On the 24th of March 2015 the doors opened for AUSPACK 2015. This was certainly an event that will be remembered not only for its size, the quality of the exhibits and the number of visitors but also for the celebration of 30 years in delivering the latest in packaging and processing machinery and solutions for businesses throughout Australasia.
Hon. Adem Somyurek MLC, Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, State Government Victoria, and Mark Dingley, Chairman of the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) officially opened the show.
Over the next four days a record-breaking 7344 visits were recorded with visitors captivated by the quantity, range and innovations on show and according to the post show reviews, many gained new suppliers and industry leads to help them keep their businesses growing.
Proudly owned and presented by the APPMA, AUSPACK 2015 surpassed all expectations and saw the largest amount of visitors, exhibitors and floor space in its 30 year history. The event was sponsored by insignia and Matthews.
According to Mr Luke Kasprzak, Portfolio Director – Industrial Division, Exhibition and Trade Fairs, “AUSPACK 2015 had 385 exhibiting companies, including 127 internationals and 68 APPMA Member companies, showcasing 1284 brands and the latest innovative processing and packaging machinery and solutions.”
“AUSPACK continues to be a successful event because it is an invaluable opportunity to view the latest products and innovations in the processing and packaging industries. The show has grown exponentially and we see the expansion as a testament of the event’s reputation in Australia and abroad.” He said.
The introduction of Packaging & Processing Week not only covered AUSPACK but also included a range of educational and social functions for visitors and exhibitors over the four days.
The 2015 APPMA Industry Excellence Awards, which are designed to recognise outstanding innovation in packaging and processing from design to production, were held at the Crown Towers with over 380 people in attendance. Awards categories included Export Achievement Award, Design Achievement Award, Customer Partnership Award, the Imported Equipment Award, Best New Product Award and the APPMA Scholarship. The 2015 APPMA Industry Excellence Awards were sponsored by Agility, Midway Metals, PKN Packaging News and SMC Australia.
The APPMA also continued their long-standing partnership with the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) who coordinated the National Technical Forums that were held in conjunction with AUSPACK. The National Technical Forums saw eight internationals and forty speakers cover an extensive range of topics relating to the theme Open Innovation & Collaboration over the four days. The forums were sponsored by Integrated Machinery, GE, KHS, GunnLab, Metalprint, Rockwell Automation, UPM Raflatac, Wellman Packaging and Cormack Packaging.
“AUSPACK 2015 was a very special show as not only was it the 30th anniversary of the event but it also exceeded all expectations. The value of face-to-face networking is invaluable and the level of optimism by both exhibitors and visitors was the highest it has been in years. We received positive feedback from the exhibitors on the quality of visitors this year and we have already received a large number of expressions of interest to exhibit at AUSPACK 2017 in Sydney.” Mr Kasprzak said.
AUSPACK 2017 will be held on the 7th to the 10th of March 2017 in Sydney.