….“Now I understand what passion means …” branded products manufacturer from Switzerland
….“If you are here, you also have a good chance of being up with the leaders in business”… visitor from Germany
….”Lots of opportunities to meet people from the industry and colleagues / competitors…. Beverages manufacturer from Holland
…. “Thank you for inviting us to the conference. It’s good to see there is a platform for discussing all issues concerning wet glue labels”…. bottling manager from Poland
….“Passion is a competitive advantage you cannot buy, that makes a good organization into a great one”. … G. Eder -Austria
These were some of the comments from around 300 delegates from 28 countries attending the 7th International label Conference.
The label industry has had plenty of headwind in recent years. The presentations at this conference were therefore exactly what the market needs, lifting the mood in the business. Passion for Labels means making a special effort. The focus on business, passion in pursuing goals, and the essential dynamic of passion all create a drive towards achieving rational goals. Dr. Eder highlighted the meaning of Passion for Labels in her introductory statement, that it is important to be proud of our product, and to do what we do with enjoyment and passion.
To put the opportunities in perspective, Kevin Baker of Canadean in London pointed out in his presentation that only one third of the incredible quantity of 4,719 billion litres of beverages consumed every year by the world’s population is packaged. That paper labels have to properly present their competitive strengths relative to plastic was emphasized in the following presentations by R. Middelburg of Papierplus and S. King of PCI. We need to convey the proven characteristics of paper, but with greater emphasis on the sustainability of this renewable raw material.
The panel discussions considered the unused potential of wet glue labels, and the power of innovation. It soon became clear that this label system needs a common platform to bring home more clearly to users the advantages of this product. Expectations in this regard were stimulated, and it will be interesting to watch implementation of intentions of this panel discussion in coming months.
The Label Conference would not be complete without practitioners and their contributions. Their examples of how they successfully drive their businesses forward with passion for labels were impressive. B. Strand of Strand Grafiska in Malmö, and Dr. M. Wareka of Marzek Etiketten in Traiskirchen, Austria, showed what matters in their view for the label business to keep delivering good results. From the consumers’ side, Stefan Vanderlinden of InBev in Leuwen, Belgium, the largest beer group in the world, gave an impressive presentation of the requirements of the beverage industry. Labels have a huge influence on efficiency in bottling and product presentation. There was a dramatic discrepancy between the costs of procuring label material, and their impact on overall costs in the labelling process. Total cost of ownership (TCO) will have to be given more attention in future. The high quality requirements for labels, traceability of materials, these are just some of the important demands an international beverage group now has to consider.
Prof. Kjell Nordström and L. Wallentin were two star presenters who generated tumultuous enthusiasm in their audience. Wallentin, a top designer who previously worked for Nestle for 39 years, presented images very openly illustrating the importance of good design in packaging, and recurring errors.
Why is the car manufacturer BMW “sexy”, and the plant manufacturer Siemens “fit”?*
(*sexy = attractive, fit = adaptable)
What can you learn from the low-cost airline EasyJet or from Gucci? Why is Ford now in crisis?
Prof. Nordström’s presentation in this regard was not answers, but “Kjell in Concert”. His presentation style was pitched at a high level, and very entertaining. This was one of the contributions that made the 7th International Label Conference a unique experience.
After the conference it is always time to think about the next one. B&B is planning to hold its next conference in autumn 2008. Between now and then there are many jobs to be done to follow up the business from this Label Conference. Continuing to make the wet glue label system attractive, promoting developments to sustain this industry’s passion for labels, making it an easier option for users, these are the challenges facing members throughout the supply chain.
….“If you are here, you also have a good chance of being up with the leaders in business”… It is to be hoped that this comment mentioned above can also be put into practice by those attending the 7th International Label Conference.
