A breathtaking show by magician Tomasian, finalist of the TV show Czech Slovakia’s Got Talent and winner of many awards for micromagic. The main theme of this year’s OBALKO congress is Packaging Magic. Before we embark on a full-day tour of magical packaging, we will put you in a magical mood. You will experience a show that will open your mind and show that nothing is impossible in the packaging world.
Paul Jenkins is the managing director of ThePackHub, a leading packaging innovation consultancy renowned for its industry expertise and experience. At the OBALKO congress, he will take attendees on an informative “walk through” of the latest packaging innovations from around the world. We will discover which brands and retailers are at the forefront of creative packaging solutions and delve into current global trends. The speaker will also highlight how sustainability is driving these innovations and how it is becoming central to every new development in the industry. Special attention will be paid to how technology is changing the packaging market and how to successfully implement new packaging strategies. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the future of packaging and discover how these innovations can positively impact their business and help achieve sustainable goals.
Good packaging promotes profit. Bad packaging, on the other hand, devalues the final result. According to Ipsos R&D, the difference between good and bad packaging can affect sales potential by up to 70%. What does the consumer expect from packaging? And how do they perceive current trends in the packaging industry – new materials, inclusive design, smart packaging? And what about packaging sustainability? Is it a waste or a value for which consumers are even willing to pay extra? Miroslav Paška, account director of the research agency Ipsos, will present the data from his exclusive research for OBALKO.
Imagine packaging that not only catches the eye, but creates a real wow effect! How can its design turn an ordinary product into an irresistible jewel on shelves and racks? How can successful brands turn the impression of packaging into emotion and the desire to buy a product? Is it more important the packaging itself, the marketing campaign that works with it, or the context of the whole communication and capturing the moods and expectations of consumers? Let us guide you to discuss the latest trends and innovations that are changing the game in packaging. In the morning panel discussion, experts will reveal how to create attractive and effective packaging that will add value to your product, strengthen its market position, and create a competitive advantage.
The debate will be moderated by Stanislav Břeň, the editor-in-chief of the magazine Svět balení.
Every innovation is a bit of magic. An idea emerges from the gray of everyday life, which can be fundamental or even groundbreaking. Innovation needs to be nurtured – in society as a whole, in companies, in schools, and finally in your own head. Part of this nurturing is exposing yourself to ideas and inspiration from others. At this year’s OBALKO congress, there will be a magician’s hat full of topics. We bring you 9 case studies and innovations that show that small, medium, and the biggest improvements count. And that packers are basically the grandmasters of the magic art – the art of moving each pack forward a bit, and sometimes quite a bit.
Imagine a world in which you can use augmented reality to look at a packaged product in a store and see what it does and what it looks like. Imagine being able to see how a dress would look on you in the store without having to try it on. Or that you can use your mobile phone to see how a building kit you’re planning to buy for your kids works. Do you think such a world is unattainable? Albi didn’t think so. “We want the customer to know exactly what they’re buying,” came the company’s message. For AlbiLab, THIMM created a modular packaging that can be easily adapted to different needs. It includes interactive elements such as QR codes and augmented reality to provide instant access to product information. The packaging thus combines practicality, sustainability, and playfulness.
Edgewell wants to be sustainable in the packaging of its disposable shavers, which are very bulky in shape, and reduce the use of plastic components, while at the same time using the packaging to attract consumers in stores. Edgewell solved this challenge by partnering with OTK printing & packaging and weldable paper manufacturer Koehler. The result is a sustainable and eye-catching package based on Koehler NexPlus Seal Pure material that can wrap a variety of shavers and shaving configurations. The packaging has successfully passed quality tests such as drop tests, environmental tests and shipping tests. Jan Vorlicek, packaging manager at Edgewell, and Michal Uher, managing director of OTK printing & packaging, will present how the idea, design, and production of this packaging came about and whether paper is the best choice.
Discover the inspiring story of microgreens start-up Speed Tray by Little Luko, which has achieved further growth thanks to Smurfit Westrock’s custom-designed eco-friendly and efficient packaging. This success is not only down to innovations that have led to a reduced ecological footprint, but also increased efficiency in production and distribution. As a result, the company has been able to penetrate major retail chains, doubling its sales and consolidating its market position. The story shows the important role packaging plays in the growth of modern start-ups.
The case study introduces a new packaging line that brings technology to pet food packaging. The line includes two VFFS bagmakers: the S250 and the S650. The S250 is designed to produce smaller bags that are then packed into secondary packaging, while the S650 specialises in larger bags that are placed straight onto pallets. The focus is on sustainability and therefore mono-materials are used for primary packaging. To ensure a smooth packaging process, the line is equipped with an automatic carton erector and gluer. It includes a palletizing unit that efficiently handles secondary packaging and large bags without the need for adjustments.
