The Future of Packaging is here and it is BRILLIANT! On Thursday, April 7 attendees of The Future of Packaging Design event got a look at what is new in packaging, and what the future holds for packaging designers. Innovation, technology, and color were the themes among presenters. A whole new realm of possibilities for packaging design has opened up thanks to the technology advancements presented. Fittingly, the event was held at the Eureka Building, a 3-acre technology campus in Irvine, California designed to help accelerate innovation.

Keynote speaker Mike Ferrari took us on a journey through of the history of packaging. Next he showed real examples of where packaging is now, and then looked into the trends of the future. Mike brought great insights from the consumer product industry, from his successful 32-year career at The Procter & Gamble Company. He is currently coaching CPG’s to delight consumers and grow their brands, with a focus on innovation in packaging and printing. A key point Mike drove home was why packaging is even more important now than it was in the past, especially in this era of omni-channel shopping. One attendee noted, “Mike’s explanation of the importance of packaging in the digital marketplace and how the packaging experience is still very important was interesting and insightful.”

Ryan Casey, of Esko, added a unique outlook on the packaging industry. He combined an immense knowledge of the value chain with a cutting edge outlook on the technology used to get high impact packaging on to the shelf as quickly as possible. Ryan presented essential tools to aid brands in their packaging design process. “So informative! So many helpful tools I didn’t know about,” stated one event attendee. Ryan demonstrated Esko software tools including Studio, a 3D design suite, with the capability for brands to see their packaging designs in an interactive, virtual retail store.

Thoro’s Packaging Innovation Team delivered one of the most interactive presentations of the day. Macy Steiner, COO of Thoro Packaging, shared insightful statistics regarding shopper behavior and the role color plays in buying decisions. Color is one of the most identifiable and valuable of all assets associated with a brand, so it is no wonder Thoro has spent the last several years developing new printing technology to manage and enhance color for shelf presence.  Brandon Roberts, Operations Manager, explained Expanded Color Gamut and how its application opens up new design possibilities for packaging. Two innovations developed by Thoro, ThoroColor™ and ThoroBrilliance™, enable brands to use an unlimited number of colors on their packaging, and to achieve more vibrant color closer to what you see on screen. In the words of one attendee, “ This could be a game-changer for my company.”

When asked about what the best part of the event was, one attendee stated “My favorite part was learning about the new technologies and possibilities in printing and packaging.”

As a gift for attending, everyone received the New Expanded Spot Color Guide, and the opportunity to see their packaging graphics in ThoroBrilliance™. Attendees are invited to submit their graphics to receive complimentary proofs in both traditional 4-color process and ThoroBrilliance™, to see how their color enhanced packaging can brilliantly stand out on a crowded shelf.

You too are invited to see how your packaging can be enhanced with ThoroBrilliance. Call Thoro Packaging today at 951-278-2100 to find out how you can submit artwork for the free proof comparison.  If you wish to be added to the invite list for the next Future of Packaging event, please email [email protected]. May your packaging be BRILLIANT!