IPACK-IMA & MEAT-TECH stand out for their international scope

Alongside innovation, international scope will be one of the most distinctive characteristics of IPACK-IMA & MEAT-TECH 2018, the most important processing & packaging events for the food and non-food sectors to be held in the Fiera Milano exhibition centre from 29 May to 1 June.

The two concurrent shows have fully achieved their internationalisation targets thanks to the intense and wide-ranging efforts to ensure maximum visibility in global markets. The extensive international promotional campaign covered multiple channels, including participation in more than 50 exhibitions worldwide as well as press conferences in key markets, partnerships with 230 national and international publishers, social network activity, collaboration with associations and bodies, and direct promotion through the show’s own network of agents which generated more than 1 million contacts.

IPACK-IMA in particular benefited from a number of key international partnerships, most notably with Interpack which provided support with global promotional activities. Certification issued by the US Department of Commerce also endorsed IPACk-IMA's status amongst the important global exhibitions for US companies.

One week before the show is due to begin, no fewer than 546 international exhibitors from 45 countries have booked to take part, 37% of the total of 1,475 exhibitors and 17% more than in 2015.

No less significant is the number of pre-registered visitors, currently standing at more than 20% of the total (60,700 visitors have pre-registered with the two events or have expressed an intention to attend while visiting the other Innovation Alliance exhibitions in Rho). The largest number of applications for pre-accreditation this year came from China, India, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Turkey, Greece, UK, Israel, Portugal, Romania, Kosovo, Poland, Croatia, USA, Slovenia, Egypt, Algeria, Netherlands and Tunisia.

Thanks to their outstanding international reach, the shows were included in the extraordinary promotional plan for the Italian national exhibition system financed by the Ministry for Economic Development through the Italian Trade Agency ITA and involving the allocation of 1.2 million euros to the Innovation Alliance. The presence of delegations of selected buyers organised by ITA will boost the numbers of international visitors and help make the show even more global in its scope.

The largest delegation will consist of Indian buyers led by a senior official from the Indian Ministry of Food Processing, which is keen to show Indian buyers the latest technological innovations capable of driving the country’s industrial growth.