Labelshow-2003: the Shift of Key Points

Very soon, in March 17-21, LABELSHOW-2003, 9^th international exhibition of materials, machinery and technologies for label production and packages marking, will start its work in Sokolniki Culture & Exhibition Centre. This tradeshow is recognized as one of the best in this industry: in 1998 it was awarded the symbol of the International Union of Exhibitions, and in 2000 it was awarded the symbol of Union des Foires Internationales (UFI). Valentina VISHNEVSKAYA, Director of the Exhibition, is answering the questions of our correspondent.

- Valentina Mikhailovna, the trade show is highly appreciated not only by the Russian experts, but also all around the world. What is the secret of its success?

- At present labels play the key role in the market of packaging production. Commodities just don’t look good without a label, it imparts peculiar and indisputable charm, makes a commodity stylish and attractive. All manufacturers, without a single exception, pin great hopes on labels when promoting their goods in the market. Everyone, who visits our exhibition, finds here a “smart and original salesman” for their goods – the advanced label products and those who participate in their creation – from design to manufacturing.

At the same time, all of us understand that the high level of the exhibition means great responsibility and requires constant improvement. One can’t possibly stop for a second in the rapidly developing exhibition market. Although it’s hard. We intend to extend exhibit areas, use them effectively, enlarge the range of services for exhibitors and visitors. And certainly we do our best to provide the high professional level of the exhibition and business efficiency every year.

- There’s little time left before the exhibition. How are you preparing for the exhibition during this hot period?

- The preparation is on all the year round. But now it’s really in full swing. Presumably the exhibition will occupy all Halls of Sokolniki Culture & Exhibition Centre. We hope that more than 400 companies from different countries will take part in it. Practically all of them have already confirmed their participation, and a lot of professional work will be carried out before the opening day of the exhibition. Many regular exhibitors are going to extend their exhibit spaces. We are glad to welcome a lot of new companies who have never participated in the trade show before.

- Does the exhibition possess any specific features this year?

Certainly. The specific character of the present exhibition lies in the shift of key points. Label industry was created in the conditions of rapidly growing market and increasing demand for modern and competitive label production. That’s why our exhibition became the key event in the life of the Russian printing and publishing industry.

Only ten years ago labels and flexible packages were not so prominent in the printing industry, only small local printing houses and auxiliary workshops of enterprises dealt with them. There were no market conditions, and nobody needed labels. Today we have to admit that it was one of the mistakes of plan-based economy. Printing and publishing industry has been on the upbeat recently. It was the demand for label production and labels that predetermined appearance of a large number of printing houses, diversification of the existing enterprises, development of the existing and creation of new printing methods, improvement of technologies and introduction of prospective materials.

Label and packaging production has already become an important part of the Russian market. The objective of the exhibition remains the same – to do our best for the creation of conditions for complete replacement of import in this sphere of the printing industry.

However, we’re facing a difficult task at present. On the one hand, it’s vital to preserve the existing specialization of the event, the efficient solutions found together with the participants. On the other hand we are eager to present expositions, which take care of numerous innovations and trends in the developing market of the label production.

- What will the coming exhibition be like?

The coming exhibition will be divided into three subject parts. The first part is the section of ready products, which will present manufacturers of all kinds of labels, printed by different methods. Here we will demonstrate the state, scale and prospects of the Russian label market. In order to showcase this section in full, we invited all involved enterprises to take part in the exhibition and to present samples of their production.

The second part of the exhibition will cover the sphere of offset printing for labels. Can the quality of flexography compete with that of offset printing for manufacturing of labels? There can be a lot of answers, and all of them will be different. But one thing is clear – the competition of the two printing methods will be permanent, it will result in constant improvement of offset printing. Everyone will benefit from it.

And, finally, a few words about the third part of our exhibition. Now is the time of large-scale formation of the label production market. I mean the development of large wholesale and retail trade networks: supermarkets, department stores and trade centres. That’s why there’s great demand for exclusive and proprietary labels, labels on request, temporary labels for whole ranges of goods, labels for a targeted groups of consumers. There’s demand for labels with unusual functional properties. At present many of them turn into independent information media.

First of all, Sokolniki Culture & Exhibition Centre and our partner, AWA Association, are holding the 2^nd international conference “Russian Label Market in the 21^st century”. SINUS Company will arrange a special section of the show covering the use of counterfeit prevention facilities. There will be the traditional contest “Label - Russian style”. As before, collectors of labels will take part in the show as well. Our partner – Packaging Design Culture and Education Centre - will demonstrate in its booth the history of label development based on the collection of the Package Museum. By the way, we are holding together “Sweet Box- 2003”, the children’s contest for the best picture for a drink label and package design for confectionary and ice-cream. All these events are traditionally supported by Tara I Upakovka magazine and I hope they will draw the attention of new visitors and exhibitors.

It’s worth mentioning that in many points LABELSHOW emerged 9 years ago and developed afterwards thanks to Tara I Upakovka magazine. We are really content with this partnership and I hope that we will work together in future. On behalf of exhibitors and visitors of the trade show I thank the editorial staff for active many years’ support of LABELSHOW.

In conclusion I’d like to invite all readers of the newspaper to LABELSHOW.

PACKAGING WORLD magazine, № 1, 2003
Monday, February 03, 2003