“That was the FACHPACK as we have known and appreciated it for a long time,” was the unanimous response of exhibitors and visitors at FACHPACK 2024, which closed its doors after three extremely successful days. 37,000 trade visitors, a third of them from abroad, came to the exhibition stands of the 1,455 exhibitors to find out about the latest trends and innovations and discuss pressing packaging issues with experts. The main theme ‘Transition in Packaging’ was evident in all halls and the supporting programme.
“The huge popularity of the event speaks for itself: Despite a changing packaging industry and many challenges, the European packaging sector showed itself to be extremely innovative, solution-oriented and confident at FACHPACK,” says Heike Slotta, Executive Director Exhibitions at NürnbergMesse. In 2025, FACHPACK will be held together with POWTECH TECHNOPHARM at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg.
“FACHPACK has once again proven to be a clear trendsetter and driving force for the European packaging industry. And that’s what we need! Because the packaging industry is undergoing a transformation. New regulations have to be implemented, and high expectations in terms of sustainability and the circular economy have to be met. At the same time, demographic change is presenting the industry with challenges. And then there are the issues around energy supply, supply chains, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. We have now experienced live in Nuremberg over three days just how innovatively, solution-oriented and optimistically the industry is meeting these challenges and helping to shape the change. The FACHPACK motto ‘We are making the future’ once again sums it up,” underlines Slotta, summarising the mood at FACHPACK 2024.
Visitors came from all over Europe
FACHPACK offered a comprehensive range of solutions and innovations in the fields of packaging, packaging technology and packaging processes. Most of the visitors to FACHPACK travelled to the exhibition centre from European countries. After Germany, the top 10 countries were Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Turkey and Hungary. The international share was 33 per cent.
96 per cent of the trade visitors were satisfied with the range of products in the exhibition halls, as shown by the results of a visitor survey conducted by an independent institute. Around 90 per cent of the trade visitors stated that they were involved in purchasing and procurement decisions at their companies. Two-thirds of them are in managerial positions. Visitors came primarily from the food and feed, pharmaceutical and medical, chemical, cosmetics, retail, automotive, electrical and electronics, non-food, logistics and packaging industries.
Women4Packaging network successfully launched
The Women4Packaging networking event was very well received: 150 female industry players took advantage of this unique opportunity to network and exchange ideas on current topics and trends in the packaging industry on the first day of the fair. The keynote speech by Vera Strauch, founder of the Female Leadership Academy and expert on feminist leadership, provided strong impetus. The initial meeting received a lot of praise – the Women4Packaging network will be continued and expanded accordingly, with the aim of putting women in the packaging industry in the spotlight in the future. Regular meetings are planned. Phuong Anh Do, Deputy Director FACHPACK, is overwhelmed by the positive response to the new industry platform: ‘There are numerous qualified women in the packaging industry. That’s why we are particularly pleased that we were able to launch Women4Packaging at FACHPACK, a pioneering network for women that offers industry participants a constructive exchange and real added value on an equal footing.”
German Packaging Award and Gold Awards presented
On the first day of FACHPACK, the German Packaging Institute (dvi) announced the winners of the Gold Awards at this year’s German Packaging Award. The five best innovations of 2024 come from the categories of digitalisation, functionality & convenience, sustainability and packaging machines. A total of 41 innovative solutions that had already received a German Packaging Award in August were celebrated.
In early summer 2025, Packaging Valley e.V. and FACHPACK will cooperate for the new ‘Packaging Machinery Forum’ format. The leading forum for packaging machinery manufacturing offers exclusive insights into the future of the industry. The focus is on the topics of customers of packaging machinery manufacturing. Technological topics such as digitalisation will be highlighted, as will questions of business models, developments in the markets and how future-proof production can be ensured. Participants can also look forward to tailored sessions for individual issues, held by high-calibre experts. The forum also provides an ideal networking platform that facilitates direct links to decision-makers and thought leaders in the industry. More information will be available shortly.
The next FACHPACK will be held together with POWTECH TECHNOPHARM at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre from 23 to 25 September 2025.