The turnover related to food packaging machinery worldwide is worth 15.3 billion euros, with an expected average annual growth of 2.1% by 2025. Interesting data for the world food processing market also, which is expected to grow by an average of 5.1% per year until 2025. In the same period, the Italian industry will play a leading role with an expected growth of 4% on average per year for food packaging and 2.8% on average per year for the same period for food processing. (Source: Ipack Ima Business Monitor in collaboration with MECS).
Consistent with the growth expectations of the food supply chain, IPACK-IMA 2022, scheduled to run from 3 to 6 May at Fiera Milano, offers a complete range of processing and packaging solutions and materials for food manufacturers and retailers.
All players have confirmed their presence at the exhibition, including Bizerba, Cama, Coesia, Goglio, ICA, ILPRA, Ima, Gruppo Fabbri, Mettler Toledo, ROBOQBO and many other companies specialising in this segment. Figures show the importance of the food industry for the processing & packaging sector: every IPACK-IMA event attracts more than 74,000 professionals and buyers, 60% of whom come from the food and beverage industry, which, not by chance are the main markets for processing and packaging solutions, materials and technologies.
IPACK-IMA dedicates Business Communities to these sectors, carefully tailored to the needs of the production industry: Pasta, Bakery & Milling; Sweets, Confectionery & Snacks; Food, Fresh & Convenience. For these markets constantly looking for product and process innovations, IPACK-IMA exhibitors will offer the best in processing technologies, transformation, packaging solutions and materials in an invigorated and integrated supply chain strategy that includes automation, distribution and supply chain management.
Coding & tracking technologies, end-of-line and protective packaging solutions applicable to many different production sectors but which find great application in the food sector complete the exhibition offer. Among the companies in this segment exhibiting at IPACK-IMA: Aetna Group, Sitma, Ds Smith, Auer Packaging, PKG, Officina Meccanica Sestese, Fromm Imballaggio, Atlanta Stretch, Atlas Tapes, Clevertech, Etipack, Grifal, Sicad, Hipac, Nimax, Markem-Imaje and Sealed Air.
A special focus will be devoted to primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging materials, which will be well represented at the show by over 200 companies operating in this segment. IPACK-Mat is the IPACK-IMA brand that will make these companies easily identifiable. In a special area strategically located in Hall 5, they will offer smart or eco-design-inspired packaging and solutions.
The issue of packaging is constantly challenged by product safety and preservation, to which IPACK-IMA, in cooperation with the Italian Packaging Institute, dedicates the special area Ipack-Ima Lab, looking at research laboratories, certification institutes and centres specialised in FCMs compliance standards.
The exhibition offer is complemented by a rich calendar of events aimed at enhancing innovation and anticipating trends: IPACK-IMA will host the prestigious WorldStar contest, the Global Packaging Awards promoted by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). Furthermore, in cooperation with the Italian Packaging Institute, the event will host the Best Packaging Awards, returning to celebrate Italian excellence among producers and users of packaging materials.
At IPACK-IMA, the future will move towards labelling, coding, and marking products that enable the traceability of raw materials and products throughout the supply chain. More and more often, labels and packages host sensors and devices capable of connecting the product with the consumer: it is an enrichment of information that offers unique marketing opportunities for timely narration of the life of the package and the product.
Continuous changes in consumer habits combined with the arrival on the market of new generations of consumers, lead to increased awareness of organic products. Part of a coherent process that combines the quality of raw materials with more sustainable choices, in terms of packaging and increasingly towards free-from and vegetable-based products.
Therefore IPACK-IMA is more than ever the first in-person meeting place for processing and packaging professionals, with industry-wide previews of future consumer trends.
IPACK-IMA will be held in conjunction with other trade fairs dedicated to instrumental mechanics, as part of “The Innovaton Aliance” project: Intralogistica Italia, focusing on the handling of goods and warehouse management, Print4All, dedicated to industrial printing, converting and labelling technologies, and the first event with Greenplast, centred on the plastics and rubber supply chain, with a focus on environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle and circular economy.
The event from 3 to 6 May 2022 returns to the Fiera Milano pavilions, thanks to strict safety protocols, guaranteed by a hub that hosts 4.5 million visitors every year, 36,000 companies from all over the world, 80 exhibitions and 160 congresses.
