FachPack 2012: Ever packed satisfaction?

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FachPack in Nürnberg counted 36,986 satisfied trade visitors (2010: 35,360) on the three compact days from 25–27 September. So the atmosphere was rather cosy at times in the record number of eleven exhibition halls, where 1,466 companies (2010: 1,350) presented their products and services for packaging, technology, processing and logistics. More visitors for more exhibitors – what more could the exhibition director wish for?

It is apparent that not only German packaging specialists like this. Every fifth visitor (2010: 19 %) travelled from abroad, mainly from the neighbouring countries of Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland and France. The Bavarians were naturally the most strongly represented German visitors, followed by visitors from Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia.

The typical FachPack visitor works in industries like printing/paper/cardboard, food/beverages, metalworking, plastics, pharmaceuticals/cosmetics, automotive engineering and component supply, packaging and logistics services, electrical equipment/components, and chemicals. He spends an average 1.2 days at the exhibition and is mainly interested in packaging materials and supplies (almost every second visitor) and packaging machinery (well over a third). A quarter of the visitors are interested in packaging logistics, packaging printing and processing, a quarter in packaging ancillaries, a fifth in peripheral packaging machinery and equipment, 14 % in labelling and marking equipment and a good 10 % in services (multiple answers).

The conclusion of the visitors, of whom 85 % are involved in procurement decisions in their companies, is a great compliment for the exhibiting companies. Almost all visitors (95 %) are satisfied with the products on display at FachPack 2012 and 96 % appreciate the varied opportunities for information and contact on the exhibition stands, according to the results of a survey by an independent institute.

1,466 companies exhibited at FachPack 2012, which is 116 more than last time. The efficient German packaging industry was strongly represented in Nürnberg this time with 1,102 companies. Another quarter of the exhibitors (2010: 21 %) travelled to Nürnberg mainly from the neighbouring countries – the Netherlands (53), the Czech Republic (44), Switzerland (40), Austria (38) and Italy (36).

In the packaging segment, FachPack scored with recognized expertiseand the strongest growth. Some 670 exhibitors presented packaging materials, supplies and ancillaries of paper, paperboard, cardboard, plastic, glass, metal or wood. Approx. 550 firms showed innovative technology – packaging machinery, labelling and marking equipment, packaging recycling and package testing.

The packaging logistics segment was determined by approx. 350 companies with conveying, loading, storage and order-picking systems, material flow software, control, identification and coding systems, and logistic services. The product spectrum of the approx. 200 specialists in packaging printing, processing and design ranged from individual to luxurious, from pre-press, packaging design and package and label printing to packaging supplies production and print processing. (The difference over the total of 1, 466 exhibitors makes it clear that a good fifth of the FachPack exhibitors showed products and services in several segments of the packaging process chain.)

The exhibitors' conclusion is also impressive: 95 % reached their key target groups of customers. 91 % made new business connections. Despite the slowdown in the economy, 87 % of the companies expect follow-up business from the positive contacts made during the days at FachPack.

The supporting programme at FachPack was more varied than ever with eleven special shows. The PackBox Forum attracted an outstanding response. An interested audience of well over 2, 500 sourced information on a wide variety of topics from the whole FachPack product spectrum and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the stylish ambience of the forum.

Thanks to the good domestic economy and the growing demand for innovative packaging solutions, German manufacturers produced almost 20 million tons of packaging supplies (+4 %) worth more than 32 billion euros (+8 %) in 2011. The Gemeinschaftsausschuss Deutscher Verpackungshersteller (GADV), the German packaging manufacturers association, is cautiously optimistic for 2012, but is concerned about raw material prices and the increased costs associated with the energy turnaround.

The German packaging machinery sector is less adversely affected by economic cycles than the machinery construction sector overall. Orders received for packaging machinery in the first half of 2012 were up in real terms by almost 8 % compared with the same period of the previous year, whereas machinery construction overall dropped by 7 %. The growth for packaging machinery is made up of 6 % more orders from Germany and 9% more from abroad. The Fachverband Nahrungsmittelmaschinen und Verpackungsmaschinen (VDMA), the German Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, expects 14 % more sales for the packaging machinery sector in 2012.

Any questions? You can get the right answers again from 24–26 September 2013 – at FachPack in Nürnberg, of course!

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