Rozvoněno, Avery Dennison and Colognia Press will present a case study that reveals the magic of an easy-to-wash-off self-adhesive label. It was chosen by Rozvoněno, a family-owned candle and home fragrance company whose products are made in harmony with nature. The input material is processed and the labels are produced for Rozvoněno by the self-adhesive label printer, Colognia Press. Rozvoněno chose a used wine bottle to make artisan candles from coconut and soy wax. On the resulting packaging, they apply a label made from Fasson rCrush Barley, a material containing 40% recycled content and 15% barley chaff waste, with a wash-off adhesive from Avery Dennison. The adhesive allows the label to be washed off without the use of chemicals under normal household conditions, using only water at 21°C or above. Removing the label is easy for the consumer and environmentally friendly at the same time. The packaging can then be reused for other ideas.
In the current dynamics of online retail, packaging plays an increasingly important role not only in the protection and handling of the product, but also in the area of sustainability and efficiency of supply chains. Rohlik.cz is moving towards more ecological and sustainable packaging, which reduces the carbon footprint and brings new material innovations. For primary packaging, the focus is on sustainability in the sense of carbon neutral packaging (e.g., milk, creams, kefir), the use of recycled plastics (rPET) for oils, and certified materials (FSC). It is increasing the recycled content of other packaging films and uses materials such as paper touch foil on coffee products. In the case of secondary packaging, the company suppresses marketing requirements in favor of environmentally friendly packaging. It thus introduces new approaches in terms of mixing content, minimizing printing (brown-brown) and maximizing the use of packaging space. Rohlik.cz pays special attention to the role of secondary packaging in automated warehouses and the possibilities of returnable packaging.
Mondi Bupak designed and produced a secondary packaging for cans of Bruncvík beer in HQ flexo printing for its long-standing customer, Pivovar Nymburk, in cooperation with Kaufland. Bruncvík is the own brand of the Kaufland chain, whose canned version is supplied by Pivovar Nymburk. Mondi Bupak achieved the desired result thanks to direct cooperation with the print client, Kaufland. In the past, the cardboard boxes for Bruncvík were produced in several print versions, but now it has been unified to just one type for all beers, but the design has remained very demanding. The biggest benefits are the very high print quality (fully comparable to offset) and the design of the box, which catches the attention of customers on the shelves. The desired result was finally achieved by reducing CMYK to MY and using three spot colors and a varnish.
After 11 years, Magnesia mineral water has a new visual identity. The lion symbol, which has been associated with the brand since its inception, took centre stage. Its appearance has acquired more modern features that reflect current design trends. The new logo embodies the “lion power” of natural magnesium and brings dynamism and simplicity to the visual identity. The capital M, elegantly incorporated into the lion’s mane, imaginatively links the brand to the main symbol. The redesign, designed by FutureBrand, reinforces Magnesia’s image as a premium brand. The new label design with minimalist elements makes it easier to distinguish the waters according to their degree of effervescence thanks to the metallic colours. The new visual identity is part of a broader marketing strategy that includes traditional media, digital platforms, PR activities, collaboration with influencers and TV advertising.
ROBE Lighting manufactures and exports lights and spotlights that illuminate concerts, cinemas, and theaters around the world. Their products appear at the biggest events. ROBE was commissioned to create a packaging for shipping lights that would replace plastic and polystyrene fillings with an environmentally friendly alternative, while reliably protecting lights worth tens to hundreds of thousands of crowns from damage. This task was challenging because of the wide range of light types and their variants, the low production volumes, which limited the possibilities of using high-volume technologies, and the need for easy adaptability in case of a change in the light shape. The resulting product also had to deliver savings in logistics and storage. Development was not easy, but in the end a fixing solution was created that outperformed the original variants, is environmentally friendly and all parts are FSC certified. All this was achieved through the use of digital technologies, including printing.
How can you already have the packaging of the future today? How to meet new and upcoming legislative requirements? Can you already use packaging today that meets future sustainability standards and meets the demands of the circular economy? What will be the materials of the future that you can already use in the packaging you buy? Which technologies will package products and why is it a good idea to consider investing in modern packaging solutions now? Who or what will set the trends and profile consumers’ view of packaging? These topics will also be the focus of an afternoon panel discussion at the OBALKO packaging congress.
The debate will be moderated by Tatiana Koššová, ATOZ Group country manager SK.
Award ceremony and awarding of trophies and certificates. The gold, silver and bronze prize winners will be announced at the end of the ceremony by the chair of the jury.
Obal roku is the only certified packaging competition designed for Czech and foreign companies with innovative packaging solutions. The aim of the competition is to highlight and then promote the best ideas, innovations and technologies in the packaging that appear on the market.
