Good packaging design: Special show “Outside the Box”
Anyone interested in packaging design should be sure to look in on the special design show “Outside the Box” in Hall 4. Organized for FachPack by bayern design, this illustrates the drafting and design process from idea through to good packaging design, and offers valuable insights into the impact of design on development processes. Unusual exhibits, e.g. innovative packaging for fitted sheets or a reuse system for domestic products such as detergents or soaps, are used to show design processes that make packaging more suitable for the circular economy, improve awareness of the brands behind products, and create a sense of identification and awareness among customers and users.
Fascinating approaches: Alternative packaging solutions
FachPack will offer inspiration this year with a special item on the programme: the “Alternative packaging solutions” pavilion. This is where examples of alternatives to traditional materials will be presented, along with an insight into what could be possible in the future. In the fully booked pavilion in Hall 3, for example, exhibitors will display compostable film bags, padding material made of grain husks, compostable tea bags, packaging made of sugarcane, and much more besides. The Solpack 5.0 forum is also part of this pavilion.
Fresh wind: Start-ups conquer the industry
Anyone on the lookout for fresh, unconventional ideas and products to resolve packaging questions will also find these this year among the start-ups in the packaging sector in Hall 2. Awaiting visitors are the “Young Innovators” pavilion for young, innovative companies, sponsored by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), and the “Newcomers Pavilion”, which provides a platform where first-time exhibitors at FachPack and international newcomers to the sector can introduce themselves and their innovative products and services to the experts.
New industry talents in focus: Students Day on Thursday
The Students Day on the third day of the fair (26.9) brings together prominent companies and new talents in the packaging industry. At the invitation of FachPack and the German Packaging Institute (dvi), students from the German-speaking region will meet in workshops with professionals from the likes of Dalli Werke, Henkel, Tchibo, Smurfit Kappa and Beiersdorf. An animated exchange of ideas on the demands of the future and the specifics of working in the packaging industry is guaranteed.
Achievements honoured: German Packaging Award
On the first day of the fair, the stage will once again be set for a total of 41 winners of the German Packaging Award, Europe’s top showcase for all aspects of packaging. Almost 250 submissions from 13 countries were submitted in advance for personal inspection and assessment. The German Packaging Award is presented by the German Packaging Institute (dvi) in ten categories. The presentation will take place in the Munich Room, NCC Mitte, from 16:30. As a premium partner, FachPack will present the special award for young talents. This distinction recognises the best packaging designs by school pupils, apprentices and students.
Industry development: Caution and optimism for 2025
The results of a current survey among associations in the German packaging industry show that weak economic conditions and growing regulatory demands are particular sources of concern for the packaging sector. According to the associations, however, an initial recovery in the economic situation in Germany is making itself felt. A cautious optimism is in the air for 2025. “As an industry platform, FaxhPack can assist the packaging industry with its challenges,” says Slotta. “Together it’s possible to develop ideas and solutions to encourage economic success for the industry. A trade fair that represents an entire sector can achieve more than individual companies on their own.”
According to the Food and Packaging Machinery Association at VDMA, incoming orders for packaging machines in the first four months of 2024 increased by 16 percent in real terms. Positive development overall is expected for the second half of the year. Global demand remains huge, and the potentials in the emerging economies in particular are far from being exhausted.
IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen (the Plastic Packaging Industry Association, IK) expects a slight economic recovery in the second half of 2024. The strongest drivers of hope in its view are the stable export expectations and adaptation strategies on the part of companies to secure supplies of raw materials and the circular economy. The Industrieverband Papier- und Folienverpackungen (IPV), the German association representing producers of packaging made from paper and plastic films, perceives major opportunities in the strong trend toward light, customizable and easily recyclable packaging. The folding box segment sees the possibility of an upswing in the future substitution of packaging based on petrochemicals with fibre-based recyclable packaging. A slight upturn in business from autumn 2024 is expected in the wooden packaging sector. In addition to the economic situation in Germany, the Bundesverband Holzpackmittel, Paletten, Exportverpackung (the German association for wooden packaging materials, pallets and export packaging, HPE) is looking toward foreign trade, since it perceives that a decline in foreign trade is causing a downward trend in demand for wooden packaging. As for glass containers, the Bundesverband Glasindustrie (the German glass industry association) assumes that the situation will continue to stabilize during 2024. The Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie (German Corrugated Board Industry Association, VDW) expects to see a gradual process of recovery for 2024. In the first five months of 2024, VDW members experienced revenue growth of 1.6 percent compared to the same period last year. Further information, figures and graphics on the packaging market in Germany and Europe can be found in the FachPack360° news portal.
