Page 57 - FINAT Yearbook 2011

The Presidents of FINAT and TLMI visit Labelexpo Asia in China 2007
The first decade, there was no official involvement of third parties in the shows. That changed in 1990 when Clive Smith and Mike Fairley signed the first ‘sponsorship’ deals with TLMI in 1990 and FINAT in 1991, to become the official assoc- iation partners of the shows in their respective continents. FINAT also became official partner of Labelexpo Asia which had been launched in Singapore in 1990 and was moved to Shanghai in 2003.
global branding
The Labelexpo shows in Brussels, Chicago, Shanghai and, most recently New Delhi, are the major working machinery and materials showcase events for technical innovation and development from the world’s leading suppliers and undoubtedly helped the rapid growth and spread of the self-adhesive label industry throughout the 1980 and 1990s. Among the four, Labelexpo Europe has become the leading international trade show for the label industry. From the 2600 m2 and 80 exhibitors of the first edition back in 1985, the show has grown into a trade fair covering 5 halls with close to 30,000 m2 of floor space and 450+ exhibitors from over 50 countries welcoming more than 25,000 visitors from nearly 140 countries world-wide. The shows are complem- ented by a smaller scale ‘Label Summits’ and specialised summits in Spain, Brazil, Mexico and Africa. The Label Summits are set up as conferences supported by tabletop exhibitions. From a local UK trade show in the 1980s, Labelexpo has become a truly global brand that continues to serve as a vehicle for the global development of our industry.
mutually reinforcing our common development
In the course of two decades of partnership, FINAT and Labelexpo have mutually supported each other in developing
Label Industry Global Awards 2009: ‘Man of Achievement Mike Fairley (m) flanked by (from left to right) Clive Smith, FINAT President Andrea Vimercati, Chairman of the Judges Panel Helmut Schreiner and Award Sponsor Avery Dennison’s CEO Dean Scarborough
their brand in many ways. At the shows in Singapore, the FINAT Technical Committee organised a series of educational ‘teach ins’ that were well attended by local label companies from this emerging region. When the show moved to China in 2003, FINAT released a special edition of its Technical Handbook in Business Chinese, of which no less than 750 copies were sold at the show. In 2006, Tarsus helped FINAT in organising the Euro Indian Labelling Exchange, a matchmaking event supported by the European Union to bring European and Indian label printers in touch with each other. The event itself no doubt helped to set the scene for the first edition of Labelexpo India a year later. At Labelexpo Asia in Shanghai at the end of 2009, FINAT and TLMI, supported by Tarsus took the initiative to bring together the leaders of the global label associations for their first ‘L9’ summit.
Labels & Labeling Publisher Roger Pellow, International Publishing Director Mike Fairley and Andy Thomas, the magazine’s Managing Editor have appeared as speakers, guest columnists and/or judges at label competitions at numerous occasions, and at meetings of the joint FINAT and Tarsus ‘Labelexpo Advisory Boards’. Valuable input for strategic decision making about the future of the shows and FINAT has been exchanged. The Tarsus Labels Group has become a warm proponent of FINAT’s Young Managers Club initiative and has sponsored various networking and workshop events. And FINAT members have benefitted from special entry conditions and discounts to Tarsus’ trade shows, conferences and research reports.
The Labelexpo Europe Sponsorship revenues have helped FINAT to embark upon various strategic initiatives in support of the development of our industry that would have otherwise
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