The halls have been planned, the stands allocated and the programme fine-tuned - a good two months before the start of the trade fair, the Messe Düsseldorf team is well prepared for the first interpack in six years. A joint press conference with Uhlmann Pac-Systeme gave a first taste of the 2023 packaging event. packaging journal was live on site.
1958 was a memorable year in more ways than one. Not only was the space agency NASA founded in the USA, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was born and instant ramen was invented by Momofuku Andō. For the packaging industry, the year is particularly memorable for the first interpack, which took place in March 1958 in Düsseldorf's Ehrenhof - at that time with 255 exhibitors and more than 32,000 visitors.
A lot has happened in the meantime. Man has walked on the moon, the charts are measured in clicks and instant ramen belongs on every well-stocked flat-sharing shelf. And the interpack has become the world's most important packaging trade fair, but has remained true to the Rhine metropolis of Düsseldorf. However, the dimensions have multiplied. Around 2,700 exhibitors have registered for this year's edition, all 18 exhibition halls in Düsseldorf have to be used for this.
The exhibitors then as now include Uhlmann Pac-Systems, 1958 still as Josef Uhlmann Maschinen GmbH. As part of the Uhlmann Group, the machine manufacturer is one of the leading companies in the pharmaceutical packaging sector. On 28 February, CEO Matthias Niemeyer welcomed representatives of the press and the interpack team to a final press event before the trade fair in May at the company headquarters in Laupheim, Swabia.
Is it all just bad?
After a brief welcome by interpack Director Thomas Dohse, Richard Clemens gave the opening address, VDMA-Managing Director of the Food and Packaging Machinery and Process Engineering Machinery and Equipment trade associations, presented a status report on a crisis-hit industry. After packaging did not enjoy a good public image back in 2020, more pressing problems initially came to the fore during the coronavirus pandemic: unclear hygiene regulations, supply bottlenecks, price spirals and a shortage of skilled labour. Then, in 2022, the Russian attack on Ukraine, accompanied by supply shortages and sanctions. „The Russian market is missing,“ says Clemens very clearly. He is also increasingly concerned about the Chinese market, as well as the „regulatory tsunami from Brussels“.
Is there any hope at all, you might ask? Absolutely, said Clemens in Laupheim: „We are in a fortunate industry. This is because the global demand for packaged food is increasing year on year, The pharmaceutical sector will also only grow in the coming years. According to Clemens, this confidence in the future despite all the obstacles is also reflected in the four hot topics at interpack: Circular economy, resource conservation, digital technologies and product safety.
Unique Women in Packaging
These are also close to Thomas Dohse's heart, who gave an instructive insight into the uncertain pandemic years, especially for trade fair organisers, as well as the preparations for the upcoming interpack in Laupheim. „Everything was already ready in 2020 when the pandemic hit us,“ reported the interpack Director. The trade fair was initially postponed to 2021 before the final cancellation was decided with a heavy heart.
Finally, after six years, interpack is back. Some changes are inevitable. One new feature is the South Entrance as an additional alternative to the „classic“ North Main Entrance. The layout of the halls has also been adapted to current conditions. Visitors will no longer „only“ find the stands categorised into packaging machines and packaging materials, but now also into individual industry sectors, such as „Non-Food“, „Cosmetics“ and „Industrial Goods“. Hall 18 also features a separate area for components and parts, true to the motto „every part counts“.
In presenting the accompanying programme, Dohse highlighted the „Unique Women in Packaging“ event in particular. With the event by women for women on 8 May, interpack wants to draw attention to the fact that women will still be severely underrepresented in the industry in 2023. Together with the WPO, the trade fair is therefore inviting visitors to a joint panel discussion followed by networking.
The most important information of the day is provided by the packaging journal team from the Tightly Packed TV Studio at the North Entrance, Here, key figures from the industry will also provide exciting insights into innovations, trends and developments.
The „Save Food“ initiative is particularly close to Dohse's heart. In cooperation with Istanbul's Bahçeşehir University (BAU), the trade fair will be presenting the results of a Study on the production of bio-based packaging from food waste. For more information on the fight against food loss and waste, the „Product Safety“ theme day on 9 May in the „Spotlight talks & trends“ lecture forum is certainly a valuable point of contact.
Mono-PP solutions from Uhlmann Pac-Systeme
In a final contribution, Uhlmann CEO Matthias Niemeyer then referred once again to the hot topics at interpack. It is hardly surprising that product safety is a constant topic, especially in the pharmaceutical sector. In the „prefilled syringes“ segment, for example, strong growth and even a tripling of sales in 10 years is foreseeable, not least due to the experience of the pandemic. Parenterals are also a focal point for Uhlmann.
At the trade fair, the machine manufacturer will be showcasing its sustainability credentials with Mono-polypropylene packaging solutions. In addition, the area of „product safety“ is covered by Uhlmann's track and trace solutions.
In short, the press event on 28 February gave everyone present a foretaste of the packaging industry's most important trade fair in 2023. The industry giants will gather in Düsseldorf from 4 to 10 May. If you don't come, it's your own fault.
