Get New Business Ideas from Recommended 2023 Printing & Packaging Shows

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Packaging and the printed information or designs on them have a key role in today’s modern world. “Packaging is a critical enabler for the everyday lives of most consumers,” states a McKinsey report which forecasts that up to 2030, the global packaging industry will be impacted by trends including the persistence of e-commerce, social media-influenced consumer preferences, a push toward sustainable packaging, and digitization. Among these, sustainability and e-commerce will be the main or “megatrends” that will create uncertainty and challenges on one hand, but also opportunities.

Allied Market Research forecasts a 4.3 percent CAGR for the global packaging and protective packaging market so it will reach $1.3 trillion in 2031. Paper and paperboard packaging, which accounted for a third of the market share, is expected to maintain its lead throughout the forecast period.

The printing for the packaging sector, meanwhile, is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.7 percent to be worth $441.1 billion by 2030. Increasing demand for attractive packaging, particularly for food and beverage, health care, and personal care products, is driving growth.

If you are a packaging and printing professional who is raring to learn more about the latest industry trends as well as gain new business ideas to maximize your company’s growth potential, one of the best practices is to participate in printing and packaging trade shows.

There are several international printing and packaging and trade fairs throughout the year that industry professionals must consider attending. Among these are an online packaging trade fair, a Las Vegas packaging trade fair, a textile printing trade show in Italy, a food packaging trade show in Germany, a 3D printing trade show in Vietnam, and a sustainable packaging trade show in London.

Find out more about these reputable printing and packaging trade shows below to catch the latest updates of these trade fairs with products and new business ideas from industry practitioners and thought leaders.

8 Highly Recommended Printing & Packaging Shows 2023

1. Global Sources Printing & Packaging Online Show

Products: Printing & Packaging Supplies (for Food & Beverage, Gifts & Retail, and Cosmetics), Packaging Machines

Date: May 5 - 20, 2023

About the show:

This printing and packaging trade show is the first of its kind by Global Sources, a more than 50-year international B2B trade platform. This trade fair is unique because it is a mega-virtual fair that gathers several hundred verified suppliers and with over 100,000 packaging and printing products from the Global Sources high-quality database. This online show provides packaging and printing industry professionals with a convenient way to find out the latest products and services on offer from suppliers, shortlist business partners, and negotiate the best wholesale deals without booking flights or hotel rooms.

This online packaging and printing trade show highlights the latest trends in packaging and printing machines as well as supplies for the food and beverage packaging, gifts and retail packaging, and cosmetics packaging sectors. Among the key features of this online packaging show are a 360° Virtual Showroom for suppliers and industry updates via Industry Insight articles.

The show preview began on April 10, 2023, to enable professional buyers to start their sourcing activities early.

2. PRINT-TECH Expo

Products: Printing machines, 3D printing equipment and software, printing materials, and components

Date: September 5 - 7, 2023

About the show:

Warsaw PRINT-TECH Expo will be held at the Ptak Warsaw Expo (PWE), in the capital city of Poland. This printing industry trade show features manufacturers and distributors of machines and equipment for offset, digital, large-format printing, industrial and special printing, and 3D printing; companies offering digital printing software; suppliers of bookbinding technologies; and transport and distribution companies. Some 20,000 visitors are expected to attend this year’s edition of the fair. A total of 20 conferences on the latest trends in the printing industry are scheduled. The total exhibition space will cover 25,000 sqm at PWE.

3. ITMA

Products: Printing machinery, auxiliary printing machinery, accessories for printing machines, inks

Date: June 8 - 14, 2023

About the show:

Organized by Le Comite Europeen des Constructuers de Machines Textiles (CEMATEX), ITMA displays innovative textile and garment processing technologies, machinery, and materials. Garment and textile printing is one of the key areas of this trade fair. Exhibits and conferences at the show are expected to cover the following topics: Advanced Materials, Innovative Technologies, Automation & Digital Future, and Sustainability & Circularity. This trade fair will be held at the Fiera Milano Rho, the largest exhibition center in Italy, with about 345,000 sqm of exhibition space and meeting rooms.

4. Interpak

Products: Packaging products, materials, services

Date: May 4 - 10, 2023

About the show:

Interpak is known as “the largest and most important trade fair for the packaging sector and related process industries” in the world, with a net exhibition area of 178,131sqm and attracting more than 170,000 visitors. According to show organizer Messe Dusseldorf, Interpak 2023 will showcase entire value creation chains including the production of packaging products and materials up to quality assurance and consumer protection. This packaging trade fair highlights processes and machinery for the packaging of food (including confectionery and bakery), beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, non-food consumer goods and industrial goods. Other exhibitors are those involved in services, logistics and transport.

5. PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023

Products: Packaging and processing solutions

Date: September 11 - 13, 2023

About the show:

A biennial packaging trade show, PACK EXPO Las Vegas is produced by PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. To be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Pack Expo will feature full-scale setups of machinery, including robots in action; packaging, processing, automation and supply chain solutions for 40-plus verticals; educational sessions; and an exhibit titled “PACK to the Future” of historic packaging equipment. Exhibiting companies will be grouped into seven pavilions: The Processing Zone, Logistics, Healthcare Packaging, Containers and Materials, Confectionery, Reusable Packaging and PACKage Printing. If you are a professional buyer visiting Las Vegas, PACK EXPO should be on your bucket list.

6. 3D Print Fiesta

Products: Machines, equipment, tools, accessories and technologies for 3D printing and additive manufacturing

Date: June 21 - 23, 2023

About the show:

To be held at the Binh Duong Convention & Exhibition Center, this 3D printing trade show is in its ninth year in Vietnam. Some 200 companies are expected to display their latest products and services in an exhibition area covering 10,000sqm. Exhibitors are companies supplying 3D printers and scanners, laser machines for model and tool making, machines for rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing, 3D measuring devices, graphics and modeling software, CAD/CAM systems, and more.

7. PRINTING United Expo

Products: Printing technologies and applications

Date:  October 18 - 20, 2023

About the show:

Held annually, this printing trade fair is touted as the “most dynamic and comprehensive printing event in the world.”  Participating companies are grouped into exhibit themes including Commercial Printing, Labels & Packaging, Graphics/Wide-Format, Apparel Decoration, Functional/Industrial, In-Plant, Promotional, and Mailing & Fulfillment. The venue of the show is the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, USA, whose total exhibition area covers about a million square feet, according to organizer Printing United Alliance.

8. Responsible Packaging Expo

Products: Sustainable packaging supplies and services

Date: October 10 - 11, 2023

About the show:

Responsible Packaging Expo 2023 will feature about 200 packaging suppliers who will not only showcase and provide demonstrations of their products but will offer free business consultations as well. At least 100 hours of seminars are scheduled, top-billed by thought leaders in the packaging and labeling industries. This sustainable packaging trade show will be held at ExCel London, in the Royal Docks area of the city.

Come and see the latest in Packaging & Printing now

If you’re a packaging and printing professional who doesn’t want travel time and other inconveniences to get in the way of your sourcing activities, then the best show for you is the one you can do from your desktop or armchair such as Global Sources Printing & Packaging Online Show. The show preview began on April 10, 2023. You can start shortlisting products and potential suppliers now while waiting for the official opening of the show on May 5, 2023. The show will last until May 20, 2023.

Check out the first-ever Global Sources Printing & Packaging Online Show now!