If you have spent any time in the label, flexible packaging, or folding carton industries, you have likely heard of Labelexpo Americas. In 2026, the event returns under a new name, LOUPE Americas, with an expanded scope that reflects how much the converting industry itself has changed in the last few years.
This guide covers what the rebrand actually means, the dates and logistics for the 2026 show, what is new in the conference program, and practical guidance for getting real value out of three days on the floor.
From Labelexpo to LOUPE: What Changed and Why
LOUPE Americas 2026 is the event formerly known as Labelexpo Americas. According to the organizers, the shift from Labelexpo to LOUPE represents a sharper focus on delivering insights and innovation, paired with a wider lens that now explicitly includes labels, flexible packaging (specifically shrink sleeves and pouches), and inline carton converting.
In practice, that means the show has not narrowed. It has widened its scope beyond labels alone to formally include flexible packaging and folding carton converting as core pillars, alongside labels, rather than treating them as adjacent categories.
For label converters who have been watching diversification into flexible packaging and cartons as a growth strategy, this shift in framing tracks with where a meaningful part of the industry is already heading.
The event remains organized by Informa Markets and continues to use the tagline ‘Stronger focus. Wider lens.’ to describe the change.
LOUPE Americas 2026 Dates, Location, and Registration
LOUPE Americas 2026 takes place over three days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.
| Detail | Information |
| Event Dates | September 15 to 17, 2026 |
| Hours | Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Thursday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (last entry 30 minutes before close) |
| Venue | Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago, IL |
| Organized By | Informa Markets |
| Admissions | Trade visitors aged 18 and over only; badges required for entry |
| Full Details and Registration | loupe-americas.com |
Registration offers two ticket types. The Expo Pass covers access to the exhibit floor and all show floor activities across all three days. The Education Pass includes everything in the Expo Pass plus full access to the two-day conference program, keynotes, and workshops, along with summaries of every session.
Pricing differs for brand owners, converters, and designers versus suppliers, and early bird rates apply before August 21, 2026. All badges are valid for entry on all three days regardless of pass type, and each visitor in a group must register individually since the system collects information per person.
What the 2026 Conference Program Actually Covers
The two-day education program runs September 15 and 16 across two tracks held in Rooms 12/13 and Room 14, and is described by the organizers as a focused, forward-looking experience for professionals navigating a period of rapid transformation in converting.
Each day opens with a keynote, moves into breakout sessions covering the practical realities shaping converting businesses, and closes with hands-on afternoon workshops. The table below summarizes the confirmed Day 1 programming.
| Format | Session | What to Know |
| Keynote | 10:00-10:45 AM: RFID Keynote Address, opening Day 1 with a focus on smart packaging. | Sets the tone for the day’s emphasis on connected and intelligent packaging. |
| Tech Innovations Track | 11:00 AM-12:00 PM, Session 1B: RFID in Smart & Connected Packaging, with Catalina Steenbakkers of AWA Alexander Watson Associates and Jason Rambler of Avery Dennison, covering market outlook through real-world application. 12:00-12:30 PM, Session 2B: Automation Strategies that Drive Efficiency and Profitability. 12:30-1:00 PM, Session 3B: How AI is Rewiring Packaging Manufacturing Workflows, covering production planning, quality control, and supply chain integration. | Three back-to-back 30 to 60 minute sessions covering smart packaging and automation, suited to attendees evaluating tech investment. |
| New Frontiers Track | 11:00 AM-12:00 PM, Session 1A: Converter Panel on growth, change, and opportunity, with Dale Coates (TLMI), Thomas Dahbura (Hub Labels), and Daniel Rosenbaum (NextGen Label Group), covering workforce development, AI implementation, succession planning, and capital expenditure. 12:00-12:30 PM, Session 2A: Understanding Flex Pack Materials and Pouching, breaking down material structures and converting processes for label converters considering diversification. 12:30-1:00 PM, Session 3A: New Market Opportunities in Package Printing Diversification, with Steven Haedrich of New York Label & Box Works and David Totten of Nosco, Inc. sharing real-world lessons on producing both labels and folding cartons. | Directly addresses diversification into flex pack and folding carton, the strategic shift reflected in the LOUPE rebrand itself. |
| Afternoon Workshop | 2:00-4:00 PM, two concurrent hands-on workshops. AI in Action, led by Steve Metcalf of Imagine AI Live, demystifies AI for label and packaging professionals through guided exercises on estimating, production scheduling, quality control, inventory management, and customer service. A second workshop examines how packaging design and materials shape unconscious consumer choices. | The longest single session of Day 1. Hands-on rather than presentation-style, aimed at converters who want practical next steps, not theory. |
The Education Pass is required for entry to keynotes, breakout sessions, and workshops, and it includes summaries of every session for attendees who cannot make it to all of them. Full schedule details, including Day 2 programming and additional speakers, are available at loupe-americas.com/insights-education.
