The trade exhibition will afford over 600 exhibitors the opportunity to display and demonstrate their newest products and will give visitors the opportunity to see the latest state-of-the-art equipment and machinery, auxiliary products and services. Many new products and services are expected to be unveiled at the show.
An all-encompassing event and a forum for trading, networking, learning and product sourcing, visitors to the show can expect to see many leading South African companies across Halls 5, 6 and 7 and outside exhibits, as well as international exhibitors.
Many new packaging trends are emerging globally. Euromonitor’s August 2018 Packaging in South Africa report outlines a growing demand for both smaller and larger pack sizes, as well as a boost in the development of formats such as plastic pouches, no frills packaging and more convenient packaging options for on-the-go lifestyles.
Companies will be looking for efficiency improvements, cost containment and targeting new market segments as a priority in 2019, to drive improved profitability and better returns. Spending time at Propak Africa will enable visitors to find products and solutions to address these priorities.
“The show is ideally positioned for visitors to learn about latest industry trends, speak to technical experts, find solutions to their business needs and to benefit from seeing the live demonstrations of machinery and products in action,” says event director Sven Smit. “With packaging being an essential requirement across most industry sectors, we understand the importance of reflecting this at the show, which is why we bring packaging, plastics, print, labeling and food processing together at one venue.”
Free-to-attend seminars
New to Propak Africa this year is the Seminar Theatre in Hall 7. More than 20 industry leaders from the packaging, printing, and plastics industries will be sharing their insights into the latest developments and challenges in these industries over the four days of the show. The seminars are free to attend and the topics will be aligned with the themed days.
Four days, four themes
Also new to this year’s Propak Africa is an ‘every day a themed day’ experience, where each day of the show will focus on a different theme. Day one will focus on new products that are being showcased at Propak Africa. Smit says that “we want to celebrate these and will be highlighting a few of the top ones.” On view close to the visitor registration area will be ten new product display showcases that feature end products and a QR code that can be scanned to access a short video. Visitors will also receive a show programme where they can find which exhibitors will have new products on their stands.
On day two, sustainability will be in the spotlight and ways to promote good environmental practices through packaging. Visitors will be able to learn more at the Sustainability Pavilion in Hall 5 where Producer Responsibility Organisations will be exhibiting alongside Packaging SA. Many exhibitors will also be highlighting their latest sustainability initiatives.
A new Skills Development Area in Hall 5 has been developed in partnership with the Artisan Training Institute (ATI) and will showcase a fully functional workshop. Students will be demonstrating skills learned at ATI that are relevant to the industries represented at the show. Taking place for the duration of the show, it will provide a focus point on day three’s skills development theme in addition to spotlighting exhibitors’ skills development initiatives. Visitors will also see innovative designs from the Institute of Packaging Southern Africa (IPSA) Student Goldpack Awards finalists; a window to the future of packaging
“The final day of the show is our ‘local is lekker’ South African day,” states Smit. ”Propak Africa is celebrating its 44th year and the success of the co-located events, and the day is also a celebration of both our local and our international exhibitors who contribute to the industry and to the South African economy.”
Conferences alongside Propak Africa
In addition to the seminars, four conferences will be taking place alongside Propak Africa, providing additional learning opportunities for visitors. The Institute of Packaging SA (IPSA) Think Tank will take place on 12 and 13 March, the Printing SA and South African Institute of Printing (SAIP) Conference will take place on 13 March and the SAPRO and WWF-SA Design for Recycling Workshop will take place on 13 March. VDS Media’s Propak Africa Packaging Innovation and Sustainability Conference will take place on 14 March.
For further information and online visitor registration, visit www.propakafrica.co.za.
