Results of the key packaging exhibition of Russia and Eastern Europe

ROSUPAK 2009

The 14th International specialized exhibition ROSUPAK 2009 was held in Moscow from June 15 till June 19, 2009. It is the largest show for the packaging industry in Russia and the entire Eastern Europe which represents all segments of the industry: packaging machinery and technologies, packaging production and design machinery, packing materials and ready packaging for all branches of industry.

The exhibition was organized by MVK International Exhibition Company and endorsed by Moscow Government, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian federation and Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The official opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Alexander Krutov, the State Duma parliamentarian; Mr. Andrei Zagorsky, President of the National Confederation of Packagers (NСPack); Mr. Alexander Boyko, Chairman of the Sub-Committee of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation; Mr. Vladimir Chuikov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GOTEK Group of Companies; Mr. Alexander Puzikov, President of the Packmash Association.

In the course of the opening ceremony the prize-winners and laureates were bestowed with the Grand Star Russia 2009 award for the best packaging. As for the exhibitors that celebrated the anniversaries of their companies in 2009, they were awarded with commemorative diplomas.

Exposition, participants and visitors

For the exhibition comers’ comfort the exhibition was divided into thematic sections and comprised several industrial shows: ROSUPAK (packaging production technologies and machinery; packaging materials; ready packaging), Packmash (packaging materials and technological lines), Logistics and warehousing (warehousing services and logistics), FOODMASH (equipment and technology for foodstuff and processing industries), Alumpack (aluminum packaging), Luxpack (premium-class packaging).

Companies from twenty-seven countries showcased their products at the show: those were the companies from the USA, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Spain, Finland, Bulgaria, Latvia, Belarus, Turkey, Korea, India and some other countries. Among the exhibitors there were the largest manufacturers and suppliers of packaging equipment and technologies: MWV (Austria), ERHARDT+LEIMER GMBH, Nussbaum Lichtenau GmbH, Kampf Schneid- und Wickeltechnik GmbH & Co. KG, METORG GMBH, SAUERESSIG GmbH + Co. KG, Zeller Plastik, General Plastics GmbH, Christoph Binder Verpackungsmaschinen (Germany), OMAG S.R.L., Litoupak, Panotec, SICAD (Italy), Envase Grafico Industrial, S.A. (EGISA) (Spain), ECI Limited (USA), Suominen Flexible Packaging (Finland), Parekh Aluminex Ltd (India), Mertem (Turkey), Index 6 (Bulgary), Alkopack (Belarus), Bosch Rexroth, Russkaya , Russkaya Trapeza, Bestrom, PTM, Multivac Rus, Merpasa, Tauras-Feniks, Petromash-Service, GOTEK, Group Ilim (Russia).

Among the show newcomers there were such companies as MATIMEX (Russia), IMV Labels/Technoinform (Latvia), Ubis Tapes (Spain), Emballator Group (Finland) and some other firms as well as the collective show exposition of the French companies.

The large national companies and middle and small businesses present the packaging market to full extent and answer the needs of all categories of visitors. ROSUPAK is the exhibition of universal technological solutions where every buyer is able to find the proper technology, machinery, materials or ready packaging on beneficial terms.

530 exhibitors of ROSUPAK 2009 placed their expositions at the exhibition area of 28, 000 sq.m. The show was attended by 18, 233 specialists from Russia and abroad.

Exhibitors’ testimonials

Sardar Taghiyev, Director of Sardi & Co: “We evaluate our participation in Rosupak 2009 as a powerful push forward in promotion of our products. It is determined by the fact that 90% of the show-comers were professionals (company representatives or CEOs) who were searching for new packaging. There were a lot of visitors…, and we acquired a lot of potential clients”.

Natalia Afonina, MIRAN Belarus: “At the exhibition we got an opportunity to meet our core customers “face to face” which is extremely important as far as it is the show only which makes it possible to hold negotiations with a majority of partners in a short period of time. We have reached some agreements concerning our further mutual cooperation. We don’t conclude any contracts at the exhibition. Our key aim is to present the products to the potential consumers, and come in touch with clients…”

Elena Braghinskaya, Videojet Technology sales manager: “If you ask how successful the exhibition was for us, I would say it was pretty good. It looks like the market is reviving…It is yet difficult to say more, as far as the results of the exhibitions in our business can be evaluated in a year or something…Communication with our business rivals and acquisition of necessary information from them; demonstration of a new printer and acquisition of feedbacks about it form the exhibitors and visitors; acquisition of new piece of information about the market in general…The qualitative composition of visitors is really good, 90% of them are the experts who have particular interest for the machinery”.

