ProPak Asia 2003, one of Asia's leading packaging exhibitions, is said to be the largest show in seven years - although SARS is expected impact final visitor numbers.
The 11th show will open its doors 28th - 31st May 2003 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), Bangkok. This year the organizers claim that the show has attracted more than 300 companies including national groups and independent exhibitors from over 30 countries. The event will welcome a number of new to market products including Volpak's flexible pouch packaging machinery for the tuna industry.
New to market companies at the exhibition will include the Ammeraal Beltech Group, a Dutch conveyor and process belt manufacturer with 22 companies worldwide and now operating in Thailand. New to ProPak Asia from Thailand itself is Putter Food and Products, which will be exhibiting its range of products including an ice cream making machine, a soft drink machine, a homogeniser and a stainless steel food grade pump. Industry leaders returning to ProPak Asia include Better Pack, Krones, Ishida, Clear Pack, Fuji Ace, Eminence and IWK Packaging.
Official and independent groups will be present from the United Kingdom, Spain, China, Singapore and Taiwan with individual participation from six continents including South America, Europe, Australasia, North America, Africa and of course Asia. International visitors are expected from throughout Asia with delegations confirmed from Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines, however with the recent restriction on travel in the region the level is not expected to be as high as previous years. However in Thailand the organisers say that visitor response has been positive following a strengthened campaign.
The organisers, Bangkok Exhibition Services, say they have been quick to respond to the market changes, adapting their promotion campaign accordingly, re-directing resources into Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India.
According to David Aitken, general manager of Bangkok Exhibition Services, "the show has received excellent support reflecting Thailand's strong position as the processing and packaging hub for South East Asia. We hope that this event will demonstrate the resilience of the market and give a boost to the industry in Asia."
This year's FoSTAT/ProPak Asia Food Conference organised in conjunction with the Federation of Institutes of Food Science and Technology in the ASEAN is titled "Food Supply Chain and Consumer Safety" which directly confronts the topical issues of production efficiency and food safety. The FIFSTA conference who's members include Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam will hear from industry experts from the public and private sector including Nestle, the National Food Processors Association, Chulalongkorn University, Berli Jucker and Tesco Lotus.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Manu Leawpairoj, will open ProPak Asia 2003 at 10 am, Wednesday 28 May. The event will run daily from 10.30 am - 7 pm, until Saturday 31May 2003. Trade visitors can register onsite.
ProPak Asia is organised by local organiser Bangkok Exhibition Services Ltd. who are members of the Allworld Exhibitions Alliance (formerly known as The Montgomery Network), the world's largest group of exhibition organisers with offices in 34 countries and 150 events worldwide.