Six years later, interpack returns

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Six years later, interpack returns

22 Dec 2022

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

DUSSELDORF — With its tagline as “Simply Unique,” interpack is known as a world-leading horizontal tradeshow for packaging and processing across several industries including bakery, snack and confectionery.

Pre-pandemic, interpack touted more than 170,000 attendees from 169 nations and 2,866 exhibitors from 55 countries. After a successful show in 2017, interpack first fell prey to COVID-19 in 2020, and after two postponements, it will return to its regular triennial cycle in 2023.

“After missing six years, everyone is eager to get back to interpack, both exhibitor-wise and visitor-wise,” said Thomas Dohse, project director, processing and packaging for Messe Dusseldorf, which organizes the show. “It’s a must-see event, even more than it was in the past.”

When the show was canceled in 2020, interpack offered to hold exhibitor positions for those who chose to keep their registration for the show in anticipation of a 2021 postponement and, ultimately, 2023. As a result, exhibitor space is already sold out with many on a waiting list.

“We are back on track with the show being booked out,” Dohse said. “Now we are focusing on bringing in visitors. It’s a great opportunity for US visitors with the dollar being so strong. It’s almost a 1:1 exchange today.”

With consumer demands significantly driving change in packaging, interpack has identified certain hot topics of innovation that will be addressed throughout the show, not just on the exhibition floor. Those topics include circular economy, resource management, digitization and IIOT, and product safety, all of which are areas of concern for commercial bakers.

Dohse observed that while manufacturers in every sector have been talking about issues like sustainability and circular economy for years, the time for action has arrived, with crises such as droughts and energy shortages happening around the world and calling for better resource management. Coupled with a rising demand for food — sales of packaged food increased 4% from 2017-2021 and are projected to grow 14% by 2026, according to interpack data — food manufacturers are seeking best practices for efficient food production now more than ever.

“Manufacturers have talked about it for years, and now they mean it,” Dohse said. “They see rising prices for energy, water and materials, and it makes a difference when you’re able to conserve in those areas. The cost of energy is going up, and manufacturers can save a lot just through efficient processes or changing materials.”

Issues that will be discussed include reducing or using lighter packaging material, better recyclability, recyclable packaging design, establishing or expanding recycling outlets, and more.

Special discussions will also take place around co-manufacturing, which is gaining interest from nearly every facet of CPG manufacturing and product development. The World Packaging Organization (WPO) will also present its 2023 WPO Awards celebrating the top packaging innovations at the show.

Although bakery is one of eight main parts of the show, baker attendees can find a cross-pollination of innovation throughout other areas of CPG.

“Bakers will get a broad picture of packaging,” Dohse said. “They’ll have a special view of bakery, but if they want to see more than that, if they want to see other aspects of packaging and processing, then they really can’t afford to miss interpack.”

This story has been adapted from the 2022 Innovations Annual issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.

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