A coming-together of the label industry’s thought leaders, the FINAT European Label Forum provided an excellent opportunity for the OPM team to reconnect in person with some of our industry’s brightest minds.
This year’s two-day conference took place in Baveno, situated on the borders of Lago Maggiore in Northern Italy, and was packed with several exciting keynote speaker sessions and networking opportunities. As a long-standing FINAT member, here’s just a couple of our personal highlights from the event…
1. Emphasis on circular
OPM is a major driver for change in sustainable labelling and flexible packaging solutions, so we were pleased to see the circular economy was at the top of this year’s agenda.
A panel on ‘Sustainable Brand Requirements’ from Arno Melchior (Reckitt), Benjamin Punchard (Mintel) and Keenan Thompson (Philip Morris International) highlighted how brand owners are focusing on making the right substrate choice for the planet due to changing consumer habits. From plastic to fibre and oil to plant-based solutions, brands are now looking at the bigger picture and thinking long-term. Today, they are choosing a substrate based on their environmental and sustainability targets, making sure it fits (rather than goes against) their brand values.
This was further backed by the keynote from Matthias Volherbst (VollherbstDruck GmbH), who gave us an excellent presentation on how best to prepare for the circular economy.
2. Looking beyond Covid-19 and adversity
Covid-19 has affected so many industries – and we are still feeling the consequences today. A talk on the industry landscape beyond Covid from a substrate and converter perspective was particularly interesting. Over two sessions, members discussed how raw materials shortages, combined with an increase in digitalisation and innovation challenges would affect the forward outlook of our industry.
3. Understanding market challenges
We particularly enjoyed the enlightening discussion by the charismatic founder of dining and food retail chain Eataly, Oscar Farinetti. The son of a pasta maker from the Piedmont region in the north-west of Italy, the 66-year-old Farinetti, has built a global Italian food and wine empire since opening the first Eataly in Turin 14 years ago. He shared his insights with important takeaways including ‘The guiding values of an unconventional entrepreneur’, ‘The ingredients needed to create an innovative company’ and ‘The importance of market analysis to understand the potential development of demand’. All recognisable challenges faced everyday by those steering their business through volatile times.
Yet perhaps the most engaging story came from Karina Hollekim, a Norwegian free skier and base jumper. Her power to overcome adversity when she was faced with a near-fatal accident really puts things into perspective. Hollekim showed that even though times are tough – we can all rise again. That spirit of commitment and dedication to what we do and know best is something OPM shares with Hollekim. Thank you for inspiring our industry to rise again with new and innovative solutions for the future!
Thanks to FINAT for its excellent programme this June in Italy – the OPM team are eagerly awaiting the next one in Vienna, Austria, planned for May 31-June 2, 2023.