Tatiana Vorobyova, Conflex: “In general, we positively estimate the results of work at the past exhibition. Fortunately, our pessimistic expectations concerning the number of visitors and exhibitors never came into reality. We have managed to make new interesting contacts. We have held a quantity of business meetings with our long-term partners and constant clients of our company…The majority of visitors were the representatives of sales departments, decision-makers, suppliers of consumables and machinery. It is also necessary to emphasize proper organization of the event”.

Tatiana Shuklina, Chief of PR and Advertisement Group, GOTEK: “ROSUPAK 2009 turned out to be a precise and solid tool which served the promotion of companies in the domestic packaging market and maintenance of relations with the existing clients and partners. The opportunity to maintain business relations in the present economic conditions makes the ROSUPAK exhibition even more valuable as compared to other promotion channels. The show provides a unique opportunity to hold a maximum number of meetings in a short period of time. Throughout the exhibition days our company has held about one hundred meetings which were seen as negotiations that provoked further relations with companies. About 50% of them were the negotiations with potential clients. Meanwhile, about a half of the total poll of visitors of the GOTEK stand were top managers”.

Nadezhda Rumyantseva, Chief of the Department for External Links of the National Confederation of packagers: “Despite the crisis the show was successful. The number of visitors didn’t decrease, whereas their level improved considerably. The majority of them are decision-makers. We have completely accomplished the goals we had set for ROSUPAK 2009”.

Pavel Krayev, Director of UralPack: “Preparation and organization of the show was excellent. The number of visitors was more than sufficient…”

Natalia Bokova, PR manager OSTPACK: “…We have found new business contacts and new partnership opportunities…The visitors’ expert knowledge was high”.

Ivan Ashchin, Eximpack-Rotoprint: “This year despite the crisis there were a lot of targeted and highly professional visitors with specific goals. We have fully reached the goals”.

Ignacio Fernandez UBIS company (Spain): “For UBIS, as the first contact with the Russian market it was a very interesting event. We made contact with people who we had already contacted before in the industry, and it was a point to meet a lot of people we had already been in touch with. Also it helped us to figure out properly what the situation in the market is like, and what our competitive advantages could be for Russia. Also we want to thank you specially, the entire MVK team for great professional support given to us.”

Ms. Neha Thacker SHANKAR (INDIA): “Concerning Rosupak-2009 ... it was definitely … an active show for the packaging industry.I can say, it is a good platform to meet various packaging needsfor different products.We participated for the first time in this show and felt the investmentdone is worth it. There is ahuge potential market fortheJumbobags and we hope to create a strongbase in the Russian market. We are optimistic about the leads generated during the show and of course I would appreciate the MVK team for theircontribution in making this event a success for us!”.

Mr. Dirk Schroeder Erhardt + Leimer: “Organisation was excellent and there were many more contacts than at Rosupak 2008”.

Business programme

On June 16-17, 2009 the ROSUPAK 2009 business programme successfully presented the International Business Forum on the Strategic Solutions for the Participants of the Russian Packaging Industry. The forum was organized byCongress and Exhibition CompanyImperia, National Confederation of Packagers NKPack, MVK International exhibition Company and endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. The event gathered together about 200 top manufacturers and customers of packaging from eight countries: Russia, Japan, Germany, Poland, Kazakhstan, Finland, Ukraine and Belarus.

The organizers prepared a special programme with due account of the changes in the market. Throughout two Forum days there was organized a plenary session, two focus sessions, three master classes and a panel discussion. All in all, twenty-five reports on forty different subjects were given.

For the first time the Forum welcomed a special guest Mikhail Khazin, the economist who predicted the crisis of the American economy yet ten years ago, President of NEOCON company for expert consulting. He analyzed the macroeconomic situation in the packaging market and the world.

For the first time either the Forum presented a special report by Mr. Aleksey Sukhenko, the managing partner of the company owned by a world-famous guru of marketing, Mr. Jack Trout, TROUT&PARTNERS. RUSSIA. The report subject touched upon Repositioning as the most efficient anti-recessionary strategy and obvious anti-crisis tactics in the packaging industry.

The Forum finished with a Panel Discussion involving the strategic customers of the industry: the representatives of consumer market companies, associations and unions of the foodstuff industry. The participants touched upon the most intricate questions of cooperation between the consumers and manufacturers of packaging. The Panel Discussion resulted in the decision to construct much more efficient communication and stated the necessity to make such like meetings annual.

During the Forum the delegates were able to get free personal consultations from the Stars of the Russian Consulting.

For the first time Congress and Exhibition Company Imperia together with the Kachalov & Co Agency made a specific survey of participants before and after the Forum. According to the results, after the Forum the delegates BECAME TWICE AS SURE that their companies WILL DEVELOP despite the crisis. The knowledge and information which they managed to collect for the two Forum days will surely be helpful for them.

The second International Business Forum became an open platform for free interaction of all market players, manufacturers, retailers and customers.

