Reporter Clips

Published: August 01, 2003, By Edward Boyle, Contributing Editor

Narrow Web Converting Industry News

Expanding European Community a Highlight At Labelexpo Europe '03
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM—With emerging European markets taking center stage and a thriving narrow web community, Labelexpo Europe is ready to open its 10th biennial exhibition September 24-27 at the Brussels Expo in Belgium.

Tagged Europe's premier label event, Labelexpo Europe 2003 will provide narrow web converters a venue to explore the pressure-sensitive label business and grasp new opportunities in growing areas such as film, cartons, and pouches.

“Interestingly this year, with the label industry evolving into other converting processes, for example cartons and label film, Labelexpo Europe 2003 also will give suppliers the opportunity to see how they can make their businesses grow,” comments Roger Pellow, Labels Group managing director. “With 15,000 visitors expected and more than 350 exhibitors signed up, Labelexpo Europe 2003 is going to be the best Brussels event to date. [It] is going to be the place to be for anyone involved in the label and product decoration industry.”

An important ingredient to this year's show is the emergence of strong participation from several Eastern European countries. With the announcement of ten new countries joining the European Union in early 2004 (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia), these predominately Eastern European countries are ready to jump into the Western economic community. Flexotech Hungary Ltd. (Hungary), Cezar (Poland), and Etisoft (Poland) are some of the exhibitors from the newly acceding countries.

According to the Tarsus Group, organizer of the show, “Labelexpo Europe 2003 undoubtedly will provide a platform that enjoys the highest industry visibility in the business. It has visitors serious about buying labels and packaging — not only self-adhesive labels, but also all the newer labeling technologies and latest advances in narrow web packaging.”

Exhibits will feature digital presses, laser die-cutting, RFID, in-line decoration systems, multi-process ink systems, substrates, multi-substrate presses, and high-technology label films, sleeves, and wraps.

Labelexpo Europe also will host a 15-session conference featuring such topics as meeting the narrow web needs of the food sector; pharmaceutical and healthcare requirements; the rise of digital printing; and new security and brand protection solutions for converter and brand owner.

MACtac Supplies P-S Material for American Filmmaking Stamps
STOW, OH, USA—The US Postal Service (USPS), with the help of MACtac, has spotlighted the often unknown and unsung artisans who labor behind the scenes of Hollywood pictures in a new commemorative stamp collection. The ten-stamp “American Filmmaking: Behind the Scenes” set was issued February 25 in Beverly Hills, CA, in time for the 2003 Oscar ceremony.

MACtac supplied the p-s construction for the 70 million stamps printed and formatted in souvenir sheets of ten. The stamps feature many of the creative and technical trades of the filmmaking industry, including directing, make-up, art direction, cinematography, film editing, special effects, sound, screenwriting, costume design, and music.