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| LMAI team at first 2011 conference |
In the chronology of self
adhesive labels in India, July 2011 will go down as one of the most important
historical times when the first LMAI conference was held at the picturesque
Park Hyatt Hotel in Goa. The longest serving President of LMAI Vivek Kapoor and
his team had targeted a delegate strength of 125 but the event was so
successful that the final count was 270! Rooms fell short and delegates had to
be accomodated at nearby hotels. We were in the initial stages, not sure if
another conference will be held later and when. However in the end of the
conference the decision was unanimous, it has to be a regular biennial event
and so it is. Report of the event with pictures is available on this blog
at
http://harveersahni.blogspot.in/2011/08/lmai-conference-innovations-unlimited.html
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| Labelexpo team at the 2013 conference |
Two years on in July 2013 the Indian Label
industry was back in Goa with a bang, this time at the
Grand Hyatt, a much
bigger venue than the Park Hyatt as a larger gathering was expected. True to
expectations of the LMAI team the number of delegates crossed 390, a
commendable job. World class entertainment was delivered after learned speakers
had shared their knowledge with the delegates in an extremely focused
conference. My report on this event as well is available at
http://harveersahni.blogspot.in/2013/08/rocking-at-goa-indian-label-conference.html.
At the last LMAI conference
there were
murmurs that the venue needs to move to another destination but there were many
who were adamant that it should remain in Goa. As time elapsed the murmur in
Goa became louder leading to a decision to move the conference northwards to a
heritage city in Rajasthan. Finally it was decided to hold the conference in
Jaipur.
Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan
state in India was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, a Kachwaha Rajput,
who ruled Jaipur State from 1699-1744. Initially his capital was Amber, which
lies at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur. He felt the need of shifting his
capital city with the increase in population and growing scarcity of water.
Jaipur is the first planned city of India and the King took great interest
while designing this city of victory. According to that time, architecture of
the town was very advanced and certainly the best in Indian subcontinent. In
1878, when Prince of Wales visited Jaipur, the whole city was painted in Pink
color to welcome him and after that Jaipur was titled ‘Pink City’. Still, the
neat and broadly laid-out avenues, painted in pink provide a magical charm to
the city. Jaipur is rich in its cultural and architectural beauty, which can be
traced in the various historical and aesthetic places that reside in the city.
This city of victory really wins the hearts of the people with its splendid
charisma and heritage.
LMAI conference is slated to be
held in Hotel Fairmont in Jaipur on the 16th, 17th &
18th of July 2015. Fairmont Jaipur is an ode to the pink city
through awe inspiring architecture and decor, inspired by the Mughal Dynasty
and Royal Rajputs of yore. This luxury Jaipur hotel is nestled amongst the
majestic Aravalli hills, all 199 rooms and suites are elegantly appointed,
to reflect a perfect blend of traditional Rajasthani décor and modern
amenities. Over 400 delegates consisting of converters, material suppliers,
consumable suppliers and press suppliers are expected to congregate at the
conference venue. The event promises to deliver value in terms of knowledge,
networking and entertainment. The industry constituents are already excited to
share the good times with colleagues. Expecting a shortage of rooms the LMAI
management has also made arrangements in hotels nearby.
.JPG) |
| Vivek Kapoor |
Commenting on the event, LMAI
President Vivek Kapoor says, “Over the years, the LMAI Conference has become an
important platform for addressing various industry issues. This year we have
increased the duration of the conference from two days to three days to ensure
that the delegates, who travel from around the country and world to attend this
event will get ample time to network and conduct B2B discussions”. Chairperson
of LMAI 2015 Conference, Guraraj Ballarwad says, “The label industry in India
faces significant challenges in this ever changing dynamics of label
manufacturing and it is necessary to identify changing trends that help gear
the Indian industry to meet those challenges.” Leading printers and Industry
stalwarts have also expressed optimism and excitement at this forthcoming
event. Sanjeev Sondhi of ZIRCON TECHNOLOGIES INDIA LTD. says, “This conference
is an excellent platform for label fraternity to sit together and look for ways
and means to make this industry more vibrant in terms of technology, operations
and improving profits”. In South India, Sivakasi based Seljegat’s Raveendran
feels that while industry events like this conference is a good occasion to
network and share experiences with peers, yet he says, “The content needs to
be more wholesome. Instead of just the sponsors making speeches, it would be
better if we have neutral speakers who can shed light on the way forward.” He
further adds, “Label Printers would like to dwell on what direction the label
industry is moving globally and the impact of multi process printing and
converting equipment in enhancing capabilities to develop specialty labels.
This will help them make investment decisions”.
Finally the young Chandan Khanna
heading multi-location Ajanta Packaging having multinational presence with
units in Daman(India), Baddi(India), Thailand and Ajman(UAE) sums it all. He
says, “The LMAI conference, which comes once in two years is an event that
personally I try and ensure I attend. The presentations, open panel discussions,
the getting together with your peers and industry suppliers in a relaxed
environment is good for all industry constituents. I feel, positive changes
occur from the networking whereby all in the industry stand to benefit. It is a
must meet event. I am looking forward to being at the conference”.
With excitement building up and
registrations coming in at fast pace, the LMAI conference promises to deliver
value and fun in the heritage pink city of Jaipur. I look forward to an august
gathering where competitors, suppliers and customers will rejoice
togetherness!
The above article maybe reproduced by magazines giving credit to the author.
Written by Harveer Singh Sahni,
Managing Director, Weldon Celloplast Limited, New Delhi, India April 2015