What to Expect on the Exhibition Floor
LOUPE Americas 2026 is built around live demonstrations rather than static displays. The organizers describe the floor as the place where new technologies launch and where equipment can be evaluated in action rather than read about in a brochure.
Categories of live demonstrations include digital and conventional printing presses, high-tech label and packaging materials, prepress and platemaking technology, finishing and converting systems, inspection and label application equipment, dies and cutters, inks and coatings, RFID and security solutions, and software.
For context on scale, the previous edition of the event attracted 12,215 attendees from 73 countries, with 450 exhibitors occupying 185,000 square feet of space. The 2026 edition is expected to feature more than 400 exhibitors, hundreds of live demonstrations, 45 conference sessions, and 65 speakers.
A few habits that tend to pay off on a floor this size:
- Review the exhibitor list and floor plan at loupe-americas.com before the show and prioritize the suppliers most relevant to your current diversification or efficiency goals.
- If you hold an Education Pass, plan your day around the keynote and breakout sessions first, then use remaining time for the floor. Sessions and the show floor compete for the same hours.
- Bring specific questions about material performance, automation ROI, or process compatibility. With 400+ exhibitors on the floor, vague conversations do not scale; specific ones do.
- Ask about live demonstrations before you arrive at a booth. Watching equipment run live is one of the stated reasons the organizers position this event the way they do, and it is worth prioritizing over a sales pitch.
- Set follow-up meetings before leaving any high-priority booth. With 65 speakers and 400+ exhibitors on site, the volume of contacts made during the show can be difficult to organize after the fact.
Who LOUPE Americas Is Built For
According to the event organizers, LOUPE Americas is built for printers and converters of labels, flexible packaging (shrink sleeves and pouches), and folding cartons (inline converting), as well as brand owners, label and packaging designers, and industry suppliers.
The stated goals for attendees center on sourcing new technology to stay ahead of competitors, drive down costs, improve efficiency, offer value-added services, attract new clients, enter new high-value niche markets, improve supply chain management, optimize workflow, reduce press downtime, and operate more sustainably.
For converters specifically considering diversification into flexible packaging or folding cartons, the 2026 education program addresses that transition directly, with sessions on flex pack materials, pouching, and in-line folding carton opportunities led by converters who have already made that move.
Tips for Getting Real Value Out of LOUPE Americas 2026
- Register before August 21, 2026 for early bird pricing. Rates increase for both the Expo Pass and Education Pass after that date.
- Decide between the Expo Pass and Education Pass based on your goals. If the conference sessions and workshops matter to you, the Education Pass is the only way to access them; the Expo Pass covers the floor only.
- Read the session summaries in advance if you hold an Education Pass. The program includes summaries of every session, which makes it easier to choose between two sessions running in the same time slot.
- If you are exploring diversification into flexible packaging or folding cartons, prioritize the New Frontiers track sessions and the converters speaking from direct experience, rather than only the supplier booths.
