Program
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Morning program
The opening words of the congress
Opening speakers: The views of the biggest packaging customers
When we discuss the topic of customers and packaging, we cannot only think of consumers as the customers; we also need to take into consideration the views of our clients on the packaging products, solutions and services that we as suppliers provide. Customers are demanding because their customers are demanding as well – that is the nature of the supply chain. But what do our customers want from us? What do they expect from the Czech and Slovak packaging market? And how do the Czech and Slovak packaging markets compare to the markets in other countries? The answers to these questions and more will be provided in the keynote presentations of representatives of three of the largest companies in three of the most important sectors of the economy (retail, FMCG and automotive).
Morning coffee break
The consumer and packaging: Presentation of the results of an exclusive survey
Sustainability is a real challenge for today’s society, governments, manufacturers and even retailers. It is a complex topic that includes several specific topics, from the issue of plastic waste, through climate change, water pollution or water scarcity. In this presentation, Ladislav Csengeri and Hana Říhová will discuss the results of a unique survey conducted by GfK in the summer of 2020 on consumers across Europe. The survey and subsequent presentation focus on these important areas, households’ attitudes towards plastic packaging, sorting and recycling. What barriers do Czech households perceive when sorting, and what would help and motivate a more active approach in this area? And how is the different approach of households to their shopping behavior reflected?
Panel discussion: The customer and packaging
The panel discussion is an integral part of the main part of the program. The topic Consumer and Packaging will be discussed by six key players in the market. How will the packaging affect the consumer and how will he or she affect the packaging? What is the consumer’s view of sustainability, sorting and recycling? How has the consumer’s perception of packaging changed as a result of a pandemic – what does the consumer expect from packaging? How do packaging manufacturers consider consumers when developing new packaging? And how do Czech and Slovak consumers compare with consumers elsewhere in Europe and in the world?
Moderator: Hana Říhová, Commercial Director Advanced Solutions CEE, Consumer Panels & Services, GfK
Lunch break
Marketing & design section
How packaging can contribute to better sales
Around the world, Nielsen measures the impact of packaging on the brand’s entire performance and awards the Nielsen Design Impact Award to products whose new packaging has a significant impact on sales. During the presentation, we will show on specific examples of brands from the FMCG market from other countries and what effect the redesign of the packaging had on the total sales. At the same time, we will summarize the “golden rules” of great packaging, which we must not forget.
The influence of new packaging design on the sales and perception of the Albert brand
Products that consumers knew under the private label Albert Quality are gradually changing into the Albert brand. Most importantly, consumers can easily recognize Albert products. The new design reflects today’s trends. There is power in simplicity. What effect does the redesign of Albert packaging have on sales and brand perception? What can the design of private label packaging influence?
Digital technology in the service of packaging professionals – saving time and allowing much space for creativity
Digital printing and laser cutting are state-of-the-art technologies that change the procedures used in the preparation and production of packaging. Today, all creative directors, marketers and graphic artists should know what digital printing and laser cutting offer. If you do not know the possibilities of digital technologies during the initial thinking about packaging, you will not take advantage of their full potential. Speed, flexibility, time and cost savings – representatives of THIMM pack‘n‘display and the graphic agency Fiala & Šebek will show you how digital technologies have changed the process of packaging preparation and implementation.
I want that package!
Although it may not seem so at first glance, packaging can also play an important role in online sales. We can assume that a customer who orders goods over the internet does not care in what packaging he or she receives the goods, but this is not quite true. Attractive packaging can increase sales and the selling price, and it can in many cases motivate the customer to make repeat purchases at the same retailer.
A unique package can even become the main motive for buying goods, when ordinary goods become an attractive product that has the hallmark of unusualness and can become, for example, a suitable gift. The presentation will also include a live demonstration of the portal for online sales of beverages with unique personalized packaging.
GS1 Digital Link as effective communication with the consumer
Thanks to GS1 Digital Link, manufacturers and retailers can elegantly connect consumers with all relevant product information. This standard does not imply any change in the currently used product identification. There is no need to change the packaging. Only the use of a data carrier is new! Its scanning will allow not only the sale of the product, but also links to digital content stored on the web. Don’t miss this practical demonstration!
Afternoon coffee break
Technology & transport section
How to manage the canned-beer boom?
Consumer demand for canned beer is growing every year. Plzeňský Prazdroj has recently responded to this trend with two significant projects. Since February 2020, a new can bottling line of the Radegast Brewery in Nošovice with a capacity of 60,000 cans per hour has been in operation. In July 2020, Plzeňský Prazdroj started taking most of the cans for its needs from Canpack’s new factory in Stříbro. It managed to significantly shorten the path of these packages directly to the filling lines of the brewery in Pilsen.
How do cans compare to different types of packaging in Prazdroj’s offer? Does the brewery make sure that the cans are made of recycled material? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the projects? What is the future of canned beer in the Czech Republic? These and other questions will be answered by Martina Vajskebrová from Plzeňský Prazdroj and Attila Szábo from Canpack in an joint interview conducted exclusively for the OBALKO congress.
