New trade fair in Zurich at the start

PACKAGING FAIRS In European countries such as the UK, the Netherlands and Poland, "Packaging Innovations" has already become the leading trade fair for creative packaging, design and branding. The new trade fair concept is now celebrating its Swiss premiere in Zurich on 26 and 27 March 2014 and complements the established "Packaging Zurich 2014" trade fair, which is being held in parallel for the eighth time.

The new trade show concept "Packaging Innovations" will celebrate its Swiss premiere on March 26 and 27, 2014 in Zurich.What criteria were decisive for the positioning of "Packaging Innovations" in Zurich?Martina Hofmann: The creative industries, which we specifically address with "Packaging Innovations," are a heavyweight in the Zurich area. This is shown not least by the third report of the economic and location promotion of the city and canton of Zurich. According to this report, the creative industries have been growing at an above-average rate for years - with considerable sales in the millions. As part of the knowledge-based economy, which is steadily gaining in importance, it is also increasingly turning out to be an important driver of innovation. Manufacturing companies and brand owners can benefit from this. And finally, Zurich is geographically well located - easily accessible for all Swiss regions and neighboring countries.Who should be particularly addressed by the new trade fair concept of "Packaging Innovations"?Martina Hofmann: The presentation of products and services related to packaging, technology, finishing, design and brands form a core segment of this trade show. Consequently, the trade show concept addresses a broad field of experts involved in packaging design, solutions and branding. These will meet renowned brand companies and manufacturers. Visitors are expected to come mainly from the food and beverage, cosmetics and personal care, health and pharmaceutical, retail and wholesale sectors.There are already a considerable number of registrations for the new trade show. Does this confirm your trade show concept?Martina Hofmann: Yes, Packaging Innovations Zürich 2014 is well received as a trade show format. The figures speak for themselves, with 119 exhibitors as of February 18, 2014. According to our experience, there will be a few more bookings in the next few weeks. For "Verpackung Zürich 2014" and "Packaging Innovations Zürich 2014" as a trade fair duo, we expect a total of around 250 exhibitors by the start of the trade fair. We see that as a real success! So we consider our concept a clear success.Do you expect synergies from the parallel "Verpackung Zürich 2014" event?Martina Hofmann: Packaging Zurich 2014" and "Packaging Innovations Zurich 2014" are two events with clearly defined themes. For exhibitors, such a trade fair duo proves to be an advantage because they can address their target groups very specifically. This also applies to exhibitor and visitor marketing at EasyFairs. For trade visitors, two trade fairs have the advantage of being able to meet desired companies and contact persons at one location, so that the time required is kept within limits. Everyone involved in the packaging process finds their platform here to get closer to their solutions. This is unique in Switzerland.Will there be many new exhibitors at both shows?Martina Hofmann: Quite; there are quite a few new participants among the exhibitors registered so far. The satisfaction of exhibiting companies is also reflected in a high proportion of existing customers. Many booked companies are already represented for the third or fourth time.What about internationality?Martina Hofmann: The international appeal of "Verpackung Zürich 2014" and "Packaging Innovations Zürich 2014" is impressive: A good ten percent of the exhibitors come from the French-speaking region and nearby foreign countries, primarily from southern Germany.What is the focus of "Packaging Innovations Zürich 2014" in terms of content?Martina Hofmann: A special focus of this fair is the design and message of the packaging, which should appeal to potential customers and motivate them to buy.What special features does the 2014 supporting program have to offer?Martina Hofmann: Accompanying "Packaging Innovations Zürich" for the first time is the "Passion for Packaging - Conference" a real highlight! The symposium delves into topics of the classic trade show event with presentations by top-class speakers and discussion panels. The focus is on goods and luxury foods in the high-priced segment, with corresponding packaging design. In a "Science meets Industry" theme park in Hall 6, innovations will also be presented, knowledge exchanged and cooperations encouraged - an exciting format for developers, scientists and packaging experts. The Forum "Future Print complements "Packaging Zurich 2014. The symposium will focus on the current challenges facing the print industry.What further developments are already emerging for packaging trade fairs in Switzerland?Martina Hofmann: Packaging markets are characterized by a constantly changing environment - in line with current trends and developments shaped by technical innovations and changes in marketing and packaging processes. Accordingly, as a trade show organizer, we must remain on the ball - i.e. close to market developments - in the future as well. For this reason, easyFairs has decided to revise the different trade fair concepts throughout Europe and to make them uniform. The brand name for packaging trade fairs "Empack", which was introduced in Europe, will now also be used in the D-A-CH region. This is intended to appeal to internationally active companies that participate in easyFairs trade fairs in different European countries.What does the rebranding mean for Switzerland in concrete terms?Martina Hofmann: In spring 2015, three parallel trade shows will be held in Zurich for the Swiss packaging industry: "Empack", "Packaging Innovations" and "Label & Print". Empack" will be clearly focused on packaging technology - with exhibitors from the packaging systems and machinery sectors. The "Packaging Innovations" stands for the presentation of high-quality brands and design-oriented packaging. Exhibitors will be service providers in the packaging sector (materials, design services and finished products). "Label & Print" will focus on all peripheral but also converging activities such as offset printing, converting machinery and labeling technology. In our estimation, this trio of trade shows still has great development opportunities in Switzerland.easyFairs^® Events in Switzerland 2014 at a glance:Packaging Zurich 2014, March 26 & 27, 2014, Messe Zurich (Halls 3 and 4)Packaging Innovations Zurich 2014, March 26 & 27, 2014, Messe Zurich (Halls 5-6)