Labelexpo Asia 2011 reached new heights

The largest label event in Asia, Labelexpo Asia 2011 took place on 29 November – 2 December with great success. In total, 18,019 top-level visitors attended this year’s show – an increase of nine per cent since the last expo in 2009. The event also brought together 270 exhibitors from all over the Asia-Pacific.

Growth potential of the Asia-Pacific region

The keynote presentation at the event was given by Jouko Lähepelto, Senior Vice President, UPM Raflatac Americas & Asia Pacific on self-adhesive labelstock trends and the overall outlook. He also emphasized the growth potential of the Asia-Pacific region and its importance to the future of the label business.

The future outlook for self-adhesive labels in China is promising and the market looks very attractive. For the past decades, self-adhesive labelstock has been gaining increasing market share due to the versatility of the materials, good visual appeal and cost-competitiveness. In China, volumes are expected to grow 12% per annum, Lähepelto estimated in his presentation. Especially in food and beverage labelling, growth will be strong as consumption grows and demand increases for better design. However, he also reminded that while economic growth continues in emerging markets, raw material inflation will continue, driven by rising land costs and fewer accessible sources. This requires innovative product solutions.

Innovative ProLiner PP30 introduced

“Take the label to the limit” was the theme for UPM Raflatac at Labelexpo Asia 2011, following the familiar theme seen at Labelexpo Europe 2011. In the fast-paced markets of Asia, it is now more important than ever to get the most out of labelling solutions. The event provided a stage for introducing the innovative ProLiner PP30 to the Asia-Pacific region, and many visitors showed great interest towards its qualities for bringing productivity increases, cost reductions and improved recyclability to labelling.

“Once again, we were delighted to see how the label industry in Asia is going forward with a strong commitment to quality, service and performance,” Jukka-Pekka Haapanen, Vice President, UPM Raflatac Asia Pacific commented after a busy week at Shanghai International Expo Center. “We experienced a very dynamic and forward-looking atmosphere at the expo and it’s easy to see that together we can achieve great things in this fast-growing market area. We’re certainly taking the label to the limit!”