Packaging that sells – Digital production of refined packaging with added value
Packaging that is functional, ecological, well-designed and economical is now basically a standard. So how do you differentiate yourself at a time when packaging technologies are already at such a high level that they can fulfill almost every one of the customer’s wishes? Digital finishing of printed materials is a way to attract the attention of customers and give packaging another dimension. Metallic foils or partial varnish have almost unlimited possibilities when using digital technology, even in small series. František Oľha, a polygrapher, pedagogue, and above all the vice-chairman of the board of the family company Cofin a.s., a progressive printing company from Prešov, together with Tomáš Kugler from Konica Minolta Business Solutions Czech, will show you the way to the production of luxury, digitally refined packaging.
Agile approaches to packaging: Synergies to savings and greater flexibility of product packaging
Synergies with clients to implement and expand autonomous/automatic and fully robotic production platforms in logistics to process all sizes and designs of packaging materials. Possible? Are there any fast enough, cheap and flexible logistics solutions ready for what is to come? Michal Vosyka answer these questions and explain the development of technological innovations in logistics centers, focusing on the needs of logistics center clients in a broader perspective of a successful marketing and packaging strategy.
Monomaterial solutions: Combining sustainability with functionality and practicality
Together with the customers DZ Dražice and Franke, we managed to develop two packaging concepts that completely eliminate polystyrene fillings and increase the protection of packaged products with a monomaterial solution made of corrugated cardboard. These are examples of packaging where sustainability and protection of nature are combined with functionality and practicality. This harmonious unit benefits not only our customers in the logistics chain but also end consumers.
Panel discussion: Packaging for e-shops – Searching for the ideal packaging
The demands of e-shops for packaging are very diverse, and in many ways they are mutually exclusive. Packaging must be compact (there is never enough space in the warehouse and this is double the case for packaging), practical (folded and usable in a few seconds), flexible (so that as many types of goods as possible can be packed into as few packaging sizes as possible), sustainable (consumers less and less tolerate the waste of packaging and the use of packaging that cannot be sorted and recycled), very well protective (couriers are careful people, but sometimes there are exceptions), “technologically proficient” (packaging must increasingly manage the path of conveyors or corners of automatic stackers ), attractive (the package sells and strengthens customer loyalty) and is ideally reusable (flap box with a cut-out for children or relaxation coloring pages for adults…). However, the number one requirement remains that the packaging must be as cheap as possible. The ideal packaging for e-shops will be discussed by the participants of this panel discussion.
Moderator: Stanislav Břeň, editor-in-chief of the magazines Systémy Logistiky and Svět balení
Sustainability section
The opening words of the congress
Better food, better world – Sustainability by Rohlík
Why does Rohlík believe in this idea, how does it move them forward and how does the topic of sustainability fit into it? You will find out this and more at the OBALKO congress, where Olin Novák will present, among other things, why Rohlik.cz launched its own brand “Bez kompromisu“ and the project “Otoč obal“ and how passionate he is about sustainability. He will communicate all of this in a style that will motivate all customers to join the cause.
Packaging in the age of sustainability
Can disposable plastic packaging be sustainable? Greiner packaging slušovice, together with Olma, are convinced that it can be. Greiner has been dealing with the environmental impact of its products for many years. It tirelessly strives to develop and improve its packaging to minimize these impacts while maintaining its core function. In a joint presentation, the CEOs of the two companies – Ivo Benda and Martin Krystián – will outline their views on packaging sustainability and show you what their two companies have already done together to benefit the environment.
Sustainability cannot be a Potemkin village
The ecological activities of companies are nowadays not only a trend but a necessity. Packaging plays a key role in sustainability. However, sustainability cannot just be a beautiful façade – marketing claims must be supported by evidence. Marie Tichá, one of the pioneers in the field of life cycle assessment (LCA) in the Czech Republic, will tell you what steps you should take to make your packaging truly sustainable. At the same time, she will explain how a comprehensive view of the product’s life cycle (cradle to grave) will allow you to minimize its impact on the environment.
Chemical Recycling: Salvation or Science Fiction?
When dealing with plastic waste, landfilling needs to be reduced and recycling strengthened. Mechanical recycling is a priority, but it has its limits. The ideal solution in the fight against waste plastics is incineration for energy, either. And what about chemical recycling? Which chemical recycling technologies are most promising? Is chemical recycling economically viable? What are the main obstacles that stand in the way of chemical recycling? Listen to the presentation by Robert Suchopa, PYREKOL project leader, UniCRE research center, where they are testing a way to use chemical recycling (pyrolysis) to turn waste plastics into raw materials for the production of new plastics.
New waste management legislation in the CR and the impact on the Czech packaging market
Panel discussion: Recycling unpacked!
What really happens to your packaging after the consumer throws it in a colored container? Ask representatives of recycling companies and sorting lines in an interactive panel discussion under the auspices of AOS Eko-kom, exclusively at the OBALKO congress.
Moderator: Petr Šikýř, AOS Eko-kom
