Packaging South Asia: Please tell me about PMMI activities in India and South Asia – in recent years, currently or being planned.
Chuck Yuska: Since the turn of the century, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has made a concerted effort to engage our membership with the many opportunities available throughout Asia. We manage an extensive list of agents across the continent, so our members can access it as they look to expand in the region. For the past 16 years, we have participated in ProPak China, and in the last five years began relationships with ProPak Thailand as well as ProPak Vietnam. Some of our member companies have travelled to Drinktec India and the annual India Packaging Show as exhibitors and attendees. At Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 (28 to 30 September, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas) we will be releasing our Global Packaging trend report, which shines a positive light on the favorable climate of the flexible packaging market in India. Our association is constantly compiling research to identify trends and investment plans for all markets, including South Asia.
PSA: Have there been many South Asian attendees at Pack Expo? What are the trends?
CY: Our Pack Expo shows alternate locations annually between Pack Expo International in Chicago, held in the even years, and Pack Expo Las Vegas, held in the odd years. While both shows have always had a steady stream of attendees from India, over the past four years we have started seeing many more visitors from Bangladesh and Pakistan at both Pack Expo International and Pack Expo LasVegas. We won’t have the final attendance numbers for Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015 until after the show, but from 2012 through 2014, attendance from Pakistan and Bangladesh each increased by over 100%. India, which still sends the most attendees from South Asia, grew 66% from 2012-2014.
PSA: Have there been any South Asian exhibitors at Pack Expo? What are the trends?
CY: The trends of note when it comes to South Asian exhibitors are both the growing number of exhibitors and the areas represented. In 2012, we had a dozen exhibitors from South Asia at Pack Expo International, and they were all from India. In 2013, that changed and we saw exhibitors from Pakistan on the show floor. In 2014, Bangladesh was represe- nted. I am happy to say that at the time of this interview, we have surpassed 40 exhibitors from South Asia, with 43 currently scheduled for Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015. South Asia recognizes that Pack Expo Las Vegas brings together decision makers from a wide array of industries across the supply chain.
PSA: Given the status of the packaging industry in South Asia compared to the US – what are the most valuable insights that Pack Expo can give to South Asian packagers?
CY: Pack Expo Las Vegas will be the world’s largest packaging and processing event in 2015. Co-located with Pharma Expo, a joint venture from PMMI and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE),the two shows will have over 800,000 net square feet of combined exhibit space, more than 30,000 processing and packaging professionals and in excess of 2,000 exhibiting companies. For SouthAsia in particular, research from our Global Packaging trend report indicates that flexible packaging remains the dominant package of choice, but increasing consumer demand for premium packaging is driving growth. From India to Japan, Asian consumers are trading up to high-end products that are perceived to be of higher quality, such as metal beverage cans in beer and glass bottles and jars in skin care. Exhibitors at Pack Expo LasVegas know that today’s customers are looking towards packaging to differentiate products and offer solutions to meet these needs.
Our study indicates that environmentally friendly products are beginning to gain a foothold in SouthAsia, andPack Expo Las Vegas offers free education for companies looking to invest in green packaging in exhibitor’s booths, at The Innovation Stages and in the Reusables Learning Center, hosted by the Reusable Packaging Association.
PSA: What are the main things you want South Asian packagers to know about PMMI and Pack Expo?
CY: PMMI represents more than 700 North American companies that provide a full range of processing and packaging machinery, materials, components and containers. Our association serves as the 365-day-a-year communities for products connecting solution providers and end-users, helping them make more informed decisions to improve their businesses. The largest way we convene the industry is our Pack Expo portfolio of trade shows that now includes PackExpo LasVegas 2015; Pharma Expo, co-located with Pack Expo Las Vegas 2015; Pack Expo East, 13 to 15 February 2017 (Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia); Expo Pack México 2016, 17 to 20 May 2016 (Mexico City, Expo Bancomer Santa Fe); and Expo Pack Guadalajara 2017, 13 to 15 June 2017 (Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico).Earlierthis year we launched the PMMI Media Group, a market-leading B2B media company that produces information for processing and packaging professionals, bringing together solution providers and end-users and facilitating connectivity throughout
the supply chain.
