Labelexpo transforms, as envisioned through the Loupe!

                                       

Loupe

Loupe is a simple, small magnification device used to see minute details more closely. They generally have higher magnification than magnifying glass. It is a small tool in the hands of most precision-oriented printers to check the print registration and quality of print. The magnification of content and its spread to other printing technologies envisioned through the loupe by the new owners of Labelexpo group made them expand the gamut, by renaming this premier event to include multiple segments of printing and packaging and be named Loupe! On the 15^th of September 2025, on the opening day of Labelexpo 2025 at a new venue Fira Gran Via Barcelona Spain, Informa Markets the present owners of the event announced that Labelexpo had been transformed and renamed to be known hereafter as Loupe.

Clive Smith

The Labelexpo exhibitions held in Europe, USA, China and India over the years have come to be referred to as the Mecca of successful label printers around the world. The Labelexpo exhibition was founded by Clive Smith in the year 1979, a year later in 1980 the first Labelexpo exhibition titled Labelex at that time, was held in London’s Royal Horticultural Hall, in a net area of 1000 square meters with just 44 exhibitors. Three shows later in 1985 the show was renamed as Labelexpo Europe and moved to Brussels and in 1998 it was sold to Tarsus who expanded the labelexpo to global destinations including India by acquiring the India Label Show in 2005 and renaming it as Labelexpo India in 2008. After growing the brand multifold in 2023, Labelexpo Global Series was acquired by Informa, the world's largest B2B event organizer, commanding 800+ brands and 14,000 employees across 30 countries. On September 15^th, 2025, Labelexpo not only moved from Brussels, its traditional venue of 20 years and moved to Fira Gran Via Barcelona Spain but also was transformed by the new owners to a different format. From being primarily a label event, it will now encompass the companies in various technologies that include besides labels, flexible packaging, cartons and various forms of packaging. While no mention is made for the total area covered by Labelexpo 2025, but it is mentioned that the show had 650 exhibitors from 138 countries.

Trying to get opinion of visitors, a questionnaire as follows was sent to some visitors and exhibitors;

• What is your response regarding the shift of Labelexpo from Brussels to Barcelona? Is it better or was Brussels better ?
• The shift of management from Tarsus to Informa Markets, was it a better organised event? Your opinion
• The change of name from Labelexpo to Loupe, do you like it? Change of format from labels to packaging.
• If sheet offset is also in the new format,  labels will be a miniscule portion. Your take?

Barcelona

Analysing the responses as an overview; At the very outset it will be pertinent to mention that this was a premium show where largely exhibitors drew value for money. It delivered the results envisaged! 

However, being a predominantly European show, the larger number of visitors appeared to be more from the same region. As per the author’s personal perception there appeared to be a smaller number of visitors than before from the Indian subcontinent. Although the total number of attendees seemed lower, this observation is also based on perception, as Informa Markets has not released an official statement or press release to this effect. The city of Barcelona was amazing, but many would have loved to be on holiday in Spain and not just for an exhibition. As regards the change of venue from Brussels to Barcelona, the industry getting together and the camaraderie amongst peers at Grand Place in Brussels was missing, yet a majority of respondents feel it is a good move, and the show will settle down well in Barcelona. 

While change of management from Tarsus to Informa is a matter of record, in this edition of the show, there were problems in organization of the event. The signages were not only bad but unacceptable. The meticulous planning at Brussels was missing . Even the Gala dinner was a damp affair as compared to the grand sit down, well planned formal dinners at Brussels with great pomp and show. And there were no proper signages leading to the dinner venue. The author had to climb 3 floors to be told by the girl at the door that one has to go down 3 floors and come up another way after checking the wrist badges which we already adorned, even though the main hall was just a few steps from where she was. Not even caring for senior citizens! The air conditioning in the exhibition halls was inefficient  and in Hall 3 it was unbearably hot. Again, it is felt these are transitional glitches and will eventually be addressed.

