EBM

Eminence Business Media

Monday, September 29, 2014

Tokyo Pack 2014 ready to pack in new technology

The largest packaging show in Asia in both the number of exhibitors and visitors, Tokyo Pack 2014 - the premier packaging exhibition focusing on the packaging industry is set to hit Japan on October 7 to 10. Launched in 1966 and owned and operated directly by the Japan Packaging Institute (JPI), the biennial (every two years) exhibition will feature more than 2,600 booths representing 600 companies in the 23,000m2 exhibition space, and is expected to attract more than 70,000 visitors from inside Japan and overseas.

With Japan being one of the most advanced packaging markets in Asia and the world, Tokyo Pack is the place to be at to see the latest state-of-the-art packaging solutions, network with major industry players from around the globe, and gain business opportunities in the booming Asian market.

Tokyo Pack is also aiming to showcase the best the packaging industry has to offer. This year’s event features the Next Generation High Performance Packaging Pavilion, with extended shelf life solutions, environmentally-friendly packages and new decoration and print technology solutions. Interesting packages on display include a special sprout-integrated pouch for beverages and liquid food, from Japan’s Ecodpack, designed to reduce weight and save on raw materials.

Ecodpack says liquid products can be dispensed by squeezing the pouch, and a mechanism prevents air from flowing into the pack - protecting the product. Liquid food products can also be dispensed without solid food particles clogging.

Foreigners visiting the exhibition need not worry about negotiating the business-language and cultural barrier: the organizer is offering a range of services including a system that will help visitors easily identify exhibitor booths where business discussions can comfortably take place in English, and a series of seminars explaining the Japanese packaging market and industry and optional city tours of retail formats.

PopPack from the US will demonstate its reclosable bubble solution, which opens and closes flexible packages with a popping sound to provide assurance that the contents are fresh, well sealed and have not been tampered with. PopPack says it hopes to find partners at Tokyo Pack to help it introduce the technology to the Japanese market.

To help out international visitors who do not speak Japanese, this year stands will have signs saying ‘English speaker available’ to identify where business discussions can comfortably take place in English.
Staff at the Foreign Visitor desk at the International Lounge will be on-hand to assist foreign visitors with enquires and guide them to exhibits showcasing the packaging solutions and technologies they are sourcing for.

The expo will feature more than 2600 booths representing 654 companies in the 51,380sqm exhibition space. Organisers say more than 170,000 people visited the last Tokyo Pack in 2012.