The recent staging of Pack Print International 2015, the 5th International Packaging and Printing Exhibition for Asia, whch took place August 26-29, attracted 300 exhibitors from 20 countries and 14,615 visitors from 50 nations. Jointly organized by The Thai Packaging Association, The Thai Printing Association and Messe Düsseldorf Asia in Jakarta, Bangkok, the event presented a wide array of the latest developments for the packaging and printing supply chain.

“We are very pleased with the success of the exhibition, also in light of the recent safety and security concerns in Bangkok. On closing, we registered strong visitor numbers and significant sales transacted on the show floor – both of which confirmed the ‘pull’ factor of this world-class exhibition,” comments Gernot Ringling, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf Asia.

Companies such as Heidelberg Graphics, Konica Minolta, Takano Machinery, Wanjin, Sansin, Superior Inkjet and Hewlett-Packard (HP) reported machinery sales during the show. First-time exhibitor Wanjin, a specialist in print finishing, sold two machines on the first day of the exhibition.

According to Korarit Jindatanon, PSB product marketing manager for Fuji Xerox (Thailand), the company chose to introduce its Color 1000i Press to the Thai market at the event, looking to target the regional audience.

HP, who had the largest digital printing booth at the exhibition this year, highlighted its extensive fleet of machinery, specifically its HP Indigo Digital Presses and HP Latex Printers. HP (Singapore) Business Development Manager Daniel Leong comments: “The objective of our participation at Pack Print International was to showcase the latest Indigo technology and other new presses to the Thai market and we were successful at this exhibition. This show is amazing! We had lots of people visiting our booth and received many sales enquiries and leads. We will definitely be back in two years’ time.”

During the four-day event, Pack Print International 2015 welcomed a diverse range of visitors from the packaging and printing sectors, including corporate groups and delegations as well as industry associations from India, Vietnam, Philippines, and for the first time from Mauritius. Preliminary statistics indicate that the majority of overseas visitors came from China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Vietnam.

A series of seminars and conferences complemented the exhibits, such as the “Food and Beverage Packaging” conference, organized by Food Focus Thailand and Kasetsart University and the “Packaging Design Innovation and Technology” conference organized by The Thai Packaging Association, the European Aluminum Foil Association and Flexible Packaging Europe.

Geared primarily to provide consultant and business matching services to packaging and printing companies, the two “consultancy clinics” organized by The Thai Packaging Association and The Thai Printing Association were well received. According to Chaivudhi Pungthong, president of the Thai Packaging Association, the “Packaging Clinic” saw more than 100 companies, particularly suppliers from Latin America, India and China inquiring about new packaging designs and materials.

The next edition of Pack Print International will be held September 20–23, 2017 in Bangkok.