The labels community at large has expressed that Labelexpo was a preferred name as it was their show and would wish it had continued so. However still, it is understood to be the prerogative of the show owners to change the name. It will probably settle down with time. The change of format from narrow web self-adhesive labels to include flexible packaging pouching in mold labels, and so, is acceptable. In fact, the roll form narrow to mid-web printing and converting appears to be the relevant format to extend the show towards. My last question, “ If sheet offset is also in the new format,  labels will be a miniscule portion. Your take?” drew the strongest response from a majority, “We cannot be a part of such a show where we lose our status as a part of the vibrant label industry.”

Reproduced below are some of the important comments of all the respondents. Producing all comments would make the article too long. 

Kuldip Goel CMD Any Graphics Noida India and past President LMAI: “Our experience of Brussels was better. I would not be repeating visit to Barcelona though I see that  Informa is doing a great job. I do not think  that the change in name is going to impact much, but Label Expo looks better. Label should be treated differently. Inclusion of Sheetfed Offset may make the event loose its uniqueness.”

Isidore Leiser, Owner Stratus Packaging, Brussels, Belgium: “Personally, I like a label show to remain focused on labels. If someone wants something broader, they can always go to Drupa.”

Naveen Talwar, Director Skypack India Pvt Ltd Faridabad India: “I prefer the Barcelona venue; it is closer to airport. It is a cleaner city compared to Brussels. I felt safer. Personally, I feel the show should stick to ‘roll to roll” converting. Sheet fed will make things totally different.”

Raul Silvestre, Lartec, Alicante Spain: “The change of venue to Barcelona is good but it was badly organized. Access for exhibitors was not allowed by own cars. We had to handle all boxes from door 4 to the stand, manually. Very Bad exit doors, only 2 available when the show has a lot to go out. I do not like the change of name and the format change. It should remain an event focused on labels. The change will result in lesser share for label industry visitors to have opportunity to contact and spend time with exhibitors.”

Amit Sheth, Director Intergraphics Mumbai India: “Frankly, the new organiser was not as efficient as the previous one . The signages were missing; the assistance desks in every intersection were missing; the maps of all the halls at each intersection were missing . As for format change from Labels to Packaging, Label being the primary subject should not be unfocussed. Merging packaging up to mid web  is fine but SHEETFED OFFSET OR ANY SHEET FORM MACHINES OR APPLICATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ENCOURAGED.”

Nitin Garg, Managing Director NBG Printographics Faridabad India: “The shift to Barcelona seems to be a good decision and will boost international participation. The event was well organized, with no complaints. This change of name is logical from the management’s perspective and aligns with the broader industry shift from labels to packaging. The success of Labelexpo stemmed from its clear focus on the label industry and the strong connections its management had within the sector across different countries. With the current shift toward packaging, it remains to be seen whether the same success can be replicated, as packaging is a much broader and more complex domain. The core focus should remain on labels.”

Ankit Gupta Managing Director Holostik Noida India: Barcelona was okay for us though I missed the weather and vibe of Brussels. The Expo was organised well but I neither like the change of format nor the change of name. Sheet offset should not be a part of this landmark show. It will lose its unique identity.”

Sandeep Sharma Director at Acme Rolltech Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad India: Barcelona was good as it creates new positive enthusiasm amongst the exhibitors as well as the visitors. Both Tarsus and Informa are good organisers. Except for the air conditioning issue which needs to be taken care of going forward, overall, it was a good show for us.

Nalani Jaichandra Director VeePee Graphics Bengaluru India: ´It is better in Barcelona, much safer than Brussels. The show was well organized but the name Labelexpo was more apt. Yes, this format widens the target market, which will bring in more visitors and as Labels is a part of packaging having everything under one roof will be better. Sheetfed offset should be kept out, the focus should be only on flexo and digital.

Dinesh Mahajan, Managing Director Prakash Labels Noida India: “Barcelona is as good as Brussels! Unfortunately, the event was not that well organized compared to what it used to be in Brussels. The name Labelexpo when spoken gives clear impression of what event we are talking about, though Loupe is not that explicit. Change of format seems all right, but Sheet offset should be resisted to be displayed in this event.

