Labelexpo Revs Up

Published: August 01, 2006, By By Deborah Donberg Associate Managing Editor

The biennial showcase for the narrow web industry returns September 11-14 to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, near Chicago's O'Hare airport.

Labelexpo Americas 2006, organized by Tarsus Group, expects more than 450 exhibitors and promises a number of special features, including the three-day TLMI Conference Program.

This year marks the debut of the Smart Zone, featuring what organizers say is the “latest and greatest” developments in RFID/smart labels. Sponsored by Avery Dennison, the Smart Zone will demonstrate RFID inlays for supply chain, asset tracking, and item-level tags and applications.

At a gala dinner to be held September 11, Calvin Frost, an international champion of recycling and environmental awareness in the label industry, will be presented as this year's winner of the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award.

Also announced at the dinner will be the 2006 winners of the Award for Continuous Innovation and the Award for New Innovation. For information on the Label Industry Global Awards dinner, visit www.labelawards.com.

On the following pages you will find a summary of the conference program; a list of exhibitors (accurate as of presstime); a map of the show floor; and a small sampling of the new products that will be available for viewing at the show. (Many more products will be on display in the September issue when PFFC presents the Labelexpo New Product Digest.)

For more information visit www.labelexpo-americas.com.

Show Hours
Mon., Sept. 11	Tues., Sept. 12	Wed., Sep. 13	Thurs., Sept. 14
12:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M.	9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.	9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.	9:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M.

Tuesday Conference Program — Getting Lean

8:15-9:00 A.M.

• Keynote presentation: The importance of the right packaging and labels design in today's consumer marketplace. Speaker: Karim Rashid, designer, Karim Rashid Inc.

9:15-10:15 A.M.

• Panel session: Success with Prepress — completing the digital workflow

• State of the printing industry

• Industrial label production: What is it and what are the benefits?
• Future growth drivers and market opportunities
• Meeting the demands of a globalizing economy

10:30-11:30 A.M.

• Applying the lean culture

  • How to become a lean flexographic converter
  • Applying lean principles can drive cultural change in aspects of your business
  • Lean operations before and after the press cell

• How converters are using digital printing today and what's on the horizon

• How much is being produced and for which verticals?
• What converters are using — adoption rate by converter segments
• What to expect — a snapshot of daily operations and performance of the average full-color digital press
• The need for variable data printing is emerging for track 'n trace and brand protection and promotion purposes
• What's new with suppliers

11:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M.

• A supplier perspective on lean operations

  • How working with your supplier can help you achieve a lean environment
  • How to reduce inventory costs, eliminate waste, and improve throughput
  • Quality improvements and how those benefit the converter

• Servo-based narrow web presses: Am I getting the shaft?

• What are servo motors?
• How do servos achieve their superior precision?
• What is involved in selecting the correct servo for a press application?
• How are servos applied to existing technology?
• How are servos applied to new press designs?

Wednesday Conference Program — In Your Operations

8:00-9:00 A.M.

• Improve gross margin in an environment of overcapacity

• Real-world business success
• Program that will work for those willing to change their thinking
• How to capture data that will lead to making the right decision for your business

9:15-10:15 A.M.

• How will sustainable packaging affect your business?

  • What is sustainable packaging?
  • What are some concerns regarding adhesives? — PSA and EBA issues
  • Status of environmentally benign adhesives in government and industry
  • Sustainability in the label and shink film industry
  • The impact of the Wisconsin legislation on our industry

• Selecting and implementing an ERP system — practical steps to maximize your chances of success

• The selection and implementation of an ERP system
• Why bother? Benefits, selection methodology, types of vendors
• Practical case studies

10:30-11:30 A.M.

• Global label perspective

  • “Low hanging fruit” — opportunities in developing markets
  • Building partnerships — becoming a global player
  • Outsourcing — threats and opportunities

• Creating leaders and empowering employees

• Characteristics of today's leaders
• The importance and development of front-line supervisors
• How communication and involvement empower employees

11:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M.

• Anti-counterfeiting labeling and packaging

  • Counterfeiting of consumer goods will reach unprecented levels
  • $35 billion in counterfeit drugs: opening the door for bioterrorism in the US
  • Profit from counterfeit products is traced to organized crime and terrorists
  • Counterfeiting is stealing, and violators must be prosecuted
  • Witness new technology to invisibly authenticate merchandise and track and trace individual items

• Behind the label — key trends and insights

• Learn key consumer goods industry trends and specific needs of end-users serving those markets
• Recognize the importance of packaging and label design to end-users, retailers, and consumers
• Understand the end-user packaging and label selection process
• Uncover key enablers of p-s technology
• Identify and capitalize on situations conducive to adoption of p-s technology

Thursday Conference Program — RFID/Smart Label Technology

8:00-8:35 A.M.

• Keynote address: Creating global standards — fact or fiction?

• Meeting the global brand requirements on a universal tag — is this possible?
• What value does the Gen 2 tag bring to the industry?
• Looking at standards for HF and UHF Speaker: Mike Meranda, president, EPCglobal US

08:35-08:55 A.M.

• How to future-proof your RFID program

• Current capabilities needed for RFID tags and labels manufacturing
• Investment options for converting equipment
• Future possibilities for RFID converting equipment

8:55-9:15 A.M.

• Evolution of converting equipment for RFID tags and labels

• Current capabilities needed for RFID tags and labels manufacturing
• Investment options for converting equipment
• Future possibilities for RFID converting equipment

9:15-9:35 A.M.

• In-line and off-line testing

• Current requirements of end-use customers
• Different options for in-line testing
• Where off-line testing is required

9:50-10:10 A.M.

• Challenges in manufacturing and selling RFID labels

• How good are your RFID labels? (What is a good label and what is a bad label?)
• What are the challenges in manufacturing 100%-readable RFID labels?
• Understanding how to specify your RFID labels properly

10:10-10:30 A.M.

• Emerging markets in RFID

• Current markets driving RFID label demand
• Types of RFID labels and their applications
• What markets will drive item level tagging?

10:30-11:30 A.M.

• Panel session with all speakers