interpack PROCESSES AND PACKAGING 2014(interpack.com), is reinforcing its leading international position by offering visitors innovative special topics alongside the broad range of products displayed by the expected 2,700 exhibitors, including the new “components for processing and packaging” event, the SAVE FOOD Congress, the INNOVATION PARC PACKAGING and the METAL PACKAGING PLAZA. From May 8 - 14, 2014, exhibitors from the food and beverage, confectionary and baked goods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as well as non-food consumer goods and industrial goods industries will present their latest innovations in 19 sold out halls at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

New parallel event: “components for processing and packaging”

The new event “components for processing and packaging” will take place on the first three days of interpack (May 8 - 10, 2014) in the Congress Center South at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds.  The trade fair is geared towards suppliers to the packaging industry, especially companies specializing in motor, drive, control and sensor technology, products for machinery image data processing as well as handling technology, industrial software and communication and complete automation systems for packaging machinery. It is also directed at manufacturers of machinery parts, components, accessories, peripheral equipment and components and auxiliaries for packaging material.

SAVE FOOD Congress

On May 7 (one day before the start of interpack) and 8, 2014, the SAVE FOOD Congress will take place in the Congress Center South (CCD Süd) at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds. This two-day event is directed at both non-profit organizations and industry. It will highlight the topics of global food loss and food waste and explores the aspects involved, addressing a broad public audience. Building on the foundation established in 2011, interpack will thus again provide a unique international platform for exchanges between all those concerned with this critical issue. The SAVE FOOD initiative is a co-operation between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Messe Düsseldorf. It was originally launched in 2011 with a very successful congress staged parallel to interpack and is now being supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Since then, the topic of food losses and food waste has become a much higher priority on political and media agendas. The 2014 event will present various aspects, including the results of the FAO studies conducted in developing and emerging countries to research local food losses.

The congress will support the fundamental goals of the initiative, which seeks to network between the key players in business, government and research, encourage dialogue and help to find solutions to reduce food loss and waste along the food value chain.  “All the industries involved in the food, packaging and logistics sectors have an especially important role to play in the SAVE FOOD initiative. Ultimately, it is the products developed by these companies which offer concrete approaches to solving the problems we all face. We want SAVE FOOD to act as a catalyst for establishing contact with other enterprises and organizations to carry these approaches further,” explained SAVE FOOD and interpack Director Bernd Jablonowski.

INNOVATIONPARC PACKAGING and the SAVE FOOD topic

A regular feature at interpack, the special show INNOVATIONPARC PACKAGING (IPP) 2014, will therefore also have SAVE FOOD as the motto. Participating companies from all stages along the value chain will showcase their solutions to avoid food loss and food waste. This special show will present practical approaches from areas such as packaging design, packaging materials and machinery production. An additional display will demonstrate the dimensions of international food losses along the food value chain. Since early 2012, the SAVE FOOD initiative has been open to corporate members and private individuals interested in supporting its goals both through financial sponsorship and by providing new ideas. In addition to individual companies in the packaging industry, almost all the leading trade associations in the sector have joined this initiative. The IPP exhibits and special display will be staged on about 26,900 square feet in a tent structure located between Halls 2 and 3.

METAL PACKAGING PLAZA 2014

nterpack 2014 will again feature the METAL PACKAGING PLAZA in Hall 11, providing a platform for the international metal packaging community and its supplier industry. The proven concept of this special exhibition will be jointly organized by the German Metal Packaging Association (VMW) and the European Metal Packaging Association (Empac). For the first time, exhibitors at the METAL PACKAGIN PLAZA will include packaging steel manufacturers such as ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein and ArcelorMittal under the umbrella of the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL). In addition to the exhibits of about 40 companies, the METAL PACKAGING PLAZA 2014 will offer an information platform with a forum, bar/lounge and meeting points.

Online services

The interpack website gives attendees many helpful tools to efficiently prepare for their visit, such as entrance passes at reduced rates, the exhibitor database with the option to generate a personalized hall floor plan, a matchmaking function to establish contact with exhibitors and information on all new developments presented by the participating companies. The interpack services can also be accessed by smart phone. In addition, iPhone and Android apps offer daily updated exhibitor and event databases, graphically optimized halls plans and exhibitor data, including contact details, product information, forms for arranging meetings and writing notes about individual exhibitors. Visitors can also use the app to synchronize their trade fair planning between a desktop computer and their handheld device. All individual editing, such as personalized display of favorites on the hall floor plan or notes about companies, will be available on both platforms no matter where it was originally created. The interpack home page also includes hotel booking information as well as tips on cultural attractions in the city of Düsseldorf.