UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA 2011: The Russian packaging market is gaining noticeable momentum

With approximately 143 million consumers, Russia is one of the most important foreign markets for consumer goods in the world, in particular for food and beverages, which currently account for about 30% of consumer spending in Russia and spending on food predicted to rise by 62% by 2015.

At the same time, living and eating habits are changing, with convenience products enjoying great popularity. Their growing popularity and availability is accompanied by a growing number of super- and hypermarkets, which can increasingly be found even in medium-sized towns. These developments have given a new stimulus to the Russian packaging industry and there is great interest in innovative technologies and materials for producing packaging. Following a slump in demand due to the impact of the global financial and economic crisis in 2009 and early 2010 the market is now picking up and gaining momentum again, as reported in unison by the exhibitors at UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA 2011, the international trade fair for packaging machinery, packaging production and packaging material.

Russia's leading trade fair took place from 25 - 28 January, in parallel to INTERPLASTICA 2011, the international trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry, as has now become established tradition. Together, they attracted some 20,000 trade visitors from Russia and the neighbouring countries to the Krasnya Presnya Expocenter in Moscow, where 890 exhibitors presented their products and services, covering a total area of over 17,000 square metres. Erhard Wienkamp, a Member of the Management Board of Messe Düsseldorf responsible for international trade fairs, was very pleased. "The fact that exhibitors at UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA present innovative technologies has proven itself - and this attracts experts in the industry from the entire CIS. The rise in the number of exhibitors and the increased area covered by the fair alone indicate that manufacturers have regained confidence in the Russian market, and the outcome is proof that this confidence was justified. They have reported a significant rise in demand and intense negotiations, and are optimistic about the prospects for post-fair business".

The trade visitors were visibly impressed by the range of international goods and services on offer at UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA, which was attended by exhibitors from 18 different countries. The largest numbers of exhibitors came from Russia, Italy and Germany, with official national presentations from Germany, Italy and France, amongst others. This was the 19th time that the fair, organised by Messe Düsseldorf and its Russian subsidiary OOO Messe Düsseldorf Moscow, in cooperation with the Italian event coordinator Centrexpo S.p.A., was held in Moscow.

Russia is the 3rd most important market worldwide for German food and beverage packaging machine manufacturers. After the economic crash in 2009 exports recovered in 2010 and were about 4% higher than in the same period the previous year in the first eleven months of the year, amounting to around ?400 million. Vera Fritsche from the VDMA Fachverband Nahrungsmittel- und Verpackungsmaschinen (trade association of food and packaging machines) sees great potential in the Russian market in future, too: "Germany has been Russia's most important trading partner for supplying food processing and packaging machines for many years now. The credit crunch combined with high interest rates caused Russian companies to put a lot of projects on ice, but now things are getting going again."

Annunziata Landi from the Italian National Institute for Foreign Trade, ICE, is also optimistic about the recovery of the market. After exports of Italian packaging machinery had dropped by almost half in 2009, in comparison to 2008, they rose by 7.2% (in comparison to the same period in 2009) in the first nine months of 2010, rising to approximately ?96 million. "Italian machine manufacturers are convinced that the recovery of the market will continue and see good prospects for the future here", she said. This opinion is shared by Raffaela Bigari from the Italian trade fair organiser Centrexpo and Andrea Briganti from A.C.I.M.G.A., the Italian Manufacturers Association of Machinery for the Graphics, Paper and Converting Industry. "The manufacturers' optimism is evident not least from the increased number of exhibitors here at the fair, which is the most important event for the entire packaging industry in Russia" said Bigari. "Key players in the field of converting continue to exhibit because they believe in the recovery of the Russian market." The A.C.I.M.G.A.'s figures provide proof of the positive trend: In the first nine months of 2010 the value of machinery exported to non-EU countries in Europe saw a year-on-year increase of 3.9%.

There was a significant increase in the number of Russian exhibitors, rising from 79 to 106, representing a good cross-section of the product range at the most important trade fair in their home market.

The visitors' level of technical qualification was emphasised by all of the exhibitors. They were well informed, interested in state-of-the-art technology and specific, tailor-made products. Some had come to the capital from very distant regions of the CIS, although there were a few delegations which cancelled their plans to attend following the terrorist attack on Moscow airport.

The seminar programme at UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA 2011, which featured various workshops and lectures on current topics within the packaging industry, also proved very popular.

The next UPAKOVKA/UPAK ITALIA will take place in Moscow in early 2012, once again in parallel to INTERPLASTICA.

Further information is available online from www.upakovka-upakitalia.com or by contacting Miriam Rüß, Tel. +49 (0)211/4560-7739, e-mail RuessM@messe-duesseldorf.de or Marie-Luise Schläfke, Tel. +49 (0)211/4560-7741, e-mail SchlaefkeM@messe-duesseldorf.de at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH.