“Transition In Packaging” is the key theme of the FACHPACK trade fair, to be held in Nuremberg from 27 to 29 September 2022. This describes the transformation currently taking place in the European packaging industry. More sustainability, more e-Commerce and increasing digitalisation are just some of the driving themes. Then there are the current challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers, high power costs and disrupted supply chains. “The dynamics in the packaging industry have never been greater,” says Heike Slotta, Executive Director NürnbergMesse. “But despite that, or perhaps because of it, companies in the sector are very strong on design and innovation.” The key theme of “Transition in Packaging” will be reflected at the stands of the 1,145 exhibitors (2021: 789), in the extensive lecture programme, in the fascinating special shows and in the award presentations. Visitors from the consumer and industrial goods sectors will be impressed.
FACHPACK offers a compact yet comprehensive overview of the products and services relating to the packaging process chain for industrial and customer goods – i.e. packaging and the associated technology and processes. This year’s event will extend to nine exhibition halls. Of the 1,145 exhibitors, 42 percent will travel to Nuremberg from outside Germany, the majority from Turkey, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, the Czech Republic and France.
A good half of the exhibitors are active in packaging materials and packaging accessories, and about one-third in the area of packaging machines and labelling and palletizing systems. About 15 percent work in the area of package printing and finishing, in-house logistics and services for the packaging industry.
“Those who weren’t able to attend definitely missed out.” That was the unanimous view of the exhibitors as FACHPACK drew to a close on 30 September 2021. For three days, the trade fair for packaging, technology and processes was brimming with innovation and inspiration for the packaging sector. And the pleasure of being able to meet with customers and business partners in person was palpable throughout the exhibition halls. Goosebumps all around! A total of 788 exhibitors from 33 countries were on hand to answer specific packaging questions from about 24,000 trade visitors. Of the trade visitors, one in three had travelled to Nuremberg from outside Germany. Access to the trade fair with e-tickets and verification of “3G” status (proof of having been vaccinated, tested, or recovered from COVID) at the entrances was quick and uncomplicated. The hygiene strategy worked, with exhibitors and visitors observing the relevant regulations.
FachPack covered a comprehensive range of products from the entire packaging process chain, from packaging materials and machines to printing and processing, logistics systems and services. Forty-one percent of the exhibitors and about one-third of the visitors travelled from outside Germany, mainly from Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Poland, France and Belgium.
The exhibitors had particular praise for the high quality of the industry professionals. That is backed up by the results of a visitor survey by an independent institute: some 90 percent of the trade visitors said they were involved in the purchasing and procurement decisions in their companies. About two-thirds of them held senior positions, and more than one in five were from management. The visitors came mainly from the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and medical, cosmetics, chemical, electronics and automotive industries.
New key theme for FACHPACK 2022: “Transition in packaging”
FACHPACK perceives itself as a guide, and aims to offer direction to the sector. The new key theme for 2022 is therefore devoted to the powerful trends currently impacting on the packaging industry. Sustainability is demanded not only by law but also by consumers – and that is making far-reaching changes to the industry. Subjects such as the circular economy, digitalization and e-commerce add to the mix. Covid-19 has brought a focus to the aspect of hygiene in product protection. In addition, areas such as online shopping and home deliveries will continue to grow. What purchasing behaviours will consumers exhibit in the future? All these themes are not only a task for the packaging industry; they also offer a major opportunity to make changes.
The next FACHPACK will take place in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg in its usual sequence from 27 to 29 September 2022.
When FACHPACK gets to open its doors again at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 28 to 30 September 2021, it will be the first major gathering of the European packaging industry for two years and a much longed-for reunion. Over the three-day period, the exhibition will focus on personal dialogue between business partners and colleagues and knowledge-sharing about trends, innovations and best practices. The main FACHPACK theme of “environmentally compliant packaging” will also be reflected in the extensive programme of presentations and at the special shows and exhibitor stands. Apart from sustainability, the key areas to be explored will be altered consumer behaviours, packaging design, and digital transformation. Start-ups will also be on- site to present their innovative ideas and products. And the best packaging solutions will be acknowledged at the ceremony for the German Packaging Award (dvi) and Sustainability Award (Packaging Europe). Visitors from the consumer and industrial goods segments are cordially invited to attend FACHPACK in Nuremberg. A comprehensive hygiene plan will ensure a safe visit to the exhibition.
myFACHPACK: the digital extension to the on-site event
A new feature this year is myFACHPACK, the digital extension to FACHPACK that facilitates matchmaking and knowledge transfer and extends the on-site event into the virtual environment. Even in the run-up to the trade fair, the new tool provides opportunities for networking and thus enables users to efficiently prepare for their visit. In addition, the forum programmes will be live streamed during the event and made available afterwards. The myFACHPACK tool can be used on your desktop or as an app on your mobile phone.
