Key takeaways from a record-breaking Convergence!

We’re thrilled to share that Convergence 2022 attracted over 2,100 labeling, packaging artwork, and supply chain professionals, making this year’s conference the largest labeling and Artwork Management event of the year and the most successful Convergence in Loftware history!

Commenting, Bob O’Connor, Loftware President & CEO, said: "We want to thank everybody who joined us for this year's record-breaking event. I think the significant turnout at Convergence 2022 highlights the increasing appetite industry professionals have for exploring new ways to transform their business and supply chain through labeling best practices.

"We hope attendees developed the strategies, new relationships, and insights needed to secure growth in their operations both now and in the future. As our customers and partners continue their journey towards labeling excellence, the entire global team at Loftware is always available to help and support at every step along the way."

Convergence 2022 in numbers

• 3 days
• 5 sponsors
• 45 sessions
• 75 speakers
• 2,100 attendees
• 1,124 companies
• 32 industries
• 92 countries

Highlights from Convergence 2022

The conference featured sessions for end-users and Loftware channel and alliance partners highlighting the latest thought leadership and emerging technologies focused on forward-thinking and innovative labeling solutions. Speakers included representatives from Gartner, GS1 US, SAP, VDC Research, Epson, Videojet, Zebra, Domino, and many more. In addition to panel discussions, insightful presentations, and valuable networking opportunities, attendees accessed Loftware Spectrum, Loftware NiceLabel, Loftware Smartflow, and Loftware Prisym 360 live product demos and participated in guided solution tours. 

Keynote #1: a fireside chat with industry-leading executives. Bob O’Connor led this panel discussion, which explored the significant role that cloud technology plays in digital transformation programs and highlighted the many benefits this model offers to companies of all sizes. Cloud security was also a hot topic, with panelists agreeing that migrating to the cloud adds layers of security that organizations cannot produce by themselves. 

Keynote #2: Gartner market outlook. John Blake, Senior Research Director at Gartner, featured insights from this year’s Label & Artwork Management (LAM) Market Guide, which is due out in December. He highlighted the costly results of inaccurate labeling and discussed how non-declared allergens, mislabeling, and inaccurate packaging graphics continue to be a leading cause of product delays and recalls, ultimately costing manufacturers millions of dollars in lost sales. He outlined how compliance violations in the pharmaceutical industry have exceeded $50 billion since 2000, while the average cost of non-compliance has grown by 43% over the past nine years. Mr. Blake explained why implementing an Enterprise Labeling solution – one that links labeling processes with business processes to drive speed, accuracy, and compliance – helps to eliminate the risk of labeling errors, thereby saving companies money, time, and brand reputation. 

Keynote #3: Live Q&A with Loftware’s senior leadership. Bob O’Connor hosted an interactive panel discussion with members of the Loftware senior leadership team, which consisted of fielding questions from a live audience. This Q&A session featured insights on how Loftware develops and delivers programs and solutions which help customers embrace best practices and future-proof their labeling. The group also touched on the growth of the company and spent time outlining how the company has evolved over the past few years with new acquisitions and how Loftware teams continue to support their global customer base. 

Other notable sessions featured at Convergence 2022 include:

• SAP Presents: Labeling with SAP S/4HANA for product compliance.
• Benefits of future-proofing your business with cloud labeling.
• GS1 Standards: barcodes and beyond.
• Debunking the seven myths of cloud security.
• A life science labeling and best practices panel discussion with Illumina and B. Braun.
• Transform your supply chain with a centralized solution for printing, labeling, marking, and coding with VDC Research, Domino Printing Sciences, and Danaher Corporation.
• Dealing with GHS color printing requirements: the pros and cons of current printer technologies with Epson.
• Embracing agile production methodologies and decentralization in clinical trials.
• How a centralized labeling solution contributes to achieving your corporate sustainability goals.
• Q&A on how Bic streamlined product packaging and improved time to market.

If you couldn’t attend this year’s event, don’t worry! You can register for free to access on-demand recordings from Convergence 2022 here.