The Upakovka/Upak Italia 2013 regular international trade fair has opened in Exporcentre Krasnaya Presnya. Project Manager Svetlana Kleyman will relate as to whether there is anything new that visitors may expect at the exhibition this year.

The Upakovka/Upak Italia 2013 fair will be held for the twenty-first time. This is impressive in our turbulent age. Please tell how it all started. How, in your opinion, the exhibition has been changing with time?

Indeed, the first year the exhibition was held was the far-off 1976. The matter in question was German and Italian national expositions showcasing European machine engineering achievements. At the time there was no packaging industry in Russia in the modern sense of the word, let alone exhibitions in this line of business. Ten years after, apart from German and Italian participants, the exhibition sees companies from other countries. Over time Russian producers also came to be able to manifest something worth seeing and competitive with foreign manufacturers of packing machinery. Today companies from over twenty countries of the world take part in the Upakovka/Upak Italia 2013 trade show.

What do the trade fair statistics look like versus previous year figures?

The fair statistics in the new year demonstrate stable figures in respect of foreign participants. In the meantime the number of Russian exhibitors has also increased. Subsequent to the introduction of the new Food Processing segment dedicated to food industry technologies as well as promotion of the Converting & Print at Packaging section dedicated to package printing and finishing technologies the number of participants from these market sectors have increased, and likewise increased the number of ready-made packaging and material manufacturers. In other words, apart from the traditionally strong packing machinery sector the exhibition demonstrates a full cycle production chain: from package production and overprinting techniques to conversion technology and final package finishing.

In your opinion, how will the exhibition try to surprise or delight visitors this year? How different will it be from the earlier events?

In 2013 the exhibition will be held in a somewhat altered and enriched format owing to new topic sections and participants. This will allow visitors and specialists to work at the event with the maximum efficiency, strengthen business ties and find new business contacts and connections. For convenience there is an electronic catalogue of exhibitors posted on the Upakovka/Upak Italia 2013 website inclusive of their core business description and allowing to make appointments. As part of cooperation with the Unipack.Ru portal there is also a special exhibition project in place - http://upakitalia.unipack.ru.

Which do you think is the most interesting part in the event business programme?

Business programme in 2013 will be conceptually new. We have made a departure from holding seminars and conferences in isolated conference rooms. For the first time ever as part of the 21st international specialist exhibition Upakovka/Upak Italia 2013 there will be held Future Forum that will comprise a number of sections. Trends for the Russian Market/Trend Show is a supplementary service offering the fair participants selected by special criteria a unique opportunity to demonstrate the latest innovation technologies, equipment and materials and designs to the visitors of Innovation Packaging Show/Trend Show. Each exhibitor may declare participation in any section filling in a relevant form.

As part of Open Forum participants will have the opportunity to present the latest innovations and developments with a detailed description thereof. And in the course of the Open forum open discussion one will be able to discuss any arising questions with ultimate consumers. Here will be held both seminars and debates and presentations.

In addition to the presentation participants will have the opportunity to present innovation material or product samples in the form of ready-made packed products on the Innovation Packaging Show/Trend Show separate podiums.

Which country exhibitors will be largest in number at the trade fair?

In 2013 there will be particularly many companies from Russia.

As organiser of a trade fair which trends do you see in the European and Russian packaging industry?

Judging by Interpack exhibition effective arrangement one may say that the packaging industry is on the rise and has no plans to lose ground. On the contrary, packaging is increasingly expanding the market and entering various related industries. There is also a trend of high foreign participants’ outflow to India, China and Brazil. In terms of product sales and cooperation these countries are now the main product sales and cooperation field for European packing equipment manufacturers. It is still hard to say how this will affect the Russian market. One will be able to draw conclusions right after the Upakovka/Upak Italia 2013 exhibition.