The global Labelexpo portfolio has been reintroduced as Loupe. Andrew Galloway, group event director and Pradeep Saroha, event director, at Informa Markets in India say the decision followed years of watching the showfloor change in character.
“The true answer is Labelexpo was not really a true representation of what our shows have now become,” he says. What began in the 1980s as a self- adhesive label exhibition has absorbed new applications, new substrates and new production logic.
Galloway says, “Loupe is a printer’s loupe. Very much focuses on attention to detail, focus, quality. These are all characteristics that we bring into our trade shows,” he says. Importantly, Galloway draws a boundary.
Loupe is not positioning itself as a broad commercial print or wide web exhibition. “We’re very much focusing on the narrow to mid-web technology,” he says, stressing that the expansion is about applications, not format drift.
The logic is that the same narrow web plat- forms are already being used for more diverse work, from shrink sleeves to cartons and flexible formats. That shift, he argues, is converter led.
During recent visits in India, he met businesses that began purely in labels but now treat their presses as assets for the “entire package printing chain”. One converter he visited had diversified into cartons and flexible packaging because that is where customer demand pulled them. Another followed a similar path.
For Galloway, this validates the rebrand. The market has already moved. The show is catching up.
Automation and digital steer investment
On technology themes emerging from the Barcelona show, Galloway aligns with industry observations. Automation, sustainability and the convergence of digital, flexo and hybrid are all visible currents. Of these, he places particular weight on automation.
Speed to market is another pressure point. Brand owners want shorter lead times and more frequent changes. Automation, from pre-press to finishing, helps compress turnaround without linear cost increases. This, in turn, shapes capex decisions on the converter side.
“The demand from the end user to get to market as quickly as possible is really driving that,” Galloway adds. For India, Galloway sees digital as a structural growth area. “The number of startup brands that are coming through are now looking for short run. We envisage that to continue to ramp up,” he says.
Converters are dealing with rising SKUs, shorter runs, labour constraints and tighter delivery windows, all of which make automation less optional and more foundational. Data points reinforce this direction. Automatic labelling systems are projected to account for 46.2 percent of the global market by 2025, according to Future Market Insights, reflecting demand for high-speed, repeatable output with minimal manual intervention.
Hybrid platforms are gaining traction in parallel. Rather than investing in standalone digital presses, converters are increasingly opting for hybrid configurations that combine flexo productivity with digital capability. Sustainability continues to influence investment decisions, but typically as part of broader upgrades.
Equipment is being specified to handle thinner and recyclable substrates, while UV-LED curing is gaining ground as converters look to reduce energy consumption and move away from mercury-based systems. These changes are integrated into automation and hybrid investments rather than driving independent capex cycles.
Another emerging dimension is web width. As converters expand into short- run flexible packaging and shrink sleeves, mid-web capability is becoming more relevant. At Labelexpo India 2024, Multitec demonstrated its double-servo mid-web S2 670-mm nine-colour press running 12-micron substrates at 200-metres per minute, alongside a 450- mm S2 press printing shrink sleeves live. The platform, capable of handling sub- strates from 10 to 450-microns, saw strong market traction with multiple units sold at the show.
Made in India momentum
The rising presence of Indian press and finishing manufacturers is, in Galloway’s assessment, a positive signal. Loupe India is built to serve a growing domestic market, and a stronger local supplier base expands choice for converters. “We view that as a good thing for the market,” he says of the growing number of Indian exhibitors.
He points out that Indian companies are also stepping onto the global stage. Several exhibited in Barcelona, including players entering narrow web from adjacent segments such as pouching.
Bigger stands, more live tech
Saroha of Informa Markets in India reports consistent growth. “We are growing in double digits year by year, show by show,” he says. Compared to the previous edition, most key flexo and digital exhibitors have expanded their spaces. Smaller exhibitors, once content with compact booths, are moving to larger footprints. For Saroha, this signals intent.
Suppliers that invest in larger booths usually plan to demonstrate, not just display. Live machinery remains a core attraction. Addressing concerns about fewer machines on the floor, he is direct. “Straight away, no,” Saroha says, when asked if live presses are declining. He notes that the last edition already saw more running presses than earlier shows and expects further growth.
Indian manufacturers, in particular, are expected to bring multiple models. Foreign suppliers may face logistics or manufacturing constraints, but Saroha maintains that technology demonstration remains central to the show’s value.
Reaching deeper markets
Visitor acquisition is also being recalibrated. For the October 2026 edition, the organiser plans to go beyond the usual metro and tier-2 circuits. “We would be going to tier 3 cities, tier 4 cities,” Saroha says, targeting smaller brand owners and private label players looking to expand. Regional association partnerships and possible roadshows are on the table.
The objective is to widen the funnel of decision makers, not just printers but brand owners and packaging buyers. Being part of Informa adds another lever.
Galloway highlights access to data from other vertical exhibitions in food, beverage and pharma. Galloway says the recent India edition provides a clear benchmark for future editions. “The 2024 edition was the biggest and most vibrant show in the event’s history,” he says, noting that it attracted 13,792 visitors, up 14% on the previous edition, alongside a one- third increase in exhibition space.
He adds that more than 90% of exhibitors were Indian companies, with most international suppliers participating through their Indian partners. He points to a shift in visitor interest.
“Our 2024 report showed that 60% of visitors demonstrated an interest in flexible packaging,” Galloway says. In his view, this validates the broader positioning of Loupe across labels, shrink sleeves, pouches and in-line folding carton converting.
Looking ahead, he says the focus remains on building depth in the Indian market while enhancing the visitor proposition. “We will continue to focus on the Indian market and listening to our industry,” Galloway says, adding that new features, content and partner- ships are being developed to strengthen engagement and deliver value for exhibitors.