The Emballage Exhibition in Paris is Europe's Premier Packaging Party

The 37th Emballage World Packaging Exhibition is scheduled for November 20-24 at the Parc des Expositions in Paris-Nord Villepinte, France. An estimated 108,000 professional visitors (35% coming from abroad) are expected to attend, seeking solutions over a comprehensive array of user markets.

There will be some 2,300 exhibitors, with more than half being non-French. Visitors will attend from over 130 countries. International growth is the focus of this event, largely driven by the growing participation of companies from eastern Europe (Estonia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Romania), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait), and distant export countries (Brazil, New Zealand, China).

Emballage is held in conjunction with IPA, The World Food Packaging Exhibition, creating the world's biggest food processing industry event. It provides visitors with many opportunities to network with professionals and learn about the latest innovations. The pairing of these two shows began in 2000, and the marriage has had great approval ratings from visitors each year.

The different packaging sectors will be clearly designated at Emballage 2006. They are broken down as follows:

• Liquids
• Food
• Consumer goods
• Cosmetics, beauty, luxury
• Pharmaceutical, health, hygiene
• Industrial products

Over 400 new products will be displayed this year, a third of which will be making their debut appearances. The Trends Area is a new feature for the 2006 show that will spotlight many of these products. Here, the most significant new products—containers, machines, software, and accessories—will be displayed. A panel of experts is charged with selecting these products based on the criteria of "safer," "more convenient," "more cost-effective," "more eco-citizen," and "more different."

Emballage 2006 aims to reflect the maturity of two key areas: packaging services and smart packaging. Services that will be highlighted include contract packaging, logistics services, and consultancy, among others. Smart packaging solutions (such as RFID, nanotechnologies, microcencapsulation, and DNA tracers) will be on display. Smart packaging solutions for food safety and pharmaceutical anti-counterfeiting measures will be among the items exhibited here.

The Observatoire de l'Emballage, or Packaging Observatory, is another new feature this year. It is a unique surveillance tool created with the support and active involvement of all the French trade associations and packaging industry organizations. It is intended to reflect the trends and prospects of the packaging markets and sectors in France in the short and medium term, and was conducted by BIPE, a provider of economic analyses and strategic consulting services.

Finally, The International Press Village will feature over 60 publications from some 15 countries, and will provide a meeting place for journalists from around the world. To learn more about what to expect at Emballage 2006 or to register, visit www.emballageweb.com/en/2006. To learn more about IPA, visit www.ipa-web.com.