Some 2,700 exhibitors from 60 countries are expected to be on hand when interpack 2011 opens its doors May 12-18 at the fairgrounds of Dusseldorf, Germany. All 19 halls of the fairgrounds will be filled to capacity with packaging and process solutions for companies in industries including food and beverage, confectionery, baked goods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal-care, non-food consumer goods, industrial goods, and related services.
interpack’s status as the leading international packaging trade fair is not only demonstrated by the exhibitors’ interest but also by the future-oriented special topics it will address. In addition to Innovationparc Packaging, focusing on Quality of Life, visitors will have the opportunity to experience the first Metal Packaging Plaza and the Save Food special exhibition and congress.
Following the positive response to the Innovationparc Packaging at interpack 2008, visitors at interpack 2011 can look forward to the Quality of Life show, which will be organized in cooperation with the European Retail Institute (EHI), the Pan-European Brand Design Association (PDA), the Zukunftsinstitut (the “future” institute), and representatives of various companies. Quality of Life describes an all-embracing concept directed at the individual with the subthemes of health, identity, simplicity, and aesthetics. These subthemes precisely match the core competences of the packaging industry, as they shape human behavior and hence consumption patterns as well. In the Innovationparc Packaging, best-practice examples of sustainable packages will be presented in a realistic environment. The special show will therefore become a “mall” with a variety of stores, with each store standing for one of the individual Innovationparc Packaging subthemes.
Brand new this year at interpack is the Metal Packaging Plaza. With this debut, interpack is creating a new forum for the international metal packaging industry and its suppliers. The centerpiece of the show will be an information platform providing background data on current industry topics. Around this platform, companies will present themselves and their innovative metal packaging solutions.
The Save Food exhibition and congress will highlight how the individual links in the packaging value chain—including production, transport, logistics, and retailing—can contribute to solving the critical problem of worldwide food waste. Messe Düsseldorf is working on this special theme in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the trade associations that support interpack. In addition to highlighting the current situation, solutions and concepts will be presented showing how packaging can effectively prevent food spoilage at every stage from production to consumption. Before the start of interpack 2011, the FAO will prepare three studies that will be presented on May 16 and 17 during a top-level congress to be held in the Congress Center East at the fairgrounds. Parallel to this, plans are underway to stage an exhibition in the SAVE FOOD pavilion on the interpack exhibition grounds.
