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LOUPE South China 2026: Label & Package Printing
LOUPE华南国际标签与包装印刷展览会 2026
The rebranded Labelexpo South China: labels, mid-web flexible packaging and inline folding cartons, with live running presses.
AI illustration- Dates
- 2–4 Dec Wed–Fri · 3 days
- Venue
- Shenzhen World Bao'an
- Exhibitors
- 200 2024 edition
- Visitors
- 16k 2024 edition
- Entry
- Free or register on site
- Open to
- Trade only business visitors
What is LOUPE South China – International Labels & Packaging Printing Exhibition?
LOUPE South China is the new name for Labelexpo South China, the Shenzhen edition of Labelexpo, the label industry's long-running trade-show series. The organiser, Informa Markets, has renamed the whole series LOUPE, short for "Labels & OUter-Packaging Embellishment" (a loupe is also the magnifying glass printers use to check print quality), and has widened it from labels to short-run packaging. The show is held every two years, and the December 2026 edition at Shenzhen World is the first under the new name. It fills Halls 1 and 3, about 30,000 m², roughly half as big again as 2024, with more than 250 exhibitors.
The floor covers three kinds of converting business: self-adhesive and in-mould labels, mid-web flexible packaging such as shrink sleeves and stand-up pouches, and folding cartons printed and converted inline. Exhibitors show narrow- and mid-web flexo presses, hybrid and pure digital label presses, digital embellishment (foil, varnish, embossing), finishing and die-cutting, inspection and web-guiding, prepress and plate-making, label stocks, films, inks and adhesives, and RFID and anti-counterfeiting. Many presses run live. Names in the 2026 line-up include Epson, Esko, X-Rite, Flint Group, 3M, GEW and BST, alongside Chinese press builders such as Weigang, Zonten, FLORA (Runtianzhi) and HanLabel and dozens of material and finishing suppliers from Dongguan and Shenzhen.
Visitors are label and packaging converters, brand owners' packaging and procurement teams, packaging designers and industry suppliers. In 2024 the show counted 16,157 visitors from 77 countries, and South China's dense cluster of electronics, cosmetics, food and consumer-goods brands keeps local demand for labels and short-run packaging high.
The education programme includes a 2026 Label Forum co-hosted with the China Packaging Federation (on digital workflows and sustainability), a RAIN RFID encoding masterclass with certification, a Label Academy masterclass on label materials, and a Smart Label Trail that guides visitors to RFID and connected-label exhibits.
If you buy labels or packaging from South China printers, or run a converting business in Asia, this is a compact show where you can see Chinese-built presses next to international kit and talk to the people who supply your printers.
Why go
- See flexo, hybrid and digital label presses and finishing lines running live
- Compare Chinese press builders (Weigang, Zonten, FLORA) with international suppliers (Epson, Esko, BST, GEW) in one place
- Source label stocks, films, foils, inks and RFID inlays from South China suppliers
- Free Label Forum, RAIN RFID masterclass with certification, and a label-materials masterclass
- Free entry with online pre-registration
Our take
Presses run live, so check exhibitor news for demo times and plan around them. The show is held only every two years, so if labels or short-run packaging matter to your supply chain, this is the edition to catch before 2028.
Go if you're
- Label printers and converters
- Flexible-packaging makers producing shrink sleeves and pouches
- Folding-carton printers
- Brand owners' packaging, procurement and design teams in electronics, cosmetics, food and consumer goods
- Suppliers of materials, inks and finishing equipment
Who exhibits
Some of the companies at the 2026 edition, from the organiser's exhibitor list and press. 200 exhibitors in all (2024).
Forums, awards & what else is on
- 2026 Label Forum, co-hosted with the China Packaging Federation (digitalisation and sustainability)
- RAIN RFID encoding masterclass and certification exam
- Label Academy masterclass on label materials
- Smart Label Trail through RFID and connected-label exhibits
- First edition under the LOUPE name, 50% larger than 2024
This year's edition
Halls 1 and 3, Shenzhen World. Hours: 2–3 Dec 09:30–17:30, 4 Dec 09:30–15:30; last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Days & opening hours
Hours are the organiser's. Last entry is usually 30 minutes before closing, and the last day often closes early.