- Book your hotel through the official onPeak partnership early. Chicago hotel availability during a 400+ exhibitor show can tighten quickly as the date approaches.
- If you need a visa to enter the United States, register first. Invitation letters are only issued to attendees who have already completed registration and payment.
- Bring valid photo ID. Badges are non-transferable, and attendees may be asked to show identification to confirm they are the registered badge holder.
- Plan your cancellation timeline if your travel plans are uncertain. The cancellation deadline for a 50% refund is July 30, 2026; after that date, no refunds are issued, though badges can be transferred to a colleague.
Why a Show This Broad Still Matters for Label Material Selection
It would be easy to read the LOUPE rebrand as packaging the show has simply grown bigger. The more useful read is that the underlying businesses are converging.
Label converters are diversifying into flexible packaging and folding cartons, brand owners are evaluating smart packaging and RFID across all three substrates, and the same automation and AI questions are coming up in every breakout session, regardless of which converting category a company started in.
That convergence has a direct implication for material selection, including label materials. As converters expand into new substrates and formats, the performance requirements for labeling, identification, and traceability often expand with them.
A converter moving into pouching, for instance, is evaluating an entirely different set of adhesion, durability, and print compatibility requirements than one working exclusively with pressure-sensitive labels.
Polyonics has spent over three decades engineering specialty coated label materials for demanding manufacturing and identification applications. The company will be present at LOUPE Americas 2026 to discuss material requirements across the labeling, packaging, and converting community the show now represents.
FAQs About LOUPE Americas 2026
Is LOUPE Americas the same event as Labelexpo Americas?
Yes. LOUPE Americas 2026 is the new name for the event formerly known as Labelexpo Americas. The organizers describe the change as a sharper focus paired with a wider lens that formally includes labels, flexible packaging (shrink sleeves and pouches), and inline folding carton converting.
When and where is LOUPE Americas 2026?
LOUPE Americas 2026 runs September 15 to 17, 2026 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. Show hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Thursday, with last entry 30 minutes before close.
What is the difference between the Expo Pass and the Education Pass?
The Expo Pass includes access to the exhibit floor and all show floor activities for all three days. The Education Pass includes everything in the Expo Pass plus full access to the two-day conference program, including keynotes, breakout sessions, and workshops, as well as summaries of every session.
How much does it cost to attend LOUPE Americas 2026?
Pricing varies by attendee type and pass. For brand owners, converters, and designers, the Early Bird Expo Pass (before August 21, 2026) is $70, rising to $95 at standard rate, while the Early Bird Education Pass is $670, rising to $695. For suppliers, the Early Bird Expo Pass is $150, rising to $250, and the Education Pass is $850.
Who should attend LOUPE Americas?
The event is designed for printers and converters of labels, flexible packaging, and folding cartons, along with brand owners, label and packaging designers, and industry suppliers.
How large is the LOUPE Americas show?
The 2026 edition is expected to include more than 400 exhibitors, hundreds of live demonstrations, 45 conference sessions, and 65 speakers. The previous edition of the event drew 12,215 attendees from 73 countries, with 450 exhibitors across 185,000 square feet of space.
Is LOUPE Americas 2026 Worth Attending?
If your business touches labels, flexible packaging, or folding cartons in any form, the honest answer is that the scale alone makes a strong case.
Four hundred or more exhibitors and 65 speakers under one roof represent a meaningful concentration of the supply chain, and the rebrand reflects a genuine shift toward addressing converters who are diversifying across these three substrates rather than staying in a single lane.
Which pass to book comes down to why you are going. See live equipment and meet suppliers, and the Expo Pass covers that. Want the keynotes, the AI and diversification sessions, and the hands-on workshops too, and the Education Pass is the only way in.
For complete and current information on sessions, pricing, and the exhibitor list, visit loupe-americas.com.
