After seven days of exhibitions, organizers of interpack 2017, held May 4-10 at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center, in Düsseldorf, Germany, are ready to call the show a success. The triennial exhibition featured a record 2,865 exhibitors and 170,500 visitors from 168 countries, with a record 74 percent coming to Düsseldorf from other countries. The 2014 show drew more than 2,600 exhibitors from 60 countries.
The seven-day show was housed in 19 halls that covered more than 2 million sq. ft.
“interpack is an absolute must-go event for companies in this industry and provides unique momentum. Every three years it is not only a one-of-a-kind performance showcase but also the place where suppliers and customers from all over the world get together to network and do business,” said Friedbert Klefenz, president of interpack 2017.
Hans Werner Reinhard, managing director at Messe Düsseldorf, added: “interpack has again impressively confirmed its status as the world’s most important event and innovation platform for the industry every three years. Due to the concept of the newly created global ‘interpack alliance’, interpack as its flagship event has also obtained more exposure in the growth markets abroad thereby attracting even more high-caliber experts to Düsseldorf.”
U.S. representation at interpack 2017 was up 12 percent from 2014, with 115 companies, 31 of which exhibited within the successful US Pavilion organized by Messe Düsseldorf North America.
The SAVE FOOD initiative was once again one of the show highlights. Six years after launching SAVE FOOD, the initiative has grown into an alliance of over 850 international members from industry, associations, NGOs and research institutes. The third edition of the SAVE FOOD Congress was held during interpack on May 4 to address the issue of food loss and waste. Speakers included political representatives such as Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, and Gargi Kaul, Joint Secretary & Financial Adviser at the Indian Ministry for Food Processing Industries.
The next interpack will be held in May 2020 in Düsseldorf.
