Interpack is back with a bang, with a host of technology unveiled for global markets

For this week’s blog, I’d like to just offer a simple note of thanks to everyone we met at this year’s Interpack in Germany, including its organisers, who helped ensure that this huge event more than exceeded everyone’s expectations.

More than anything, the most energising aspect was in seeing the sheer enthusiasm from the huge range of people we collectively saw at the truly epic event that lived up to its ‘simply unique’ billing ahead of the show.

As trade fair director Thomas Dohse noted, it’s akin to the ‘Olympic Games of packaging and processing,’ (if you haven’t had chance to catch the video interview with him, you can do so here),  which was a pretty bold statement, but one that very much rang true. From the wealth of equipment and systems launches, through to its dozens of education sessions and environmental ‘Save Food’ initiative, it completely covered the full spectrum of our combined industries.

While it would have been perfectly easy to have spent the entire week there, with deadlines looming, we made the very most of our time in Düsseldorf, so it was great to have some fascinating conversations with packaging and processing businesses from around the world – this included many old friends from the sector, as well as meeting a number of those who were newer to the industry too.

Everyone had the same united message – it was great to be back out there at live events, which is the way that the vast majority of people prefer to engage with expos and conferences, even despite some particularly strong challenges for many markets around the world. On that note, it was especially interesting to see that the ratio of overseas visitors for the event was once again really high (at 75%) of its 143,000-strong tally across the week. This included a strong contingent from India, the US and many other corners of the globe, with everyone eager to see the very latest in machinery and systems up close, and meet the teams behind them. There were some notable visitors to the show including the Japanese senior management of Ishida, which had recently marked its 130th anniversary, overseeing the launch of a new tray sealing system (as well as other equipment specifically for confectionery), as well as many leading CEOs of global companies operating within the industry, making for an especially memorable occasion.

It was also heartening to see a small number of visitors from the next generation of potential management within the sector, with a few youngsters and teenagers under close supervision being allowed in to experience this truly global extravaganza, which will hopefully inspire them and everyone else for the next show when it is scheduled to take place again in three years’ time in May 2026. That’s a very important date for the diary indeed if this exceptional show was anything to go by.

Neill Barston, editor, Confectionery Production

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