The next, 3rd International Business Forum on the Strategic Solutions for the Participants of the Russian Packaging Industry will be traditionally organized as a part of ROSUPAK in June 2010.

For the first time this year there will be organized Professional sessions on logistics under the motto: “They see the crisis here, and we see new opportunities”. The event was organized by MVK International Exhibition Company and Mizunov Media Group supported by the Coordination Council on Logistics, Logist-ICS information and consulting service, AVANTA Personnel HR Agency, S.K.Y.Building personnel and logistics centre and ITKOR. More than 150 registered visitors and 17 speakers took part in the session. The reports covered the most topical problems of the companies working in the Russian market of logistics in conditions of the world financial crisis.

As a part of the exhibition business programme and supported by MVK International Exhibition Company there were organized workshop conferences on Ecodesign and innovations in the packaging industry (organizer: Packaging R&D, magazine); New Printing Technologies for Food Packages that illuminate the possibility of paint component migration. Perspectives of Polymerization Technologies usage within Inert Media. Global Experience. (organizer: Cursive Publishers) and a conference: The Superior Quality Printing with the usage of Cost–Efficient Paints and Dyes. Ways to Increase Efficiency of Printing Production based upon Application of Modern Dyes and Resource–Saving Technologies (organizer: Flexographia and Special Printing Technologies – Magazine supported by MVK International Exhibition Company).

Traditionally information and consulting centre provided free expert consultations for the visitors.

Project innovation: vacancies of the Rosupak exhibition. A special information stand presented the vacancies offered by the exhibitors, and the concerned candidate employees were able to meet their potential employers right at the show!

Advanced technologies

Advanced technologies which are annually demonstrated at the ROSUPAK exhibition contribute to development of the packaging industry, and the result of work can be appreciated by any common consumer when one comes to a shop to buy some well-packed goods.

This year for first time ever the exhibition presented a flexible packaging manufactured with use of nanomaterials. It is a joint project of the governmental corporation ROSNANO and company Danaflex (Kazan). Such packaging will make it possible to considerably reduce the food additives and prolong the “shelf-life” of products.

Repack Trade House traditionally introduced labeling, pre-packing and filling machinery. The specialists paid meticulous attention to a German printer of a new generation: Rea-jetSC which is able to provide high speed and precision of printing. As for the results of the exhibition, the company managers mentioned multiple sales negotiations held which proved the innovation is in demand.

The company also has one more innovative development: unique material for bottling of vodka and water in flexible packaging. The material is certified already, anda number of laboratory tests have been carried out. According to the test results, product doesn’t change its composition and taste when it comes into contact with the new material.

“Among the market tendencies there is a gradual switch from hard packaging to flexible packaging. For instance, distribution of automobile cosmetics into large doypack bags makes it possible to economize space in the trunk and make production much cheaper”, noticed an expert.

In future the company plans to try foodstuff production and offers packing ketchup, mayonnaise and some other sauces in large bags. Being guided by the aspiration to step out in the avant-garde of the trend Repack TH offers its clients new solutions and explores new sales markets.

Pakwerk Trade House LTD introduces to the market a new automatic line for packing of products in polyolefin film.

Among the key advantages of the automated line are its modular construction, low energy consumption, and some other thermo-appliances. The automatic line makes it possible to pack individual product items as well as groups of products. The unique design allows cut down the expenses on consumables. For an operator it is sufficient to deliver a product to the conveyor belt. After that the system of photo elements will independently control the whole process of packaging production. The machine is reliable in exploitation, universal, comfortable and secures productive capacity of about 1, 500 packaging items per hour.

Pit Firm LTD also introduced an innovative biodegradable packaging. The company experts noted that demand in this kind of packaging is increasing despite the crisis. Company TIKO-Plastic presented the bags made of biodegradable polyethylene with addition of d2w.such bags are not hazardous for the environment and are completely degradable throughout the period from 8 to 18 months.

Company Artplast introduced a multi-layer high-barrier film with application of holographic effects capable of counterfeit protection.

Company Russkaya Trapeza presented the latest packaging equipment and materials: packaging automatic machine РТ-УМ-ГШ for packing of a quantity of single piece food products from candies to bread and cookies, as well as single items of household utilities, etc. in flow pack bags and gusseted bags of a “double flat bottom” type. Besides, the company demonstrated a packaging machine of universal purpose with a multihead weigher SBi-310 (DPM 314 multihead) meant for packing of a wide range of products weighing from 25 gr. to 5 kg.

Company Notis introduced a packaging automated machine with a vertical screw dozer МДУ-01М-НОТИС-ДШВ. The machines are designed for pre-packing of hard-flowing powder-like products such as desiccated milk, cocoa, coffee and starch. Production capacity from 50 to 90 bags per minute depends on the dose weight. Thedoselimitsrangefrom 50 gr. to3 kg.