The final run-up to the interpack 2011 has begun

Preparations for interpack 2011, which is taking place from 12 to 18 May, are now moving into the final busy stages. The prospects for the world’s most important trade fair for the packaging sector and related processing industries are looking very good. About 2,700 exhibitors from roughly 60 countries are expected, who, with a good 174,000 square metres of net space, will again be occupying all 19 halls of the Düsseldorf exhibition centre. Interpack 2011 is presenting packaging and process solutions for companies from the areas of food and beverages, confectionery and bakery products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, non-food consumer goods, industrial goods and related services plus packaging materials and their manufacture.

The lion’s share of hall space – ten halls – has been booked by companies supplying processes and machines for packaging, followed by packaging materials and manufacture in more than four halls. Processes and machines for confectionery and bakery products have grown since 2008, with companies from this segment completely filling Halls 1-4. Individual exhibitors from all categories will be occupying space in the outdoor exhibition grounds.

Special themes: innovative strategies and creative stand design
Visitors to interpack 2011 can expect not only an internationally unparalleled products and processes from exhibitors, but also innovative special themes. INNOVATIONSPARC PACKAGING 2011 on the theme of “Quality of Life” is presenting an all-embracing concept directed at the individual which correlates directly with consumer behaviour and is thus highly relevant to the packaging sector, branded goods manufacturers and retailers. Quality of Life finds expression in the five dimensions of Meaning, Health, Identity, Simplicity and Aesthetics. At the special show, these dimensions serve in each case as a shop motto. Together, these shops with a central lecture space make up the oval stand of INNOVATIONSPARC PACKAGING. This special show has been developed in cooperation with our partners the European Retail Institute (EHI), Pan-European Brand Design Association (PDA), the Zukunftsinstitut (institute of the future). One of the hallmarks of INNOVATIONSPARC PACKAGING is that the individual shop designs are the result of cooperation with companies at different stages along the value chain and are directly tied to the shop motto. At the Health shop, for example, a “Dr. Happy-Store” tailored to the LOHAS target group is being created with suitable packaging solutions. And at the Identity shop, the “identify me” concept will be showing solutions, among other things, from the spheres of Augmented Reality, Enhanced Packaging, Performance Packaging and RFID. The other shops are the 24/7 convenience shop (Simplicity), a shop concept under the motto of Green Sense (Meaning) and the design store Birds of Paradise (Aesthetics). A complete list of the total of almost 50 companies and associations involved in INNOVATIONSPARC PACKAGING can be found at www.interpack.com.

The special theme of the Metal Packaging Plaza is being presented with an eye-catching stand design. The new meeting place for the international metal packaging sector and its supplier industries is also visually dominated by metal. A metal sculpture suspended from the ceiling illustrates the stand motto of “infinity”. The core subjects of this special theme are sustainability, safety/security and convenience as well as innovations in the field of metal packages. Some 40 companies are taking part. At the heart of the Metal Packaging Plaza is an information platform with a forum, bar lounge and meeting point. This special show of Messe Düsseldorf is supported by German Metal Packaging Association (VMV) and Empac, the European body representing the interests of metal package manufacturers.

Visitors to interpack 2011 can also look forward to the exhibition on the subject of SAVE FOOD in the pavilion between Halls 10 and 16. It is presenting the results of studies conducted in advance of the fair by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations on the subject of global food loss, as well as examples of best practices in the pavilion’s central area. This area is flanked by the contributions of companies and associations, including Bosch Packaging Technology, Multivac, Metro Cash & Carry, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) and the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO). Trade fair visitors can also take advantage of a sustainable catering strategy with a 150 metre long table under a tent construction. This directly adjoins the SAVE FOOD pavilion.