EXPO PACK show expands in Mexico

EXPO PACK México 2012 (June 26-29, Centro Banamex, Mexico City), the premier trade show for packaging and processing in Latin America, welcomed 25,139 attendees and 1,015 exhibiting companies to a show floor that was 13 percent larger than previous editions.

The show floor was EXPO PACK México's largest ever, with 18,475 net square meters (198,800 net square feet) of exhibit space.

"Mexico is an important, rapidly-expanding market, and the growth of EXPO PACK México reflects its increasing importance," says Charles Yuska, president & CEO, PMMI. PMMI owns and produces the EXPO PACK México, PACK EXPO International and PACK EXPO Las Vegas.

Hall of Nations
EXPO PACK México attendees and exhibitors represented more than 32 nations, and the diversity was especially evident in the exposition hall, which included pavilions from 9 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Peru, Spain, Taiwan and the United States. Yuska credited extensive partnership efforts with contributing to the strong attendance.

"Through partnerships with more than 15 leading industry organizations, we increased the value of attending for exhibitors and attendees," he says, noting the importance of groups promoting the show and organizing attendee delegations, such as:

•AGEXPORT (Guatemala)
•ANPDAPAC (Mexican Bottled Water Association)
•CAINTRA Monterrey
•CANACINTRA (National Chamber of Industry) from León, Queretaro and Puebla
•CANAINCA (Mexican Association of Processed Foods),
•CANIFARMA (Mexican Pharmaceutical Association),
•CANIPEC (Mexican Chamber of Perfumes, Cosmetics & Toiletries)
•CAREINTRA (Chamber of Industry for the State of Jalisco),
•PROCOMER (Costa Rica),
•PROMPERU (Comisión de Promoción para la Exportación y el Turismo).

"We're very pleased to have forged partnerships with so many important organizations," Yuska says. "The buyers they brought to EXPO PACK found many new technologies to help them increase productivity and effectiveness on their production and packaging lines."

Strength in sustainability
More than 100 exhibitors participated in the EXPO PACK Verde program, which identifies companies providing sustainable solutions or employing sustainable practices.

"Sustainable manufacturing is an industry driver, because it's increasingly what customers demand," says Yuska. "By looking for EXPO PACK Verde signs, visitors to EXPO PACK found packaging and processing equipment that uses less power, occupies less space, reduces waste and can be fairly easily adapted to new ‘green' materials."
Interest in sustainability was very clear in the Mexican Packaging Association's (AMEE) Packaging Week, produced in conjunction with EXPO PACK México. AMEE dedicated a full day of their conference to sustainability. AMEE also hosted conferences focusing on new technologies, trends and package security.

The PROCESA Pavilion at EXPO PACK México was the starting point for visitors looking for resources to proactively address trends and changes in the processed food marketplace in Mexico and Latin America. Now in its second year, the PROCESA Pavilion doubled in size from 2011, with more than 2,000 net square meters (21,530 net square feet) in 2012.

The Pharmaceutical Pavilion also returned this year, growing by 19 percent to 1,346 net square meters (14,490 net square feet), with 49 companies exhibiting products and services for the pharmaceutical industry.

PMMI once again hosted a member pavilion at the show, which grew 7 percent to 1,572 square meters (16,900 square feet). The growth was reflected in the number of PMMI member companies at the show, too. EXPO PACK México 2012 saw 178 PMMI member companies exhibiting, a 35 percent increase over 2011. 

With so many processing and packaging technologies in a single location, visitors to EXPO PACK México 2012 had many chances to consider new ways to address trends impacting Mexico and the rest of Latin America.

"No matter the vertical market, there was a solution available at EXPO PACK México. Larger companies came to EXPO PACK México to find ideas for greater productivity and efficiency. Smaller, local companies came, too, often looking for new products and ways to develop them. Given the size and scope of this show, I'd say everyone won," Yuska concludes.

PMMI used the inauguration of EXPO PACK México to announce its newest trade show property: EXPO PACK Guadalajara, a regional event set to debut February 27-March 1, 2013, at Expo Guadalajara. "We're starting small and focusing our resources on attracting high-quality attendees and exhibitors to build a strong foundation for future events," Yuska says. 

Yuska predicts the show's attendee base will pull from Guadalajara and its suburbs, a region known for manufacturing in a wide range of industries, particularly food and beverage - but represented less strongly than what might expect at EXPO PACK México.