Hygiene plan makes in-person networking possible
Extensive protective measures and a comprehensive hygiene plan have been developed to ensure the safety of participants in the fair. Contactless payment, online ticket booking, hand sanitising stations, an ultra-modern ventilation system for exhibition halls and congress rooms, and digital tools for registration of admissions and contact tracing are just a few examples of the precautions that will be in place. “Community areas” in the exhibition halls will allow face-to-face networking in compliance with social distancing rules. For more information on the hygiene plan and protective measures (under the current rules) please go to: www.fachpack.de/schutzmassnahmen
For the latest information go to: FACHPACK.de
“Tomorrow begins when you create it” is the slogan of FachPack, the European trade fair for packaging, processes and technology. And that slogan will sum the situation up perfectly when more than 1,500 exhibitors gather in Nuremberg from 24 to 26 September 2019 to display their innovative packaging solutions for consumer and industrial goods. The range of products and services on show in the twelve exhibition halls will answer questions on packaging for about 45,000 expected trade visitors. One topic in particular is driving the industry like no other at the moment, and has therefore been chosen as the key theme for FachPack 2019: “Environmentally friendly packaging”. This theme will be reflected at the stands of many exhibitors, and in the lecture forums, special shows and award ceremonies.
Consumers today want environmentally friendly packaging, whether for foodstuffs, beverages, cosmetics or any other products in daily use, and Germany’s new Packaging Act and the EU Plastics Strategy now place even more stringent demands on manufacturers and the retail sector in this regard. The challenges this creates for packaging are often complex. “The packaging of the future has to serve both consumers and the environment and must take the entire cycle into account,” says Cornelia Fehlner, exhibition director for FachPack, NürnbergMesse. “The packaging industry already has a wide range of solutions for these challenges, and FachPack is the ideal platform for both presenting and talking about them. We are proud to be the showcase for this innovative sector.”
Visitors appreciate FachPack because of its professional depth, its broad range of themes, and the innovative stimuli it offers. The previous trade fair in 2018 drew 44,019 trade visitors to Nuremberg to participate in the gathering of European packaging industry representatives under one roof. According to the results of a survey by an independent market research institute, visitors sought mainly to learn about new developments (44 percent); gain an overview of the market (30 percent); share experiences (29 percent); and cultivate business contacts (28 percent). One in two visitors said they held a leading position in their company. A total of 98 percent of those surveyed said they were happy with both the range of products and services and the contact opportunities at the exhibition stands.
Further award for Nature MultiPack™: at this year’s FachPack trade show in Nuremberg, Germany, the KHS Group was presented with the Green Star Packaging Award for its innovative packaging system. Nature MultiPack™, which holds cans together with dots of adhesive, won in the Product category. The Green Star Packaging Award honors environmentally-friendly packaging and recycling and improvements in operational packaging-related processes. Winners of the prize are entitled to participate in the WorldStar Award.
Sustainability and innovation as goals
The pioneering style of packaging combines innovation and sustainability. The Nature MultiPack™ marketed by NMP Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of KHS GmbH, groups beverage containers into a stable, easily ‘openable’ or separable pack using dots of adhesive rather than shrink film. In addition to the recent award-winning version for cans, which can be formed into multipacks of 1 x 3, 1 x 4, 2 x 2, 2 x 3 and 2 x 4, PET bottles can also be grouped in this way into packs of 2 x 2 and 2 x 3. A convenient carrying handle, which helps to keep the pack stable, and the individual alignment of the respective containers communicate effective marketing messages. The new packaging has also been designed to withstand transportation and marketing logistics while allowing the consumer to easily remove the individual containers from the multipack.
Materials and energy saved by the Nature MultiPack™
Compared to containers classically packed in film the Nature MultiPack™ not only saves on packaging materials but also on energy; the KHS packaging system requires up to 85 % less material than the conventional multipack and reduces energy consumption during production by a maximum of 67 %.
