From the big space takers at AUSPACK to the medium-sized and smaller exhibitors PKN spoke to, the most common feedback was that the quality of visitors was of a high standard, translating most interactions into potentially valuable business opportunities.
As Kuka Robotics' MD Greg Sale put it, there was healthy mix of technical professionals (influencers) and senior management (decision makers), asking the right level of questions and demonstrating a keen interest in new technologies
For many companies, the show was not so much about selling products off the stand (although of course that's always a bonus) as about having the opportunity to stage a cost-effective 'open house' for their customers to view new products and innovative ideas and discuss ongoing and potential new projects.
This view was reinforced by Mark Emmett, MD of HMPS, who said his company saw upward of 150 customers at the show and the biennial event was unmissable for HMPS. This year the company had extra reason to celebrate, having won the Best New Product category in the APPMA Industry Excellence Awards.
Robert Marguccio of Heat and Control concurred with Emmett's view, and said that for Heat and Control the value in the exhibition lay in keeping the brand top of mind with customers, and in having the opportunity to talk to senior management who usually take the time to come to this event to see new technology.
Making its AUSPACK debut was industry newcomer, Cama Australia, and MD Cameron Traum told PKN he couldn't have been happier with the response he'd had to the working model of new IF316 carton forming, closing and loading system demonstrated at the show.
“The fully operating machine drew a fair crowd every day, which was impressed by the aesthetics and functionality of such a compact unit,” Traum said, adding that he has several significant project leads following the show.
The final official visitor count over the show’s four days was 7361, an increase of 8% on the last AUSPACK held in Melbourne in 2011.
Exhibitors totalled 385 (more precisely, 284 with 101 co-exhibiting companies), of which 127 were international. 87 exhibitors were new, and a total of 1284 brands were on show.
This makes it the biggest event in the show's 30 year history, and bodes well for the next edition, which will be held in Sydney in March, 2017.
We'll have more comments from the industry visitors and exhibitors, and take a closer look at the top technology on show, in the full AUSPACK Wrap in our May-June issue of PKN.
