Extrusion International 3-2023-USA

10 Extrusion International 3/2023 INDUSTRY NEWS interpack Delights the Global Processing and Packaging Industry  For those in the product pack- aging and processing business there was only one “place to be” from 4 to 10 May: interpack in Düs- seldorf. Under the heading “Wel- come Home” the trade fair wel- comed visitors from all over the world. The joy of finally coming together as an industry was great. It delivered what it promised and exceeded exhibitors’ expecta- tions: the world’s largest and most relevant packaging trade fair set standards yet again, connected the industry on a global level and acted as both a marketplace and content hub. Visitors from 155 countries, many with firm inten- tions to buy, came to interpack 2023. 2,807 exhibitors showcased the power and creativity of the packaging industry with their technologies and solutions. What was easy to see were the numer- ous impulses, ideas and concrete business deals which will be imple- mented over the coming years. At the end of the trade fair Bernd Jablonowski, Executive Di- rector at Messe Düsseldorf, says: “With interpack we were able to finally hold one of the Messe Düs- seldorf’s most important events again. It has reported back im- pressively and reinforced its posi- tion as the global platform for the exchange amongst all players in the packaging sector, related pro- cess industries and all user indus- tries. Our targets were exceeded by far.” Altogether approx. 143,000 visi- tors travelled to interpack in Düs- seldorf, two thirds of them coming from abroad. Alongside many Eu- ropean countries, the largest visitor nations were India, Japan and the USA. Around 75% of visitors came from middle or top management. “interpack at last!” was a phrase frequently heard in the halls – be- cause after a six-year break the big community was finally able to meet again in person. And this was reflected in the joy on people’s fac- es. “interpack 2023 will reverber- ate with us for a long time – both in business and personal terms,” says Director Thomas Dohse after seven trade fair days adding: “The mood in the halls was great and the inter-cultural exchange en- riching for all sides. It was ‘simply unique’ again.” This was underscored by the pos- itive feedback from visitors, 96% of whom stated they had achieved their trade fair objectives. Just as satisfied were the exhibitors whose expectations had been exceeded many times over. “We thank Messe Düsseldorf for the outstanding organisation. I’m con- fident that I’m speaking on behalf of all companies here. interpack 2023 is simply a must for suppliers and users from all over the world to exchange experiences and do business,” says Markus Rustler, President of interpack 2023 at the conclusion of the event. interpack’s strategic orientation towards the four Hot Topics: Cir- cular Economy, Resource Manage- ment, Digital Technologies and Product Safety found concrete ex- pression in numerous innovations. The trade fair, which has tradition- ally been a key cornerstone in the innovation cycle of the packaging industry and related process in- dustries, also more than lived up to this claim this year. components – which was held as a concurrent event with 80 ex- hibitors in a separate hall – also went down well with visitors. The upstream industries supply- ing components and software to packaging technology and process engineering play a prominent role in the digitalisation of manufac- turing processes. The next interpack will be held in Düsseldorf from 7 to 13 May 2026. www.interpack.com (Photo: VM Verlag, Bettina Jopp-Witt)