Labelexpo transforms, as envisioned through the Loupe!

Labelexpo transforms, as envisioned through the 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 15th 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.

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 15th, 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?

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:

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

For advertising on this blog and on website www.labelsandpackagingworld.com please email to

info@labelsandpackagingworld.com 

Labelexpo 2023 reaffirms its significance!

Labelexpo 2023 reaffirms its significance!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder! There was a general perception that the impact of a fierce pandemic, the Finnish Paper Mills strike, Ukraine war, shortages and rising raw material prices, difficult logistics and increased travel costs have left the market sentiments bruised. There was strong narrative doing the rounds in the labels industry that Labelexpo Europe 2023 at Brussels will lose its sheen and may not deliver the desired results. Contrary to all perceptions the show was a huge success. The numbers may have been slightly lower than the previous years, but the quality of turnout brought cheer to the faces of exhibitors. The proof of that is given by the reported rebook rate for the next edition of this important event by Tarsus, announced at a whopping 96%! Labelexpo Europe 2023 was spread over 9 halls covering 35889 square meters. 36588 visitors flocked to the show, coming from 138 countries. Most stands reported robust enquiries or sales from established and serious printers from around the world. Though the aisles were not as crowded as in previous shows, the stands were busy. That is exactly what exhibitors expect from a globally renowned show. I cite a personal experience, I had to conduct an important meeting with one of our company’s several principals. Despite visiting their stand on all days at various times, the concerned person was busy with clients, finally I had to ask him to come to another meeting point other than his stand, so that we could discuss our project in peace. Such was the deliverance of Labelexpo 2023.

The Indian presence; The Indian labels and packaging industry has been continuously growing at steady pace to reach a position of stability and strength. The Indian visitors to labelexpo have also transformed. Earlier we saw many of those who mixed their visit with tourism, so the interest was diluted, and the enquiries lacked seriousness. This trend is seen as changing, given the increased travel costs and technologies evolving in different packaging segments, the smaller printers prefer to visit the domestic editions of Labelexpo. 

In 2005, my company was the only one from India to exhibit at Labelexpo Europe in Brussels, over years the number of Indian exhibitors has been growing. Indian producers of materials, machines and tooling have improved in quality to match global levels and offer their products in the international marketplace. 

From just the one exhibitor from India displaying labelstock in 2005 they reached 14 exhibitors in 2017, and in 2023 the number of Indian exhibitors grew to 26. This number included several label press manufacturers, manufacturers of coaters and laminators, raw material suppliers, tooling manufacturers, etc. In fact, registering their presence in all segments of label manufacturing. As for the visitors, it is an even more interesting result. In 2019 2% of the total of 37903 visitors were from India.

This works out to over 750 visitors. This figure has swelled! In Labelexpo Europe 2023. Indian visitors were 3.9% of the total of 36588 visitors and this works out to over 1400 visitors, almost double the number. We can imagine the dynamism and steady growth of “make in India” concept. The Indians are now quick learners who visit these shows and become adapters of global technologies to produce and offer to the world.

Diverse technologies displayed: Labelexpo global series was in the initial stages aimed at growth of stickers that had evolved as self-adhesive labels. The earliest web label presses were largely coming from eastern part of the World as 4 or 5-inch-wide flatbed letterpress machines for printing labels in roll form to eventually transform with development of label applicators, it led to automation in packaging lines.

Development and introduction of rotary flexographic label presses brought a paradigm shift as it provided better speed of printing.

Since the web width in the earliest stages was small, the industry eventually started being referred to as narrow web label industry. The rest is history. With evolution and development of prepress printing speeds and quality also improved making the technology widely acceptable. Printing widths increased to 10 inches or 250 mm and had for quite some time settled at 330mm.