How to get in
- Just turn upTrade visitors can almost always register at the on-site counter. Bring your passport and a business card.
- Or pre-register onlineFree, about 3 minutes. You get a QR e-badge and skip the counter queue. Organiser's registration page ↗
- Collect your badgeShow the QR (or your passport) at the badge desk. Screenshot it first — venue Wi-Fi is slow on day one.
Free with online pre-registration (faster entry); last entry 30 minutes before closing
Flying in? The visitor guide
What international buyers ask us most, in one place.
Many passports get 30 days visa-free, and 55 nationalities can use 240-hour visa-free transit via Shenzhen when flying on to a third country. Check your eligibility before booking.
Link a Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly — booths, taxis and canteens rarely take cards. Keep ¥500 cash for samples.
Get a roaming eSIM: Google, WhatsApp and Gmail don't work on hotel or venue Wi-Fi. Suppliers will ask for your WeChat, not your email.
Pre-register, bring your passport to collect the badge, and pack 200 business cards. Photograph each card next to the booth number — you'll forget by day two.
Hall English is patchy outside the big brands. A freelance interpreter costs ¥800–1,500 a day; book a week ahead for big fairs.
Don't carry 40 kg home. SF Express and DHL counters sit in the main lobbies and will ship samples door to door from about ¥200.
Hotels on site sell out months ahead. Bao'an Center or Qianhai are 25–30 min away with far more choice.
- Wear proper walking shoes — 20k steps a day is normal.
- Taxi queues after 5pm are brutal; walk to Shenzhen World North station or book a Didi for 4:30pm.
- Food courts sit along the central corridor; the ones at the far ends are quieter.
Good to know
When is LOUPE South China – International Labels & Packaging Printing Exhibition 2026?
Wed 2 Dec – Fri 4 Dec 2026. Doors open at 9:30am; the last day closes at 3:30pm.
Where is LOUPE South China – International Labels & Packaging Printing Exhibition held?
Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (深圳国际会展中心), 1 Zhancheng Rd, Fuhai, Bao'an District. Take metro Line 12/20 to Shenzhen World station.
Is LOUPE South China – International Labels & Packaging Printing Exhibition free to visit?
Yes for trade visitors. Pre-register online to skip the queue, or just turn up and register at the counter with your passport.
Is LOUPE South China – International Labels & Packaging Printing Exhibition open to the public?
No — it's trade only. Register with your company details and bring a business card.
Is LOUPE South China the same as Labelexpo South China?
Yes. Informa renamed the Labelexpo series LOUPE, and 2026 is the first South China edition under the new name, with a broader packaging scope.
What does LOUPE stand for?
"Labels & OUter-Packaging Embellishment". It is also a nod to the magnifying loupe printers use to inspect print.
How often is it held?
Every two years. The previous South China edition was in 2024.
Does it cover packaging as well as labels?
Yes. Alongside labels it covers mid-web flexible packaging (shrink sleeves, stand-up pouches, solventless lamination, mono-material pouches) and inline folding-carton production.
Is there RFID content?
Yes. There is a RAIN RFID encoding masterclass with certification and a Smart Label Trail, and exhibitors such as Epson list RFID products.
Sources
Researched from the organiser's own pages, last checked 2026-09-26. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- Official site · southchina.loupe-asia.com.cn ↗
- official site: rebrand from Labelexpo South China, meaning of LOUPE, scope ↗
- official site: exhibit categories, visitor profile, 2024 statistics ↗
- official news: 2026 scale, biennial cadence, concurrent education programme, free pre-registration ↗
- official news: 2026 exhibitor announcements (Weigang, FLORA, BST, Polly Automation, etc.) ↗
- official 2026 exhibitor list (Epson, Esko, X-Rite, Ikehata, BST) ↗
- trade press: 2026 exhibitor line-up and technologies ↗
More trade shows in Shenzhen
Full 2026–27 calendar →More in Manufacturing