After the full-day conference, the traditional Packaging Business Mixer is ready for the delegates. It is a VIP meeting of packaging specialists in a pleasant informal atmosphere with a special program. Its main goal is networking among packaging professionals who regularly participate in this important social event and users of packaging solutions. You can continue your discussions from the day or even start new ones over a drink or a plate of tasty food.
You will enjoy excellent catering, refreshing beer from Plzeňský Prazdroj and mixed drinks from Monin. The magician Tomasiano and the duo of singer Erika Rein and pianist Martin Štefánik will perform. Don’t forget to immortalise yourself in the AI photo corner, which will show you that in the world of virtual reality it is possible to visualise the impossible. And you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun!
This year, the Packaging Business Mixer will take place in the restaurant next to the congress venue. We start right after the completion of the Obal roku awards ceremony at 20:00.
The LEGO Group has been operating in the Czech Republic since 2000, when it laid the foundations for its future factory in the Kladno industrial zone. Today, this one of five production plants forms a key pillar in the European production chain, where the LEGO Group operates two more production plants, one in Denmark and another in Hungary. In Kladno, the elements are decorated and processed, the LEGO® bricks are packed into bags and then the complete sets are assembled and packed. In a part of the factory called Model Production, models are produced for LEGOLAND® parks and LEGO brand stores around the world. The factory also includes a research and development centre for packaging and processing. Approximately 3,300 employees currently work in the factory, which covers an area of 124,000 square metres.
The LEGO Group is a Danish family-owned company founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. Ownership rights in the family are passed down through the generations and the company is still owned by the descendants of the original founder. The name “LEGO” is an abbreviation of two Danish words “leg godt”, meaning “to play well”. Originally, the company produced wooden toys. LEGO bricks made decades ago have been passed down from generation to generation and still work on the same principle. Guided by the motto that “only the best is good enough”, the company is committed to the development of children and aims to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through creative play and learning through play.
Maximum number of participants: 40 people (2 groups of 20)
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A year ago Plzeňský Prazdroj put into operation an automatic sorting line for returnable glass bottles in its brewery. It is the only installation of its kind in the Czech Republic, and you will be able to see it with your own eyes. The line can machine sort the brewery’s own brand bottles from those of other manufacturers and detect damaged pieces and crates. It checks the bottles directly in the crates and can check and sort 4,050 crates, i.e. 81,000 beer bottles, in one hour.
We also invite you to take an exclusive tour of the brand new automated bottling line that has just been launched. During the tour, you will learn more about Plzeňský Prazdroj’s transition to the use of returnable packaging. All glass bottles used to fill its beers and ciders for the Czech market will be returnable from next year, which will be a key contribution to the completion of the packaging circularity project.
The guided tour will be led by Tomáš Sedláček, logistics controlling and development manager CZ/SK of Plzeňský Prazdroj.
Maximum number of participants: 25 people
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The Euromedia Group, which publishes and distributes books, has a new distribution centre in Stochov since spring. It includes an automatic Cartonwrap packaging machine from CMC Packaging (supplied by Xertec). The line automatically takes a cardboard cut and produces a box in the appropriate size. The practical speed of the machine is 650–750 boxes per hour. The advantage of the production from the packaging line is the elaborate deformation zones in the corners and on the edges of the boxes, which effectively protects the books from damage. The warehouse has other attractions that are more logistical in nature. In the middle of the hall, the heart of the cubic shape “beats”, namely the Autostore robotic system with 65,000 plastic crates, expandable to 110,000 crates. Handling is handled by 90 robots. Some of the stock is held in mobile racks, which are operated by VNA trolleys. Another interesting feature is the pick-to-light picking or inspection system with automatic weighing of shipments. The hall also includes six vertical storage towers.
The tour will be led by Kamil Kidoň, logistics director at Euromedia Group.
Maximum number of participants: 30 people
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The main plant, which produces Pepsi and other drinks from the PepsiCo portfolio, has been located in Kolbenova Street in Prague since 1994. This plant produces beverages not only for the Czech market, but also for markets in Slovakia and Hungary. It also includes a bottling plant, laboratory, and warehouse.
Excursion participants have the opportunity to see the process of production, filling, group packaging, and storage. Packaging takes place on six different machines from different brands. Pepsi is made from syrup that is imported to the plant from Ireland in IBC containers. The sweetener, mostly sugar, comes from the Czech Republic and is delivered to the plant by tankers, after which it is stored in vertical silos. Another key ingredient is water, which is taken from the local water supply and treated to Pepsi brand standards.
Pepsi is standardly filled in bottles blown from preforms made from virgin PET, with a switch to rPET in line with the new legislation. Packaging material comes from different parts of Europe – preforms from Lithuania, Slovakia, or Germany, foil from Slovakia, and labels from Germany and Slovakia.
Maximum number of participants: 20 people
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