Page 32 - Packaging News magazine November-December 2022

LIVE: AMPLIFY & ENGAGE
which of the print channels a brand best fits with, and what can be offered.
He observed that personalisation is an emerging opportunity, along with the move towards more sustainable packag- ing and other evolving trends.
“Digital technology really allows us to amplify the outcomes we can deliver on a corrugated box. It’s a solution you are never going get on water-based flexo – to be able to get high impact, due to the capacity of UV ink and high-reso- lution imagery, really delivers a great message,” he said
Joe Foster, CEO of Close the Loop Group, a business which incorporates OF Packaging and OF Flexo, spoke of his experience as an early adopter of digital technology and its evolution.
“We were the first to launch digi- tal flexo packaging 11 years ago when we brought it from Ireland. In those early days, we had issues because the machine specification was essentially designed for label printing. And we wanted to adopt it for flexible packaging.
“What we had to do was to reinvent the process for manufacturing pouches, and actually design machinery that made pouches from scratch. I think digital printing for flexible packaging has become a lot easier as a result of companies like ourselves, and other
companies around the world, that have had to be early adopters to find those solutions.
“We want to be at the forefront of bringing digital flexible packaging into Australia. And I’m very happy to see how Australian businesses have embraced digital flexible packaging, and that everyone from small brands to large brands can see the real benefits of the technology,” he said.
The benefits of investing into digi- tal packaging, printing and technology were discussed by Paul Sanelli, business development manager for packaging and display at EFI, who highlighted the growing trends towards unboxing and ‘packvertising’ currently being pushed in Europe and the US.
He said these are made possible by the ability to print double sided and offer personalisation, combined with the passion and appetite to engage with the consumer.
Sanelli went on to acknowledge that although Australia is a small market compared to others on the world stage, EFI is planning to bring a range of five products in the packaging range to the country next year. “The whole idea is to have the right entry points and the right products to fit opportunities,” he said.
Key
Takeouts
MINGLE & LUMINAR
Digitally printed packaging gave Mingle control
It took the look from farmers market to supermarket shelf-ready
Luminar and Mingle created a real partnership for real benefits
Left: (l-r) Paul Haggett, Zaidee Jackson, Joe Foster, Paul Sanelli and Wayne Robinson
Below left: Brand owners, retailers, print service providers and suppliers all engaged at LIVE
Bottom left: Mingle and Luminar collaboration
Zaidee Jackson, sustainability man- ager at Ball & Doggett, went on to discuss how the company works with brands and printers to drive sustainable innovation, and addressed the potential misperception that recycled products compromise on quality.
Jackson opened by saying that every- one in the room is part of the value chain when it comes to sustainability, pointing out that “brands that deliver on the pursuit of purpose that drives sustainable innovation are the front runners with the consumers”.
She said, “As the largest supplier of printable materials in the country, Ball & Doggett holds a heavy responsibility to ensure the products that we’re bring- ing in are accredited. Everyone’s talking about the shift towards sustainability, and it’s great to have the conversation, but it’s more important to act on it and make sure you’re ready to invest in it. From our posi- tion, we’re there to support, educate and influence these decisions based on the knowledge and confidence we have that the products we bring to market are actu- ally supporting the functional needs of the printers we supply.”
Regarding the quality of recycled materials, Jackson said, “The market demand from brand owners is that they don’t want to compromise on quality. As a business Ball & Doggett, being part of a global supply chain, is making sure that we’re playing our part to sustain this industry in a way that supports sta- ble outcomes for everybody.”
SURGE HAS STARTED
The event then moved into a network- ing session over drinks, which lingered late into the day, as delegates discussed the presentations and what are clearly multiple emerging opportunities.
Lindy Hughson closed Amplify & Engage, and thanked the sponsors Currie Group, HP, Ball & Doggett, EFI, and Jet Technologies. She said the day showed that the surge into digitally printed packaging had already started, that it was clearly a land of opportunity – as it could provide tangible benefits to brand owners of all sizes, from the biggest to the smallest – and that the power of collaboration was evidently a key to success. ■
32 ❙ NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2022
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