Packaging Expo in Moscow Receives 20,000 Visitors
- Published: February 21, 2012
CHICAGO, IL | Messe Dusseldorf reports the recent staging in Moscow of UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA 2012, Intl. Trade Fair Packaging Machinery, Packaging Production and Packaging Material, reflected the recovery of the Russian packaging industry and the important role of packaging in the Russian market in general. The event took place January 24-27.
About 20,000 trade visitors from Russia and neighboring countries attended UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA to get an overview of the latest developments in this field presented by more than 300 exhibitors from 22 countries and to visit the concurrently held INTERPLASTICA 2012, Intl. Trade Fair for Plastics & Rubber.
The events were jointly organized by Messe Düsseldorf, its Russian subsidiary OOO Messe Düsseldorf Moscow, and Centrexpo (UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA 2012 only).
The exhibitors reported good contacts, with a very encouraging number of new customers and promising negotiations. According to Erhard Wienkamp, division director of Messe Dusseldorf, “This was the 20th time that UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA took place in Moscow, and it has become the leading platform for a dynamic industry. The trade visitors know that there is no other event in Russia where they can get such a complete overview of what is available internationally and this is the only place where they will get the opportunity to experience innovative systems in operation. Anyone investing in the Russian packaging industry comes to UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA first to gather information!”
Dr. Guido Corbella, CEO of Centrexpo, agreed: “Exhibitors come here to present top class technology, because they know that UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA is the place to meet the right customers for their products and services. Participating in this trade fair is still the best way to establish or build on business relationships in Russia and the entire GUS—in a market which companies still view as very promising, which is why the number of Italian exhibitors has remained stable, despite the fact that, for the first time ever, we didn’t receive any government support, following the temporary dissolution of the Italian Inst. for Foreign Trade. This clearly shows how important the Russian market is for Italian companies, and will continue to be—many of the companies have already expressed their interest in exhibiting at UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA again in 2013. We particularly anticipate growth in the area of converting and packaging printing, where we see great opportunities in the future.”
The largest exhibitor contingents at UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA 2012 were from Russia, Germany, and Italy. The trade relationship, in particular between German machinery manufacturers and the Russian packaging industry, has been established for a long time. Almost 50% of all packaging machinery and two-thirds of all confectionery machinery is made in Germany and the vast majority of brewing equipment also comes from Germany. Vera Fritsche from the Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Assn., a division of VDMA, expects the excellent business relations to improve further in the years ahead: “German engineering and German know-how help Russia to modernize and expand its industry. With Russia joining the WTO, Russian manufacturers face stronger competition. In order to stay competitive and to open new export markets, they need to invest in production technology and capacity.”
Alexander Puzikov, president of the Russian packaging machinery association Packmash, was pleased with the products on display by Russian exhibitors: “The packaging machinery sector is still in its infancy in our country, with most of the companies having been founded in the ’90s. Domestic participation in UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA has increased significantly and the progress that the products have made is impossible to overlook.”
Alexander Boiko, president of the National Confederation of Packagers of Russia NKPak, also expects the growth in the Russian packaging industry to continue: “The trend has definitely been reversed since the recent crisis when cutbacks were also made concerning packaging. The sector is once again seeing growth of around 6% annually and packaging is becoming more sophisticated again. Plastics have surpassed cardboard packaging and film packaging is also still increasing.”
The next UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA is scheduled for Jan. 29—Feb. 1, 2013, in Moscow – again concurrently with INTERPLASTICA.
