Extrusion International 1-2024-USA

12 Extrusion International 1/2024 INDUSTRY NEWS swop 2023 Successfully Concludes and Paves the Way for Annual Edition  As a member of the interpack alliance, the world's leading process- ing and packaging exhibition, and as one of the most influential events in the packaging industry, swop (Shanghai World of Packaging) 2023 was successfully held at SNIEC (Shanghai New International Expo Center) from November 22 to 24. swop is co-organized by Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) and Adsale Exhibition Services. The three-day exhibition attracted industry lead- ers, professionals, and visitors from all over the world to discuss the lat- est technologies and developments in the processing and packaging in- dustry. Close to 30,000 trade visitors at- tended the event, which marked a positive return after 4 years' prepa- ration. With an exhibition area of over 62.000 square meters, swop 2023 attracted nearly 900 domestic and foreign exhibitors and welcomed 30,000 professional visitors from 99 countries and regions. The three- day event showcased a remarkable 14% increase in visitors compared to the previous edition. swop has garnered extensive sup- port from over 100 domestic and international industry associations in food, daily chemicals, plastics, printing, packaging, etc. swop 2023 welcomed nearly 300 visitor groups from China, Southeast Asian coun- tries, the Middle East, South Amer- ica and Europe. Thomas Dohse, Director of inter- pack at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, said, “I am pleased to see that swop, as a member of the interpack alliance, has reached a new record with exhibition space and exhibi- tor and visitor numbers. We were excited to meet face-to-face with exhibitors and visitors who were finally back to swop after a 4-year absence.” Focusing on sustainable pack- aging and low-carbon develop- ment, swop 2023 introduced a new theme – “Green Power Zone”. Over 150 exhibitors displayed diverse eco-friendly packaging materials, production equipment, and solu- tions to support packaging compa- nies and brands in achieving sus- tainable development objectives. swop 2023 launched the "Smart Packagin g Zone" to display numer- ous intelligent plastic and paper packaging containers, packaging machines, and back-end packaging equipment. These products fully meet requirements for intelligence, enabling them to enhance efficien - cy and reduce costs. During the show, more than 10 in- dustry forums, new technology ex- change sessions, and over 60 the- matic discussions were all fully packed with 1,820 participants. Ex- perts, scholars, and corporate lead- ers were invited to engage in com- prehensive and in-depth discourse and analysis of the trendy topics in the packaging industry. Among the highlights was the SAVE FOOD Forum. “SAVE FOOD” is a global initiative jointly launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Pro- gramme (UNEP), Messe Düsseldorf, and interpack. It aims to promote innovation, foster cross-disciplinary dialogue, initiate discussions, and reduce global food waste and loss to contribute to the fight against global food loss. The 3rd SAVE FOOD China Forum invited experts, scholars and repre- sentatives from several organiza- tions and companies. For the first time, the SAVE FOOD Initiative presented the SAVE FOOD DESIGN AWARD and SUSTAINABIL- ITY DESIGN AWARD to exhibitors at swop. The SAVE FOOD DESIGN AWARD acknowledged innovative products that minimize food waste, while the SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN AWARD celebrated solutions with positive environmental impacts, such as reducing CO² footprints. UNIDO, The World Packaging Orga- nization (WPO), and FAO served as jury members for evaluating the ap- plicant companies. The successful conclusion of the exhibition marks another milestone in the packaging industry. swop will be held annually, and the next edi- tion is scheduled at SNIEC (Shang- hai New International Expo Centre) from November 18 to 20, 2024. www.swop-online.com