of the four day show, the purpose of the day is to equip delegates with expert insight into making the most out of their brand, how they can overcome key challenges on the path to future growth, and stay ahead of the competition in a fast-paced industry as a result.

Numerous brands are already signed up to take part and span a wide range of sectors such as food and beverages, manufacturing, pharma. Speakers include: Chakravarthi AVPS, global ambassador for the World Packaging Organisation, who will be speaking about global packaging trends and how to adapt to constantly changing consumer demands; Sukhdev Singh Saini, packaging lead AMEA, General Mills, who will speak about creating environmental awareness in the branding of a product including how to handle recycling of both raw materials and end use products; and Kanchan Bhargava, senior brand manager, Twinings, who will explore ways of leveraging packaging design and its role in brand building and increasing market share. In addition, Andy Thomas-Emans, strategic director for Labelexpo Global Series will chair a panel discussion on product decoration.

Labelexpo Global Series managing director Lisa Milburn, who will open the Brand Innovation Day, said: “We are extremely pleased with the response to the Brand Innovation Day. It demonstrates that brands recognize the importance of innovating and on-the-job learning to stay ahead of the competition. It’s also a unique opportunity for them to connect with the label and package printing manufacturers at the show who can help turn their vision into reality. We are seeing increasing numbers of brand owners attending our shows, including India, and we will look to build on this at future Labelexpo shows.

“This, together with the success of our Labelexpo India forums, has helped build fantastic momentum for this year’s show, and I am very much looking forward to meeting with show visitors and exhibitors over the four days.”

Labelexpo India, the largest label and package printing event in South Asia, will run 22-25 November at India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, Delhi NCR, and entry is free. With 250 industry-leading exhibitors, the sold-out show offers highly valuable networking opportunities for visitors and exhibitors alike, bringing together the entire supply chain with machinery, ancillaries, substrates and ink suppliers all under one roof.