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% larger than previous editions.

The show floor was EXPO PACK México's largest ever, with 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 D. Yuska, president & CEO, PMMI.  PMMI (www.pmmi.org) owns and produces the EXPO PACK México, PACK EXPO International and PACK EXPO Las Vegas.

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.

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

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.

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.

Exhibitor demand and market research, bolstered by the strength and growth demonstrated by EXPO PACK México, led to the decision to launch the new show.

“Over 100 EXPO PACK México exhibitors told PMMI they would be willing to support and/or exhibit at the new show,” he 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.

EXPO PACK Guadalajara will take place February 27 – March 1, 2013, at Expo Guadalajara, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and  EXPO PACK México 2013 will take place June 18-21, in Mexico City.