Informa Markets has announced that registration is open for LOUPE Americas 2026, formerly Labelexpo Americas

At the end of a calendar year, just before Christmas, it is always a natural moment to reflect on past achievements, the takeaways from the previous 12 months, and the outlook for the coming cycle. This year, Easter offers a timely moment for the same exercise. Not only because it coincides with the beginning of Q2, with some businesses closing their financial year at the end of Q1, but also because an eventful first quarter (and in particular the turbulence caused by geopolitical interventions in Latin America, Northern Europe, and most recently the Middle East) compels us to reassess the outlook.

Founded over 90 years ago, TLMI (The Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) is the premier association representing the label and packaging industry in the North America region.

Label Manufacturers Association of India (LMAI) has announced that the distribution of LMAI Label Awards for Excellence and Innovation 2026 will be held on 30th October 2026 at the prestigious India Expo Centre and Mart.

The L9 World Label Association (WLA) is proud to present the winners of the Best of the Best awards which were judged by an international panel of judges just before Labelexpo Europe 2025.

FINAT has received the sad news of the passing away of Dr. Vittorio Ratto at the age of 90.

LOUPE Americas, formerly Labelexpo Americas, is set to return to Chicago from 15 – 17 September at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont.

The Commission’s decision to introduce a derogation for pallet wrappings and straps from the 100% reuse targets set out in Article 29(2) and (3) of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) represents a welcome recognition of the operational challenges consistently raised by the European packaging value chain throughout the legislative process. By acknowledging these practical constraints, the Commission affirms the evidence provided by businesses across sectors, demonstrating that these packaging formats are not suitable for reuse and that, to date, no proven reusable alternatives exist at scale that can guarantee an equivalent level of load stability, product protection, transport safety, and operational reliability. Therefore, the decision to restrict this derogation exclusively to the 100% target, leaving the 40% reuse target of Article 29(1) untouched, is both inconsistent and disappointing.

In a market defined by rapid change, increasing complexity and rising customer expectations, one advantage stands above all: your network. From 27 – 29 May 2026, the FINAT European Label Forum 2026 (ELF) will bring together Europe’s leading label printers, suppliers and industry experts for three days of high-level exchange, strategic insight and meaningful peer-to-peer collaboration. For owners and managers of label printing companies, ELF 2026 is not just another conference. It is the industry’s inner circle.

By Jules Lejeune - FINAT Managing Director For more than three decades, Labelexpo Europe has been the global meeting point for the label and narrow-web community