At the FINAT European Label Forum 2025, the message was clear: creativity is no longer a luxury, it's a business imperative. From dynamic workshops to inspiring keynotes, the power of creative thinking took centre stage.
In a label industry navigating rapid technological shifts and ever-evolving customer demands, creativity has emerged as a non-negotiable skill. This was the resounding message during session 5 of the FINAT European Label Forum (ELF) 2025, where André van Straten, author of The Creative Revolution, and mountaineer and resilience expert Bonita Norris delivered compelling presentations on how creativity, leadership, and resilience are shaping the future of business.
This article is part five in our special ELF 2025 recap series, highlighting essential insights for the FINAT community of label printers, suppliers, and stakeholders. With input from the Young Professionals Network (YPN), who hosted their own pre-conference workshop on creativity, this edition zooms in on how imagination, curiosity, and courage are driving innovation across our industry. All articles can be found in the news section of the FINAT website and on www.europeanlabelforum.com.
Creativity is a Business Skill, not just an Artistic Trait
André van Straten opened his session with a provocative statement: “Creativity is your biggest competitive advantage. It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity.” His keynote challenged traditional notions of creativity as something reserved for designers or artists. Instead, he defined it as:
“The ability to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems or communicating with others.”
This redefinition is especially relevant for label converters and suppliers looking to stay agile. Whether it's devising a more efficient workflow or responding to sustainability pressures, creative problem-solving is foundational. For printers facing pricing pressure, evolving customer demands, or the integration of digital and hybrid printing technologies, creativity enables differentiation.
Why this matters:
Label business owners must foster a culture that empowers all employees—not just marketing or design teams—to think creatively. From finance to production, innovative thinking can unlock efficiencies and opportunities in unexpected places.
Innovation requires a Creative Process, and it can be trained
Van Straten didn’t just talk about creativity. He offered a method to train it. The “WOW” method (Watch, Open, Work) used in the YPN workshop encouraged participants to define problems clearly, seek diverse perspectives, and develop solutions through incubation and structured brainstorming.
“Creativity starts with observation,” he said. “But it only leads to innovation if we follow through. That’s why perseverance is part of the formula.” He outlined a practical formula:
Creativity = Curiosity × Skills × Perseverance². This mindset, demonstrated by the YPN members through engaging caption contests and brainstorming exercises, helped demystify creativity and showed it’s something every professional can cultivate.
Why this matters:
Label converters and suppliers often face innovation bottlenecks not because of a lack of ideas, but because of an over-reliance on traditional problem-solving methods. Training staff to approach problems from multiple angles can unlock untapped potential, especially when deadlines loom or customer expectations shift suddenly.
AI supercharges Creativity, but it’s still Human-Led
AI is undeniably transforming the label sector, from automation to design iteration. But as Van Straten warned, “AI is fast but humans are deep.” He introduced the concept of the Human Spark Engine, where artificial intelligence accelerates creative processes, but human intuition, vision, and empathy remain irreplaceable.
Supported by McKinsey data, Van Straten noted that creative companies outperform their peers in revenue growth. Yet the ultimate edge lies in human-led creativity, especially in sectors like labelling where personalisation, storytelling, and design nuance are key to value creation.
Why this matters:
Label printers should not fear AI as a replacement, but embrace it as a co-creator. For example, AI can propose dozens of label design variations in seconds—but only a human can decide which one resonates with a brand’s identity. The future lies in collaboration, not substitution.
Leadership and Resilience are Creative Skills too
Closing the session, Bonita Norris delivered a deeply personal story of summiting Mount Everest, despite having no mountaineering background just two years prior. Her journey underscored the connection between creativity and resilience. In particular, she championed a mindset of “success by smallness”:
“The way you get to the top of any mountain, literal or metaphorical, is by solving the small problems in front of you. One by one.”
This message resonated with attendees facing daily operational challenges. Her mantra: Focus, not fret, echoed the principles of creative leadership: break down the overwhelming, control the controllable, and act decisively with limited resources.
Why this matters:
In a high-pressure industry like labelling, resilience is not just about surviving; it’s about leading teams through change. Empowering younger team members to act on small ideas can foster an inclusive culture where innovation grows organically.
Conclusion: Creativity is the Fuel of the Future
The FINAT European Label Forum 2025 made it clear: creativity is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’. It is essential. Whether through structured methods like WOW, AI-human collaboration, or courageous leadership, creative thinking is the key to unlocking agility, resilience, and innovation.
“A creative organisation is the future,” Van Straten concluded. “And creativity is something we can all learn.”
By investing in creative development, like the YPN workshop did, FINAT empowers the next generation of label professionals to lead with imagination and impact. Through shared learning and community, FINAT continues to be the platform where innovation meets collaboration.
Call to Action
How is creativity driving change in your organisation? Share your stories in the comments and inspire your peers across the industry. And don’t miss the next article in our ELF 2025 series as we explore the future of circularity and sustainable labelling. Stay connected. Stay creative. Stay empowered with FINAT.
See for more upcoming YPN activities: https://www.finat.com/about/ypn