The search is now underway for the world’s leading innovators in the label and package printing industry, with a total of six awards available at the 16th Label Industry Global Awards 2019. This year is particularly special as they will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of Labelexpo. Two of the awards, one for emerging talent and one for the top converter in the European label industry, have been introduced to mark this milestone.

Label manufacturing continues to evolve into different tangents involving diverse technologies. The retail selling scenario is undergoing a sea change as also the need to make consumers repetitive buyers of branded products.

The Best of the Best Awards will be revealed and presented during Labelexpo Europe in Brussels in September.

Recognition, publicity and the chance to hold a prestigious award in their hands – these are only a few of the benefits for participants of the FINAT Label Competition 2019. The competition will once again highlight the best of the label print and narrow web flexible packaging markets. The 39th international label competition is open for entries till 15th March.

The young people in the label industry face big challenges in today’s label and packaging world – more than ever before meeting the needs of young managers and future employees is an issue being focused on at the FINAT European Label Forum 2019 (June 5 to 7, Copenhagen, Denmark). The programme of this label event will answer questions like “What will our future workforce look like?”, “How do smart and active labels fit into the conventional label world?” or “What can be learned from our customers and how can we integrate them?”. The FINAT ELF 2019 discusses hot topics like smart/active packaging including Augmented Reality, sustainability issues like recycling plastics, and recruitment of young talent.

A host of speakers representing well-known brands and top label and package printing stakeholders is coming together to take part in the forthcoming Label Summit Latin America 2019, which this year returns to Medellín, Colombia.

With the end of term of the current Commission coming up in 2019, we see a push to finalize a number of key dossiers by the sitting Commissioners.

‘Turn technology into value in the label and packaging industry’ will be the theme of next year's learning event, set to take place in Barcelona in the beginning of March.