Mahendra Shah, Director at Renault Paper Products Pvt ltd. Mumbai: “After initial adverse reactions, once settled, the venue looks good. Organisational glitches will eventually be taken care of and sure to settle down. As for the name, I would prefer Labelexpo, it connects us to the event. The change of format is way forward. For the sheetfed offset segment, web converting is the future, and they should be visitors to the show.”

Summing up, it is generally felt the venue in Barcelona is acceptable or will gradually settle down with visitors from industry. The organization of the show will improve given the stature experience and capabilities of Informa Markets and the changed format restricted to web converting, preferably up to mid-web, will be widely welcomed but to include sheetfed offset will make it a replication of the many shows like Drupa. The wish to make it to specially focused labelexpo and meet label industry peers will diminish. We will wait to see how Labelexpo, renamed Loupe, will actually transform and find acceptability from the label fraternity.

Note: One day prior to the show that opened on 16th September 2025, on the 15th, Amit Sheth and the author Harveer Sahni, representing LMAI were the judges for World Label Awards and also attended the meeting of L9 the confederation of nine leading label associations of the world.

My short pictorial walk through the Labelexpo 2025:

World label awards judging in progress

With Marco Calcagni of Omet

Innauguration of Brotech AI enabled press

The Judges, after meeting picture

L9 team

Author's book to Ramon Lee

with Umesh Kagade of HP

  

Sandeep Sharma Acme Rolltech

 

with Wolfgang Kos Geiger

The new Omet press launched

WLA Judges Amit and Harveer Sahni 

Wit Appadurai of HP

The Avery Dennison team with Kimoha Dubai team

With Christian Menegon former manager at HP

At Apex stand

With Enrica Lodi of Cartes

With Onno Dean of GSE ink dispensing

Lartec family

Pre-press experts Nalani and Jai

Keren-Label Pack Mexico & Chelsea of labelsandlabelling

Amit and Ashima of Multitec

Indian Labelstock supplier Sticon team

With T P Jain of Monotech

 

Steve Katz LNW USA

                                    

Written by Harveer Sahni, Chairman Weldon Celloplast Limited New Delhi September 2025

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Trigon Digipack; trailblazers in digital, growing in fast forward mode.

Anil Namugade

In December 2018, I wrote a story on Anil Namugade and his company Trigon Digipack https://harveersahni.blogspot.com/search?q=trigon+Digital. As circumstances evolved, from becoming employee to enterpreneur in 2007, Anil initiated his maiden startup Trigon in 2008, as a proofing and mockups service provider. Commitment and hard work led him to success, and in 2015 he bought his first HP Indigo label press and in the three years thereon he was already recognized as a trailblazer in digital label and packaging. Unstoppable thereafter, he kept leading Trigon to more success with 3 wide web and one narrow web HP Indigo

Anil with his HP25K

The Pandemic had put on hold many businesses but for Trigon it amounted to keep providing service to their customers. During the pandemic in 2020 they decided to install a wider 760mm HP Indigo 25K first in Asia to get into short runs of flexible packaging and laminates which was already being done on their smaller width 330mm HP Indigo 6900. They saw a huge opportunity in short and medium quantity runs for startups and there were few suppliers focused on catering to that demand in a proper way. Anil saw that it was time to expand to cater to this opportunity. That is why they took a bold step to acquire the first HP Indigo 25K in India together with total inhouse finishing and converting equipment for lamination, production of pouches and shrink sleeves, in fact the complete set up to provide labels and flexible packaging.

Customer growth and retention is the way of life at Trigon as they are a one stop solution provider. By catering to more than 400 startups, SMEs and their existing FMCGs brand owner customers, Trigon has registered unprecedented growth in digital printing and converting. With the startups community growing so fast, Anil experienced business growth, so decided to expand yet again. In 2024 they moved to a new additional 50000 square feet facility in Vasai near Mumbai  and invested in another digital press installed at new factory, an HP Indigo 200K to increase capacity in flexible laminates. The converting capability was also enhanced by installing a 3D flat bottom pouching machine to cater to a premium market segment and be the only company to offer such pouches with digital printing. At the new facility, they also installed a whole line of equipment to produce rigid boxes and canisters, to cater to the demand of their existing customers. All this was done to become a ONE STOP packaging solution provider and be at the buyer’s doorstep when a solution is needed.

