HISPACK

Hispack, the most important packaging, process and logistics event in Spain and one of the main trade shows in Europe in its speciality, has been rescheduled from spring to autumn 2021 (from 19th to 22nd October). The new dates, agreed with representatives of companies and associations, are in line with the schedule of major European events in the packaging industry, changed due to the pandemic. Thus, Hispack aims to hold the best possible event next year in order to boost commercial activity and exports of the packaging industry in a context that is expected to be more favourable and that guarantees a wide participation and the attendance of international companies and professionals. Hispack will coincide once again at the same venue with Alimentaria FoodTech, the equipment, technology and ingredients exhibition.

The decision, adopted by Fira de Barcelona means that Hispack 2021 will be held five months later than initially planned in order to place the Spanish fair into the new schedule of major European packaging industry events that have been postponed as a result of Covid-19 so as to meet the interests of the sector. According to the director of Hispack, Xavier Pascual ,“in this scenario we gain more time to organise a great fair, which will represent the power of the sector, at a time when the economic recovery is more consolidated, with more commercial opportunities for our exhibitors and visitors, and with better expectations in terms of international participation and visiting buyers from foreign markets.” 

In this regard, Hispack continues working with the aim of bringing together the entire packaging ecosystem in Spain and contributing to the acceleration of innovation and sustainability in the packaging field as the two main factors which will drive sector growth. During the health crisis, packaging has proved to be an essential industry for the manufacture, distribution and sale of all sorts of products with maximum safety guarantees, and in the post-covid period it will be strategic in helping other sectors to innovate, create economic value and relaunch their activities.

At the same time, the technology exhibition Alimentaria FoodTech, which has agreed with companies and organisations in the sector to postpone the show until 2021, will coincide with Hispack, taking advantage of synergies to attract companies and professionals from the food and beverage industry (the main user sector of containers and packaging), who will thus find a wide range of products for the various phases of the food product value chain.

The rest of the industrial and consumer sectors, suppliers, brands, as well as commerce and distribution will also continue to find in customised packaging, process and logistics solutions in Hispack’s offer. In fact, half of the visitors to Hispack come from non-food industries, mainly pharmacy, perfumery and cosmetics, chemicals, industrial goods and the automotive industry, among others. The other half of the attendees at Hispack are from the food and beverage industry.

New sectors and more internationality

Hispack is also committed to increasing the presence of materials, processing machinery, automation and logistic companies in 2021, specialities closely linked to packaging. Thus, the fair will be sectioned in a new way to improve the visitor’s experience and facilitate the attendance of new professional profiles who use machinery, technology and packaging elements in their activity. The commercial offer will be sectioned into the following areas: Packaging Machinery & Process, Brand Packaging, Industrial Packaging, Labelling & Bottling, Logistics, Automation & Robotics.

For Hispack, internationalisation will also be one of the core strategies used as a way to increase the exhibition offer which, in turn, should provide a significant increase in visits from customers from other countries. To this end, it will strengthen its guest buyer programme to attract professionals to the fair from regions of interest for Spanish exports. At the same time, meetings, gatherings and virtual activities will be added that will expand the scope, audience and business opportunities abroad through digitalisation.

In the run up to the event, Hispack will continue to energise the packaging ecosystem and collaborate with the sector’s entities in activities and initiatives which help companies and professionals to adapt to the challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic and to identify trends and innovations in packaging, process and logistics which promote the growth of this industry.

With almost a year and a half to go, Hispack is already ensured more than 200 exhibitors who have placed their trust in the event and have confirmed their participation, reserving more than 15,000 m2 of net surface area at the Gran Via venue. At its last event held in 2018, this major Spanish packaging fair brought together 823 exhibitors, 25% of them being international, and 1,400 represented brands, and occupied 40,000 m2.