Around 150 women attended the premiere of the Women4Packaging networking event on the first day of Fachpack. The event was also the start of a new women's network that aims to operate beyond the trade fair.
The new event offered participants an opportunity to network and talk about current topics in the packaging industry. „The future is female. However, it will take some time before this reaches the management level,“ said Heike Slotta, Executive Director of Fachpack, who welcomed the 150 or so participants to the new event together with Fachpack Manager Phuong Anh Do. Do also explained that the packaging industry has long since have many qualified women who do not need to be promoted first. However, they lack networks and constructive dialogue. The Women4Packaging event was therefore also the Launch of a new women's network, that wants to operate in the packaging industry beyond the trade fair.
„Network is work“ - This was the motto of the panel discussion with Ellen Reichmann (Group Leader Application Engineering and Product Protection at Syntegon), Katja Kilian (BU Flexibles Business Development Director at Coveris), Ina Bechter (Pacoon) and Mareike Peters, founder of nmk (Naturkosmetik München). Sonja Bähr, Director Business Development, Berndt+Partner Creality GmbH, moderated the panel.
Keynote speaker Vera Strauch, founder of the Female Leadership Academy, also motivated the participants, to form alliances and networks with other women. She cited studies according to which women feel uncomfortable in traditional networks because they are geared towards self-promotion and competition. However, women are the more intensive network nurturers. This is a good thing, as the exchange and motivation from others is important in order to gain a larger network and thus more influence, according to Strauch. Women should „unconditionally“ support each other instead of seeing each other as competitors. Many participants praised the informal atmosphere of the women's event and joined the new network via LinkedIn.
Source: NürnbergMesse
