“That was the kind of FACHPACK we know and love!” – That was the general consensus among exhibitors and visitors at FACHPACK 2024, which has just closed following a highly successful three-day event. Thirty-seven thousand trade visitors, one third from outside Germany, learned about the latest trends and innovations at the stands run by the 1,455 exhibitors, and discussed pressing packaging issues with the experts. The key theme of “Transition In Packaging” was strongly in evidence in all the exhibition halls and in the supporting programme. “The great response speaks for itself: Despite the changes happening in the packaging industry and the many challenges it is facing, the European packaging sector at FACHPACK proved extremely innovative, solution-oriented and confident,” says Heike Slotta, Executive Director Exhibitions at NürnbergMesse, summing up the event. In 2025, FACHPACK will be held at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg together with POWTECH TECHNOPHARM.
“Once again, FACHPACK has shown itself to be a clear guide and driving force for the packaging industry in Europe,” says Slotta, summing up the mood at FACHPACK 2024. “And that’s what we need! The packaging sector is in a state of transition. New regulations have to be implemented, and high expectations in terms of sustainability and the circular economy need to be met. At the same time, the industry faces challenges brought about by demographic change. And then there are other themes relating to the energy supply system, supply chains, digitalization and artificial intelligence. Here in Nuremberg we’ve just had three days of experiencing first-hand just how innovative, solution-focused and optimistic the industry is in dealing with these challenges and helping to structure the transition. The FACHPACK motto ‘We create the future’ once again sums it up nicely.”
Visitors from throughout Europe
FACHPACK offered an extensive range of solutions and innovations in the areas of packaging, packaging systems and packaging processes. Most visitors to FACHPACK travelled to the Exhibition Centre from other countries in Europe. After Germany, the top ten countries were Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Turkey and Hungary. The international contingent made up 33 percent of the total.
Industry professionals: Top decision-makers onsite
The results of a visitor survey by an independent institute confirmed that 96 percent of the industry professionals were happy with the products and services in the exhibition halls. Some 90 percent of the trade visitors said they were involved in making the purchasing and procurement decisions in their respective businesses. Two thirds of them hold management positions. The visitors came mainly from the food and feed, pharmaceutical and medical, chemical, cosmetics, retail, automotive, electrical and electronic, non-food, logistics and packaging industries.
Women4Packaging network off to a successful start
The Women4Packaging networking event was very well received, with 150 female industry players seizing the unique opportunity on the first day of the trade fair to network onsite and interact on current themes and trends in the packaging sector. The keynote by Vera Strauch, founder of the Female Leadership Academy and expert in Feminist Leadership, provided stimulating ideas. This initial gathering received a thoroughly positive response, and the Women4Packaging network will be continued and expanded accordingly, to ensure a focus on women in the packaging industry in the future. Regular meetings are planned. Phuong Anh Do, Deputy Director FACHPACK, is overwhelmed by the response to the new industry platform: “There are many qualified women in the packaging industry. That’s why we’re particularly pleased to have created a trail-blazing network for women at FACHPACK in the form of Women4Packaging, which offers female players in the industry an opportunity for constructive interaction with like-minded colleagues and genuine added value.”
German Packaging Award and Gold Awards presented
On the first day of FACHPACK, the German Packaging Institute (dvi) announced the winners of the Gold Awards for this year’s German Packaging Award. The five best innovations for 2024 came from the categories of Digitalization, Functionality & Convenience, Sustainability and Packaging Machines. A total of 41 innovative solutions that were recognized with the German Packaging Award in August were celebrated.
New: Packaging Valley organizes Packaging Machinery Forum in collaboration with FACHPACK in 2025
In early summer 2025, Packaging Valley and FACHPACK will join forces for the new Packaging Machinery Forum format. This leading forum for packaging machine construction will offer exclusive insights into the future of the sector. It will focus on topics of interest to customers of the packaging machine construction industry. Technological themes such as digitalization will be given the same prominence as questions of business models, market developments, and how to ensure future-proof production. Participants can also look forward to customized sessions run by top-level experts to deal with individual questions. The forum also offers an ideal platform for networking, which enables direct connections to decision-makers and leading thinkers in the sector. More information will follow soon.
Save the date: The next FACHPACK will take place together with POWTECH TECHNOPHARM at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 23 to 25 September 2025.
