Next year, interpack will again offer the packaging and related process industry the biggest international overview of the market. Around 2,700 companies from around the world will meet in Düsseldorf from 4 to 10 May 2023, to present cutting-edge technologies and packaging trends from along the entire value chain, demonstrate chances for growth and respond to the challenges of the industry.
To help visitors not get lost in 18 trade fair halls, the halls feature a custom concept based on the core target groups food, beverages, confectionery and baked goods, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, non-food and industrial goods.
Confectionery and baked goods
Visitors will find processes and machines for packaging confectionery and baked goods, especially in halls 1, 3 and 4 of interpack. For packaging needs for something sweet, consultants from companies like Sollich, Aasted, Theegarten-Pactec, Chocotech, Bühler or Winkler and Dünnebier, and many others will be there. The baking sector will meet with exhibitors like Hebenstreit, Rheon Automatic Machinery, Colussi Ermes, Tonelli, TT Italy or Reading Bakery System.
As in many other sectors, concerning the packaging of confectionery, baked goods, snacks and cereals, much has changed over the recent years. One important issue is sustainable solutions. Mechanical engineering companies, for example, are adapting their portfolio to include packaging made from mono-material or novel materials. Digital technology is another focus – as it is for the entire industry.
Food, beverages, non-food and industrial goods
The food sector is among the most favored target groups of visitors to interpack, and this shows in the breadth of their presentation. The global demand for packaged foods is increasing. In saturated markets with strong incomes, conscious consumption and consumer behavior also shifts towards sustainability, regional produce, organic food or fair trade, and this includes packaging. Like the current challenges posed by energy management and conservation of resources, this causes a process of transformation within the sector. A similar observation can be made for beverages and non-food products, which are presented together with the food sector in halls 5 and 6, as well as in 11 and 14. Around 20% of visitors to interpack are especially interested in solutions for industrial goods. These, too, are to be found in the same halls.
Starting in hall 5, there is a focus on the food sector and big names like Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller, Ulma Packaging, Weber Maschinenbau and Fuji Machinery. In hall 6, for example, Fawema, Coesia, Syntegon Technology or Duravant present their innovations in many areas of application for processing and packaging.
Halls 11 and 14, which are ideally suitable for a walk, will host exhibitors like Omori Machinery, Mettler-Toledo (hall 11), Extend Great International, Rovema and Haver & Boecker (hall 12), KHS, Krones, Aetna Group, Sidel and ProMach (hall 13), as well as Gerhard Schubert Verpackungsmaschinen, Ishida Europe, Loesch-Hastamat and tna solutions (hall 14). In hall 13, there is a special focus on bottling and packaging solutions for the beverages sector.
Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
In light of global demographic changes, the industry’s development opportunities are excellent. Increasing requirements within drug development result in a parallel increase in those within systems and machine technology concerning packaging and bottling of medicines. The pharmaceutical companies need universal solutions, and these are found in halls 15 to 17 at interpack, where the focus is on presenting processes and machines for packaging pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Visitors can meet the likes of IMA Industria Macchine, the Marchesini Group, the Optima packaging group, Romaco Holding, Körber Medipak Systems and companies from Excellence United. The requirements for machines and systems producing pharmaceuticals and cosmetics are by necessity strict concerning product safety, protection against counterfeit manufacture and traceability. Cosmetic products are also a focus for the sustainability movement.
Packaging materials and packaging
Halls 7 and 7a, 8a, 9 and 10 of interpack are of the highest importance for the sector. This is where visitors can view at least a third of all exhibitors with all their materials and their finished packaging products. This presentation, which is not only for users, of packaging, packaging materials and packaging aids is already the largest packaging trade fair in the world. This also makes interpack unique. Here is where all packaging materials are represented and there is an especially high number of innovations in the field of sustainability and conservation of resources, for example in using new materials, sustainable raw materials, or increasing the amount of recyclates used in packaging.
Exhibitors in this area are numerous and international – among others, you can visit Sappi Europe, Sonoco, Mayr Melnhof Packaging, Berry Global, Schütz GmbH, the S.I.T. Group or Seda International Packaging.
Labeling, marking, finishing
Inform, decorate, customize – packaging carries information. How to implement this for different products and requirements, is presented by the exhibitors in halls 8a and 8b. Here, there are machines for labeling and marking technology, for example at Bluhm Systeme, Langguth, Domino Printing Sciences, Videojet Technologies, Herma or Possehl. This offer is completed by solutions from packaging production and integrated packaging printing. Here you can visit companies like Starlinger, Totani, Fujifilm Europe, the Brückner Group or HP Germany.
components
‘Every part counts’ is the motto of the components trade fair, which takes place parallel to interpack as its own event. This is where you find companies offering technology for drives, control units and sensors, products for industrial imaging, handling technology, industrial software and communication as well as comprehensive automation systems for the packaging industry. There are also machine parts, components and equipment, peripheral devices as well as components and aids for packaging. Among the exhibitors are, e.g., Pilz, Gimatic, Igus, Voestalpine Edelstahl and Mädler. The temporary hall 18, situated between halls 10 and 16, makes the trade fair accessible from a central location, and visitors to interpack have direct access to the components fair and vice-versa.
The best preparations
Exhibiting companies can present their businesses individually and introduce their contact persons at interpack and their product innovations in the exhibitor and product database in the run-up to the trade fair. The exhibitor and product database is now available at www.interpack.com and is constantly being updated with new information and products.