Closer collaboration FINAT & Afera

The European associations Afera (adhesive tapes) and FINAT (self-adhesive labels and narrow-web packaging) have started exploring the potential for closer collaboration. As a first step, they have joined forces in recruiting a new Regulatory Affairs Manager, who will help to step up the combined organisations’ public affairs agenda in a big way.

New Regulatory Affairs Manager

The new manager, whose name will be announced shortly, will be based at the associations’ combined headquarters at Lejeune Association Management in The Hague, where he will also support two other European associations in this field: RadTech Europe (UV and EB curing technology) and the Ethanol REACH Association.

Attracting new talent and building awareness

Another area to be developed is the shared need to attract the attention of students and young professionals. ‘Afera started focusing on educating possible entrants to the industry, the future workforce. Together with FINAT, we are looking into attracting new talent to the industry. The goal is, to create an environment that members can more easily recruit and retain valuable employees’, according to Evert Smit, Afera’s President. His counterpart in FINAT, Chris Ellison, adds: “During our 60^th anniversary year 2019, we have successfully launched the #LABELicious competition for this target audience and we are planning the next edition for 2020 where we will expand our engagement towards the universities and schools in selected target countries, as this is where the awareness building starts. Our objectives are therefore aligned.”

Seminars

Apart from addressing their future workforce, both associations also spend a lot of effort in educating current tape business professionals. At the beginning of March, Barcelona will stage the 24^th edition of FINAT’s biennial Technical Seminar. One month later, Afera’s 9^th edition of their Technical Seminar will take place in Brussels. At the respective events, participants will update themselves on the latest issues and technologies relevant to the fast-moving self-adhesive technologies of ‘bonding’ (tapes) and ‘product decoration and identification’ (labels and narrow-web packaging).

All details can be found on the dedicated event websites:
https://www.aferatechnicalseminar.com/
https://www.finat.com/events/finat-technical-seminar-2020

Role Lejeune

Lejeune has an initiating and facilitating role for Afera, FINAT, as well as other European industry associations and their members. The development of strategic projects and membership programmes, with both an advisory and executive role, including conferences, are core competencies of Lejeune.

Closer collaboration FINAT & Afera