“Transition in Packaging” will be the key theme for FACHPACK at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 24 to 26 September 2024. This describes the powerful currents that are affecting the packaging sector in Europe right now. High expectations in terms of sustainability combined with new packaging regulations, increasing digitalization and artificial intelligence are just three of the driving themes at FACHPACK 2024. Demographic change also poses challenges for the industry. FACHPACK perceives itself as a guide for the sector, offering both interaction and direction. “The dynamics in the packaging industry have never been greater,” says Heike Slotta, Executive Director Exhibitions at NürnbergMesse. “And companies are responding with impressive powers of design and innovation. We will get to experience these first-hand during the three days of the trade fair, and I’m very much looking forward to it.” The key theme of “Transition in Packaging” will be reflected at the stands of the 1,463 exhibitors, in the extensive lecture programme, in the fascinating special shows and themed pavilions, and in the award presentations. Some 35,000 visitors from the consumer and industrial goods industries are expected.
FACHPACK provides a compact yet comprehensive overview of the products and services along the entire packaging process chain for industrial and consumer goods. That means packaging, the associated technology and the accompanying processes. The trade fair extends to eleven exhibition halls this year. Of the 1,463 exhibitors, 47 percent will travel to Nuremberg from outside Germany, the majority from Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Greece, the Czech Republic, France and Turkey.
About 56 percent of exhibitors represent the packaging sector, in other words packaging materials and packaging accessories. Forty-four percent are from the packaging technology area, i.e. packaging machines, labelling systems and automation. The package printing and finishing segments and internal logistics are also covered at FACHPACK.
New food for thought and solutions for the packaging industry
Following a few challenging years, FACHPACK is back in the form in which the industry knows and appreciates it: 1,463 exhibitors will be present in the eleven exhibition halls, and not only the most prominent names in the packaging industry but also many smaller SMEs which will also find their customers here. “FACHPACK is quite simply a ‘class reunion’ for the European packaging industry,” Slotta observes, adding: “For three days we will once again experience the hands-on mentality that’s characteristic of this sector and feel its momentum. The current transformation in the packaging industry is something we are facing with optimism and a focus on solutions. We are actively involved in shaping this transformation, fully in line with our slogan, ‘We create the future’!
New network: Women in focus
A new feature is the Women4Packaging networking event for women in the packaging industry, taking place in the Brussels Room, NCC Mitte, at mid- day on the first day of the trade fair (24.9). This will give female players in the industry a unique opportunity to network on-site, provide mutual inspiration and interact on current themes and trends in the packaging sector. The whole thing takes place in a relaxed atmosphere. A highlight is the Keynote by Vera Strauch, founder of the Female Leadership Academy and expert in Feminist Leadership, on “Grow Your Influence: How to build a strong network and make an authentic impact”. About 150 participants have registered.
New ideas: Presentations with their finger on the pulse
FACHPACK perceives itself as a driving force for the sector. In addition to the extensive product exhibition and the many innovations on show there, this will also be evident from the lecture programme in the forums PACKBOX (Hall 4), INNOVATIONBOX (Hall 2) and SOLPACK 5.0 (Hall 3). All three draw on themes of current interest to the sector, e.g. dealing with the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR), the circular economy, automation and AI, and also alternative packaging solutions and new fibre-based raw materials.
Highlights in the lecture programme include:
- Safe and sustainable? Evaluation of packaging materials with a focus on recyclates
- Quo Vadis Packaging?– what does the new EU packaging regulation mean in terms of practical business examples
- Digital packaging data: A must-have to handle complexity and new legal demands
- How AI is driving the circular economy
- Digitalization – smart packaging for greater transparency and sustainability
- Future-Ready Packaging – How to make your packaging fit for the future: Best practice examples of paper-based packaging solutions!
- The future of retail: new insights and their impact on the packaging industry
In the PACKBOX forum, moderated on this occasion by industry experts Matthias Mahr (LebensmittelPraxis magazine), Dr Johannes Bergmair (Pack Experts and World Packaging Organisation) and Oliver Berndt (Deutsches Verpackungsinstitut (German Packaging Institute, dvi), key partners to the packaging industry will give shape to the programme and invite visitors to listen in and join the discussion. SOLPACK 5.0, moderated by Peter Désilets and Volker Muche (sustainability agency pacoon GmbH), is devoted to sustainable packaging solutions. At INNOVATIONBOX, moderated by Nina Schönrock and Petra Bindl, registered exhibitors will introduce their new product developments and process innovations in short, punchy presentations.
