Packaging in the U.K. and beyond: global trends

To help promote the first-ever Total Processing and Packaging Show--next March 29 to April 1 in Birmingham, England--the sponsors of the show invited the members of the International Packaging Press Organization (IPPO) to a three-day Journalists' Inward Mission in Sutton Coldfield, England. The main venue for the event was New Hall Hotel.

An historic gem and the oldest moated manor house in England, it has been converted into a superb hotel and conference center. (That's me standing next to one of the New Hall statuary stars.)

At New Hall we attended informative sessions describing not only the upcoming Total Show but the state of the UK packaging community, as well. We also heard from exhibitors scheduled to be at the Total Show. Day trips out to a Sainsbury's supermarket, a Coors brewery, and the PPMA Machinery Only show were also on the agenda.

What follows is a glimpse of what we journalists saw and heard on the Total Processing and Packaging 2004 Journalists' Inward Mission. Thanks to all who helped make it the rewarding experience it was.

This report is broken down into six parts:

Part 1: How Total came to be: A merger of Pakex and PPMA's Machinery Only show

Part 2: 21st-century packaging machinery trends

Part 3: New developments from U.K. machine builders

Part 4: Off to Sainsbury's--a tour of a U.K. supermarket

Part 5: Coors' new £35 million brewery

Part 6: Plug-and-Pack™ update

For information about Total Processing and Packaging 2004 or about any of the firms mentioned in this report, please contact Total Show director Barbara Jackson at 011/44.20.8910.7833 or [email protected].