Ceepackaging

Events

Moscow attracts 24,000 visitors

Above all in the food and beverage sectors as well the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industries, demands are increasing for high-quality packaging shapes and materials. Resealable packaging and easy-to-open solutions are gaining currency and modern packaging design is playing an increasingly important role. Domestic and international producers are investing in expansions and upgrades to existing plants as well as in packaging materials. As Russians are discerning business people who value good quality and are also prepared to pay for it, innovative suppliers have every chance of success in this region.

Exhibitors at UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA, the top Russian trade fair for packaging technology took advantage of the strong demand on the dynamic market. From 29 January to 1 February, they spent four busy days at the Moscow fairgrounds in Krasnaya Presnya where they forged promising new customer contacts and closed deals as well. Some 24,000 trade visitors (1,000 more than at the previous years’ events) flocked from throughout the Russian Federation and many neighbouring countries to attend UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA and the concurrently staged International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber, INTERPLASTICA, in Moscow. Experts from packaging’s user industries made use of the opportunity to gain an overview of the presentations displayed by the more than 330 exhibiting companies from 22 countries.

UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA 2008, the International Trade Fair Machinery and Equipment for the Manufacture of Packaging, Packaging Machinery, Confectionery Machinery, Packaging and Packaging Aids, Logistics was staged by Messe Düsseldorf and its subsidiary Messe Düsseldorf Moscow OOO in cooperation with Italian trade fair organiser Centrexpo. Although Russian, Italian and German suppliers formed the biggest exhibitor contingents, there were also participations from France, the Czech Republic and Turkey.

President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, Werner M. Dornscheidt, was delighted at the success of the event: “On 24 April, the world’s No. 1 trade fair for the packaging industry, interpack 2008, kicks off in Düsseldorf. The fact that, just a few weeks before, we received such a warm response to UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA from both exhibitors and visitors bears testimony to the high status of this fair in an important market.”

This view was echoed by Dr. Guido Corbella, managing director of Centrexpo: “The annual staging cycle has once again proven to be right on the mark. Russia is currently one of the world’s most exciting markets for companies in the packaging industry and participation in UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA is the best way to establish or deepen business relationships in this country. Since last year, the showcase of Italian companies has undergone yet another expansion – an unmistakable indicator of the tremendous importance of the Russian market to Italian businesses.”

Annunziata Landi from the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade foresees Russia as continuing to offer growing sales opportunities, especially as the domestic plant and machine building sector is far from being able to satisfy demand. What’s more, the investment climate has further improved and Russian companies have significantly easier financing options for the acquisition of cutting-edge equipment than they did a few years ago.

Thanks to their state-of-the-art technology, high quality standards and flexibility, the German machine builders have profited from the positive market developments in recent years. Vera Fritsche from the Fachverband Nahrungsmittelmaschinen und Verpackungsmaschinen (Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association) within the VDMA predicts that the excellent export conditions will remain, especially as demand for high-quality plant and machinery, e.g. fully automated lines, is on the rise. “German manufacturers of packaging machinery delivered products to Russia to the value of EUR 311 million in the first eleven months of 2007 – equivalent to growth of 22 percent on the same period the year before. The increase was even sharper for machinery used in the production of confectionery and chocolates: Compared to the prior year, it almost doubled over the eleven months from January to November 2007 to reach EUR 59 million.”

The Russians are the world’s biggest lovers of confectionery and biscuits. With a per capita consumption of 18 kilograms (figures from 2006), the country lies far ahead of the European leaders, the Scandinavians, who enjoy 13 kilograms per year and the Germans with their roughly ten kilograms annually. It’s therefore not surprising that Russia is the key market for German producers of confectionery machinery. Russia’s neighbour Ukraine has recently claimed second place ahead of the USA. German packaging machinery exports to Russia are topped only by those to the USA.

According to Vera Fritsche, UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA was overwhelmingly rated a success by the German exhibitors: “A lot of serious discussions were conducted with the result that numerous orders are anticipated.”

Russian exhibitors, notably suppliers of plant and equipment, formed a substantially more representative showcase at the premier event for their domestic market than in the past. Many companies rented bigger stands than in 2007 and highlighted a cross section of their product palette. Trade visitors showed strong interest, carefully comparing quality and prices but also making spontaneous purchases.

The high level of interest in innovative packaging technologies and related products could be gauged not only at the stands but also in the throngs of participants in the UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA ancillary programme. Aside from exhibitor seminars, a series of talks was held by the European Packaging Institute on international trends in packaging design and production. A panel discussion on the relationship between tertiary education and practical industry demands also received a warm reception. What’s more, both exhibitors and visitors made extensive use of the Business Center as a job market and place to forge contacts. Students pursuing qualifications for various segments of the packaging industry were also on hand to answer specific questions.