At a time of intense cost pressure on raw materials and overall inflationary conditions, IppStar’s one-day conference in Mumbai this year looks at the transformative possibilities of improving the packaging industry’s profitability. First, we will look at packaging’s contribution to the growth and profit of the consumer economy. And then, we will examine the efficiencies of the packaging supply chain to find the bottlenecks and constraints that can be reduced by data and innovation. The idea is to look at the practical steps to streamline the industry to benefit the brand owners, material suppliers, packaging converters, copackers, and retailers. We have to get each process on the same page.
From consumer product development to the optimal design of packaging for effective protection and efficient logistics, and waste recovery, can examination of the fair cost, timeliness, and price of each process enhance the overall viability of the supply chain? For instance, what is the fair value of packaging that ensures the safety of food products and extends their shelf life? To the consumer, most of all? To the brand owner and food processor, and to the economy? In other words, where is the value? And, where is the money?
We plan to examine the issues of compliance and competition in an open economy. Can companies that comply with various regulations compete with companies that don’t? How can companies remain profitable without large amounts of working capital invested in raw materials, especially at a time of global economic crisis?
Are reverse auctions by brand owners really the most efficient method of price discovery for packaging? Are there too many packaging suppliers? Or is the problem that they are undifferentiated? Are the current methods of qualifying developing packaging vendors lacking in criteria, or is this now a meaningless concept?
The Packaging South Asia Conference in Mumbai on 9 October plans to look at growth and scaling strategies beyond simply adding printing and converting capacity. It will discuss investment in automation and innovation and how to get these to yield quantifiable results that add to the bottom line. How to implement these into efficiency applications. The next set of innovations is not necessarily new machines or technology, but concepts and ecosystems that begin with industry leaders agreeing on the challenges. And starting conversations that are influential and collaborative with inventors, tech, and raw material suppliers, converters, co-packers, and brand owners.
This is a next-generation conference – literally and in terms of building economic products and packaging systems that are data and cloud-aware. We invite those who can articulate the challenges and share their experience and ideas for the development, marketing, and supply of new products. Where the demand, logistics, and packaging come first, and the product is designed to fit the supply chain.
Who will lead innovation? Suppliers of tech, packaging converters, or brand owners? Over the past years, there has been much talk of innovation and sustainability. Some pioneering efforts and collabs have taken place. Here is a one-day opportunity to discuss your ideas openly with others who are ready to share the challenges for long-term and structured growth that many packaging companies are facing at various points in their journey.
There may not be any easy or simple answers, but the number of packaging companies that are attempting to grow is increasing. While SKU volumes and formats are growing, what are the most profitable paths to investment in capacity? Can the industry build an ecosystem in which excellence in quality and efficiency go hand in hand with profitability? Join us for these interesting conversations in Mumbai on 9 October at the Novotel in Mumbai.
