On 18 June 2019, the 24th international packaging industry exhibition RosUpack opens at Moscow’s Crocus Expo. Event Director Sergey Ditev spoke to Unipack.ru to spill the beans on what to expect from this year’s leading packaging industry gathering.

How is the preparation going for RosUpack 2019?

Preparation is in full swing - this year the exhibition has expanded; we’re expecting more than 120 new exhibiting companies. We’re gaining momentum and have seen a whole lot of visitor registrations already.

Unveiled last year, the new branding for the show, which went down very well, is being updated.
Exhibitors have already begun to prepare for the event and we’re almost fully booked in terms of stand space. Exhibitors are especially active in the packaging and packaging production sectors; many companies have increased their stands.

This year, RosUpack is working closely with the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) and we’re expecting a delegation from them at the exhibition.

RosUpack is the main event for the packaging industry in Russia and Eastern Europe. How much interest is there from international companies?

Dozens of new companies from Russia, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, India, Taiwan and many other countries have joined RosUpack 2019. Exhibitors will present a lot of interesting equipment and new products. Just some of the new companies include Italpack srl, C & C GROUP SRL, IMS Technologies Spa, Sembol Plastik, Meypak Plastik, Ekopack Kağit, Met Kağıtçılık, TCM Solutions, HO-MA GmbH, and Inospray.

We’ll also have national stands for companies from Italy, South Korea and Egypt.

This year's RosUpack takes place in an uneasy international economic and political environment. Is the current situation affecting event preparations?

I’ve spoken with many international companies and of course they do complain about the tense situation and sanctions, but they also say that the Russian market continues to be very attractive. This is confirmed by the number of international companies joining us for the first time.

What are the main topics for the exhibition this year?

For some time now, the issue of resource conservation and environmental awareness has been of paramount importance so we’re trying to really focus on this issue.

This year’s renewed and expanded business programme includes a conference on Sustainable Packaging and Responsible Consumption, which will review global trends and environmental initiatives by leading market players, highlight consumer trends, and present cases of developing and using sustainable innovations.

What are the features of RosUpack this year?

RosUpack runs alongside Printech, the exhibition of equipment, technologies and materials for the printing and advertising production. Last year, the two events occupied 2 halls in Pavilion 3 of Crocus Expo, this year Printech has a separate hall - 13, and RosUpack occupies halls 14 and 15.

This year, RosUpack was included for the first time in the list of international exhibitions supported by the Russian Export Center. This gives Russian exhibitors the opportunity to receive significant subsidies for exhibiting.

Will RosUpack hold the PART Awards again this year?

Yes, this year we are once again happy to invite manufacturers and designers of packaging solutions, as well as students to take part in the annual PART Awards. We’ve revised the categories to three: Manufacturer of the Year, Student Concept and the new Sustainable Packaging, judged by the Ecological Union, Life-leaf eco-labelling operator. The prize, like the exhibition, keeps up with the times and keeps abreast of industry trends.

We’ll also have several prizes from our partners: the BrandHub project will present participants with a certificate for developing a brand on a turnkey basis, and the winner of the Manufacturer of the Year category will be able to participate in the WorldStar Awards competition of the World Packaging Organisation. We’ve also expanded the jury and included representatives of branding agencies and packaging specialists of food producers. The expert jury is headed by the Director General of the National Confederation of Packers, Alexander Gavriilovich Boyko.

I’d like to invite everyone to take part in the awards. The earlier the application is submitted, the lower the registration fee and the final deadline is 7th June.

What awaits us in the business programme of events?

The business programme accompanying the RosUpack and Printech exhibitions this year focuses on the synergy of both events. RosUpack will host major events on technological innovations in packaging, sustainable and responsible production, as well as the design and branding of packaging solutions. A total of 11 events will be held, in which 100 speakers and 1,800 delegates will take part. Speakers from among the largest players in the packaging industry including Stora Enso, Mondi, Metsa Board, Nestle, and Unilever, have already been confirmed.

We’ve organised different formats – not only reports, but also case studies, discussion sessions and master classes. I am sure that the programme will not disappoint!

For those in the printing business, we’ve planned several events: the Printech Business Academy, where we’ll consider the development and diversification of the printing business and promotion of services, the Printing School, which is a series of technical workshops, and a separate day for discussing colour control issues.

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