With LabelExpo India 2012 from 29 October to 1 November, Mihir Joshi caught up with Roger Pellow, managing director of Labelexpo and asked him what visitors could expect from this year’s show.
A preview of the sixth edition of show
This year’s event is set to be the largest in its ten-year history as there will be over 200 press and material manufacturers exhibiting. As well as the established market leaders such as Avery Dennison, HP, Mark Andy and Nilpeter, there are many exciting first time exhibitors including: Color-Dec, Fujifilm Sericol, Heraeus Amba, Jung Chang Machinery, Mastercorp, Mimaki, Rheintacho and Webtech. There has also been a huge increase in international exhibitors with more manufacturers than ever before from the Far and Middle East including Anoop Plastic and Taghleef Industries.
How many “live” machines will be there at the show?
With over 20 live working presses being demonstrated at the show by companies including Gallus, Mimaki and Omet, attendees will be well placed to make informed choices. Being able to see firsthand the many features these presses offer such as rapid change over time, rapid tension control and resulting print quality will be invaluable when it comes to making purchasing decisions.
What are the trends in labels and their applications?
Since the show was last held in 2010, India’s label industry has continued to grow at around 15%, while globally it’s 7%. Business has become more commercialised with international brands such as Carrefour and Walmart entering the Indian wholesale market and driving opportunities for label converters. While the change in the retail sector is shaping growth, it remains to be seen how much impact these international retailers will have if they can sell directly and if this will be adopted regionally or nationwide.
The second most important trend driving the market appears to be the rise in the number of variations converters are having to process. Brand owners are steering demand with more stock-keeping units and personalisation in response to a growing population with increasing personal wealth. Printers will need to adapt their business models and look at how shorter runs can be more profitable when the margins on volume are shifting. Adding value through higher end finishes, interactive labels and brand protection solutions also need to be taken into account particularly as they offer big growth opportunities.
More generally, digital is gaining some ground but not as quickly as it has in the Chinese market. Quality has become more of a pressing issue as more converters seem to be investing in their plants and high end presses despite the high inflation and interest rates. Wet glue remains a favourite, but shrink and pressure sensitive labels plus in mould are all showing healthy growth.
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