Good packaging design: Special show “Outside the Box”
Anyone interested in packaging design should be sure to look in on the special design show “Outside the Box” in Hall 4. Organized for FACHPACK by bayern design, this illustrates the drafting and design process from idea through to good packaging design, and offers valuable insights into the impact of design on development processes. Unusual exhibits, e.g. innovative packaging for fitted sheets or a reuse system for domestic products such as detergents or soaps, are used to show design processes that make packaging more suitable for the circular economy, improve awareness of the brands behind products, and create a sense of identification and awareness among customers and users.
Fascinating approaches: Alternative packaging solutions
FACHPACK will offer inspiration this year with a special item on the programme: the “Alternative packaging solutions” pavilion. This is where examples of alternatives to traditional materials will be presented, along with an insight into what could be possible in the future. In the fully booked pavilion in Hall 3, for example, exhibitors will display compostable film bags, padding material made of grain husks, compostable tea bags, packaging made of sugarcane, and much more besides. The SOLPACK 5.0 forum is also part of this pavilion.
Fresh wind: Start-ups conquer the industry
Anyone on the lookout for fresh, unconventional ideas and products to resolve packaging questions will also find these this year among the start- ups in the packaging sector in Hall 2. Awaiting visitors are the “Young Innovators” pavilion for young, innovative companies, sponsored by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), and the “Newcomers Pavilion”, which provides a platform where first-time exhibitors at FACHPACK and international newcomers to the sector can introduce themselves and their innovative products and services to the experts.
New industry talents in focus: Students Day on Thursday
The STUDENTS DAY on the third day of the fair (26.9) brings together prominent companies and new talents in the packaging industry. At the invitation of FACHPACK and the German Packaging Institute (dvi), students from the German-speaking region will meet in workshops with professionals from the likes of DALLI Werke, Henkel, Tchibo, Smurfit Kappa and Beiersdorf. An animated exchange of ideas on the demands of the future and the specifics of working in the packaging industry is guaranteed.
Achievements honoured: German Packaging Award
On the first day of the fair, the stage will once again be set for a total of 41 winners of the German Packaging Award, Europe’s top showcase for all aspects of packaging. Almost 250 submissions from 13 countries were submitted in advance for personal inspection and assessment. The German Packaging Award is presented by the German Packaging Institute (dvi) in ten categories. The presentation will take place in the Munich Room, NCC Mitte, from 16:30. As a premium partner, FACHPACK will present the special award for young talents. This distinction recognises the best packaging designs by school pupils, apprentices and students.
Industry development: Caution and optimism for 2025
The results of a current survey among associations in the German packaging industry show that weak economic conditions and growing regulatory demands are particular sources of concern for the packaging sector. According to the associations, however, an initial recovery in the economic situation in Germany is making itself felt. A cautious optimism is in the air for 2025. “As an industry platform, FACHPACK can assist the packaging industry with its challenges,” says Slotta. “Together it’s possible to develop ideas and solutions to encourage economic success for the industry. A trade fair that represents an entire sector can achieve more than individual companies on their own.”
According to the Food and Packaging Machinery Association at VDMA, incoming orders for packaging machines in the first four months of 2024 increased by 16 percent in real terms. Positive development overall is expected for the second half of the year. Global demand remains huge, and the potentials in the emerging economies in particular are far from being exhausted.
IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen (the Plastic Packaging Industry Association, IK) expects a slight economic recovery in the second half of 2024. The strongest drivers of hope in its view are the stable export expectations and adaptation strategies on the part of companies to secure supplies of raw materials and the circular economy. The Industrieverband Papier- und Folienverpackungen (IPV), the German association representing producers of packaging made from paper and plastic films, perceives major opportunities in the strong trend toward light, customizable and easily recyclable packaging. The folding box segment sees the possibility of an upswing in the future substitution of packaging based on petrochemicals with fibre-based recyclable packaging. A slight upturn in business from autumn 2024 is expected in the wooden packaging sector. In addition to the economic situation in Germany, the Bundesverband Holzpackmittel, Paletten, Exportverpackung (the German association for wooden packaging materials, pallets and export packaging, HPE) is looking toward foreign trade, since it perceives that a decline in foreign trade is causing a downward trend in demand for wooden packaging. As for glass containers, the Bundesverband Glasindustrie (the German glass industry association) assumes that the situation will continue to stabilize during 2024. The Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie (German Corrugated Board Industry Association, VDW) expects to see a gradual process of recovery for 2024. In the first five months of 2024, VDW members experienced revenue growth of 1.6 percent compared to the same period last year. Further information, figures and graphics on the packaging market in Germany and Europe can be found in the FACHPACK360° news portal.
“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 %.
