Don't be surprised if, after your two- or three-day trip to Labelexpo Americas 2006 this coming September, you feel a little smarter. That's because the organizers, Tarsus Group, have put quite a bit of effort into showcasing "smart" label printing, converting and applications.

Tarsus says research shows that by 2015, more than 1,000 billion RFID tags will be sold annually, of which 80 percent will be item-level tags, most of them labels. In survey after survey, according to Tarsus, RFID and related "smart" technology is the area of highest interest to label converters and end-users. This is broken out as RFID, security, antimicrobial and oxygen-scavenging technology. A separate area at the show, the Smart Labels Zone, will be dedicated to exhibitors touting their smart-labels capability.

Also, a "master-class," separate from the regular three-day Labelexpo conference (sponsored by Avery Dennison), will be devoted to the subject of smart labels (see sidebar).

The third Label Industry Global Awards has announced its list of nominees, which recognize and celebrate excellence in the industry. The awards will be presented before an audience of around 500 industry representatives at a ceremony and gala dinner on the first evening of Labelexpo Americas 2006. There are four key award categories, with leading label industry players sponsoring each one. This year also marks the introduction of the RFID Smart Label Manufacturer Award.

International judges compiled the shortlist of nominations, and voting is now open. A dedicated awards Website (www.labelawards.com) allows industry representatives to vote online for each of the four categories. The closing date for voting will be the end of this month.

For more information on the Labelexpo Americas 2006 show, including exhibitor list, conference program, hotel and travel information, etc., visit the Website: www.labelexpo-americas.com