Speeds that were just 5 or 6 meters per minute in the beginning with the flatbed presses, have reached up to 200 meters per minute and more. The narrow web label industry flourished and kept growing. With time label technologies have undergone a sea change. What was wet glue labels, transformed into self-adhesive labels but later the label grew towards various tangents. The label users started adopting a wide variety that includes wraparound labels, shrink sleeves, Inmold labels, heat transfer labels and many more. In the initial stages of transformation large multinational FMCG companies became users of wrap-around labels and shrink sleeves, because of the large volume they required, these became the product of the wide web rotogravure printing industry. With market changes happening, the need of smaller manufacturers and demand for short runs by marketing professionals, these diverse segments also became evident in the offerings of narrow web industry. 

The narrow started growing wider still, printing and converting evolved exponentially and became suppliers of not only to wide spectrum of labels but also flexible packaging, Lami-tubes and folding cartons. The flexo presses also transformed to be hybrid ones  employing combination of flexo, offset, gravure, screen and digital, etc.

At Labelexpo Europe 2023, one could witness displayed, a merger and combination of different printing technologies to produce excellence in print of labels and packaging. This was substantially exhibited by industry stalwarts like Gallus, Omet, Nilpeter, Mark Andy, Bobst, Weigang, Lombardy, etc. who displayed their finest web printing and converting equipment. It is interesting that waste reduction and sustainable manufacturing practices to reduce carbon footprint are becoming imperative for all responsible machine builders.

Overview: Material suppliers like Avery Dennison, UPM Raflatac and Fedrigoni displayed their vast ranges of labelstocks with an evident effort towards sustainability. Many did talk of linerless and the initial developments they have made but the actual linerless self-adhesive label for mass usage is still a far cry. 

As mentioned before, from the just one Indian Labelstock producer in 2005, there were five Indian labelstock producers at the show, Jindal SMI, SticOn papers, MLJ, Shree Lamipack and Varshil. Looking at the number of visitors on stands it was clear that the focus of label fraternity is shifting from commodities to creativity, innovation and sustainability. While all labelstock companies had a steady flow of visitors, the Fedrigoni stand that offered specialty textured and decorative materials was extremely busy. 

A similar situation was observed at the Cartes stand whose displayed equipment offered amazing embellishments with various combinations of digital jet screen varnishing and printing, screen printing, laser die-cutting etc. The electronic integration in labels is another field that attracted the attention of forward-thinking printing companies. RFID insertion options for labels and packaging were displayed by many, some of whom include  Avery Dennison, Beontag, Muhlbauer, Delta Modtech, etc. Another aspect witnessed is the growing number of finishing equipment manufacturers, which clearly indicates the need for printing companies to produce more with less. The concept of printing at full machine speeds on their expensive presses and finishing offline makes available more time on their main printing presses. The futuristic digital printing equipment continues to evolve indicating it to become a dominant label printing technology in future, given the wider widths and faster speeds.

The hall number 8 with exhibitors led by HP, offered a vast variety of digital printing equipment. The increased display of finishing or digital finishing machines is also indicative of the increasing importance of digital printing, which in recent times has become a necessity for prosperous label printers. Running short runs needs offline finishing. else the digital presses with inline finishing will not only be expensive but will not be able to deliver production to their full capacity due to short runs and quick changeovers.

One thing that has become evident at Labelexpo Europe 2023 is that the narrow web label industry continues to go wider and evolve, increasing its footprints in other segments of packaging and it would not be out of place to mention that soon it  will be referred to as “Web label and package converting industry.”

The end of show was a nostalgic moment, people bidding farewell to Labelexpo in Brussel where so many wonderful memories, stories of success and friendships had been scripted. The label fraternity now looks forward to making another beginning with Labelexpo Europe 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.

Pictures of my walk through Labelexpo 2023 and some of the events on the sidelines;

World Label Awards Judging:

One day before Labelexpo opened, the judging for label awards was held.

Same afternoon, L9 meeting was held, followed by L9-Dinner

The global Label awards evening!

On Wednesday 13th September 2023, fairwell dinner for Label Guru Mike Fairley was held

My Walk through!

Written by Harveer Sahni, Chairman Weldon Celloplast Limited New Delhi India September 2023