Anil says, “we always research the needs of customers in various segments and share knowledge, such that their confidence in our capabilities grows continuously and they believe in our vision of offering the best futuristic technology, remaining ahead of competition.” Trigon has attained the position as a market leader in digitally printed and converted packaging. Their customers are convinced of them providing packaging that will enhance their brand visibility and demand. Trigon is experiencing a rise in domestic demand but enquiries from international customers are adding exports to their focus.

Anil does not subscribe to the thought process of the label and package converting fraternity that digital is only for short runs, so how can one grow with startups? He explains that most startups initiate their work with multiple SKUs and once they order for example, 500 for each variant, it becomes a substantial order to start with. When there is an order to produce 5 or 6 variants, for them it is just one single job. They do not have to make any cylinders or plates or job changes on the go. Digital technology has a huge advantage with possibility to print on demand. For example, a dry fruit company cannot operate with only one product but maintaining an overly large and varied inventory can be inefficient. In addition to selling on an e-commerce platform, timing is a crucial factor for achieving success. Trigon has understood that the name of the game is quick production, good quality and on time delivery. For catering to such needs of their customer base we have invested to setup the whole manufacturing ecosystem in our factories.

Responding to question on how they reach out to new customers or vice versa, Anil expressed that despite them having a technically strong client servicing team, it is mostly word of mouth publicity. They give respect and importance to all customers irrespective of their size. Reference from existing satisfied customers has built up credibility and brand equity which has provided inertia for their growth. Trigon’s team is very active on social media and digital marketing, which generates substantial enquiries.

The general perception in label and flexible packaging industry is that digital is expensive and this fact is a big deterrent which does not justify the huge investment. “It is a misconception that digital is expensive, mentions Anil.” He further adds, “If a customer has 10 designs for making 2000 pieces each. How can you justify and cost of plates, cylinder, set up time, press time in changeovers and the time in producing 10 different sets of small quantities? In digital as I mentioned earlier it is just one online job of 20,000 pieces, which justifies the cost eliminating the plate and cylinder cost plus the time which is very important”. Moreover, at Trigon they just do not only print a design that a customer brings in, but they also study their job its marketability and add their own expertise in colour management and embellishing capabilities to enhance the packaging for the customer. Since prepress is the heart and soul of any print, they have invested in high-end sophisticated equipment to ensure excellence.

Trigon operates out of a total shopfloor area close to 100,000 square feet in both units at Goregaon and Vasai, put together with 150 workforce, four digital presses one 330 mm wide while the rest are 760 mm wide running at speeds of 30 to 35 meters per minute. Post press is the backbone of any digital printing business and for that reason they have invested in a wide array of digital finishing, embellishing and converting machines which also justify their need for a large shop floor. Anil says if not really the largest, then at least they are definitely amongst the top five companies worldwide in terms of the number of clicks made on their HP Indigo presses. Whether they will diversify to other printing technologies? Anil says that they have grown in digital and there is so much more happening, so there is not much need to change courses as yet, but then one never  knows, They are driven by customer demand, and what course is to be traversed hereon is difficult to mention at this stage. One cannot really comment on the efficacy, advantage or disadvantage of various technologies without really indulging. All processes have their plus and cons. Trigon is driven by their acquired customer profile which is limited to small, medium and customized runs  and are comfortably growing in what is suiting them best.

Talking of growth of digital printing and web converting, Anil feels that with a total of less than 10 machine of wide web digital printing now in India, the potential is huge. In his estimate this segment is registering a CAGR of 15-20%. There seems to be no reason for volumes to slow down as the country moves ahead. A young population’s demand for new products is providing the emergence of new brands offering frequent changes to attract the new generation, providing reason for digital printing and converting to make it convenient to respond to such changes. Regarding comparison of converting costs, there is no way that in volume converting digital will match the cost in volume converting as compared flexo or roto gravure. Marginal reduction of prices of consumables in digital may happen as volumes and competition escalate. As for different digital technologies, most have fairly decent quality and reasonable speed but for consistently producing high quality at good speed, Digital is the preferred technology for Trigon at the moment.

They already export 15-20% of their production but now with expanded infrastructure, they plan to enhance exports yet remaining focused to Indian demand without any compromise. India is one of the fastest growing economies and it is the market that has shown immense resilience. Trigon’s investment in the first HP presses 18k, 25k and 200K were all the first ones in India. They have been trendsetters becoming trailblazers. and have taken risks in investing which with hard work are paying off well. Presently operating at 80% capacity, it may as well be time for expansion yet again. Anil Namugade sums it up,  “Partnership with brands  and their needs make us to grow every time a requirement emanates; it is an opportunity for us, and we respond with full fervor.”

Written by Harveer Sahni Chairman Weldon Celloplast Ltd. New Delhi July 2025

Panel discussion at LMAI conference 2025 at Udaipur

With the evolution of Indian label industry, narrow web label converting has started to expand beyond traditional pressure-sensitive labels to embrace a broad array of diverse applications such as flexible packaging, shrink sleeves, in-mold labels, sachets, wrap-around labels and more. Besides market expansion, these diversifications are not just driven by market demand, but also by an imperative need to implement sustainability across all formats of packaging.

To dwell on the topic LMAI, The Label Manufacturers Association of India has organized a panel discussion titled “Narrow web label converting expanding to diverse applications” during the LMAI conference at Udaipur on the 5^th of July 2025. The panel will be moderated by Harveer Sahni, Chairman Weldon Celloplast Limited. Panelists from renowned label converting companies and Kurz, suppliers of global repute include:

 1.      I.V. Stephane Royere

Head of Business Area

Packaging and Print

International Sales and Marketing

LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG

 2.      Manoj Kochhar

Director

Holoflex Limited

 3.      Denver Annunciation

Director - Strategic Initiatives.

Janus International Pvt Ltd

 4.      Priyata Raghavan

Deputy CEO

Sai Packaging Company

 5.      Mehzabin Nair

Managing Director

Skanem India Pvt Ltd

 6.      Hemanth Paruchuri

Director

PRAGATI PACK (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED

 

LMAI Conference themed "Emerging Beyond Boundaries."

                 

 

The Label Manufacturers Association of India, LMAI is celebrating their 25 years along with their biennial LMAI Conference themed "Emerging Beyond Boundaries". The conference is expected to be the biggest ever LMAI event. It is to be held at the Fairmont Udaipur Palace from 3^rd to 6^th of July 2025. Fairmont Udaipur Palace is an alluring destination to discover the charm of Udaipur, seamlessly blending timelessly tradition with modern elegance, featuring a historic stepwell, one of Rajasthan's largest ballrooms and exclusive events pool with jacuzzi and amphitheater. Fairmont Udaipur Palace is 45 minutes from the nearest airport and 10 km from Udaipur city center. Nestled in the Aravalli Hills, it offers easy access to the city's top attractions and cultural landmarks. The LMAI Conference  brings together the entire Indian label fraternity including label converters and leading industry suppliers from within India and from around the world.

LMAI President Rajesh Chadha says, “The event will deliver immense value to the label industry, we endeavor to make it a memorable event.”

The conference is open only to LMAI members of good standing. An extensive list of sponsors includes Kurz India as Platinum sponsors and Avery Dennison as Elite sponsors besides so many others. Over 350 rooms are booked for the conference, the main event will be held at The Fairmont Udaipur Palace, additional rooms are arranged at Hotel Aurika Udaipur. Elaborate transport, transfer, and registration arrangements are put in place. As usual the conference will be a knowledge delivery event with motivational and other speakers, celebrity driven entertainment, panel discussion, multiple networking programs and much more.

Conference Chairmen Manish Desai and Jaideep Singh assure in unison, “We are making sure that it is a well-organized event with all functions and programs running smoothly to precision. We strive to provide satisfaction to delegates.”

Label Manufacturers Association of India
Navi Mumbai, Mob - 8097333995, Email - lmaiorg@gmail.com