EXPO PACK Mexico (June 24-27; Centro Banamex, Mexico City) welcomed 32,000 packaging professionals, according to show owner and organizer PMMI. The tally includes 26,285 visitors representing 38 countries, a 5 percent increase over the 2007 edition.

"What is significant about the attendance was the number of pre-registered attendees increased by 12 percent, and the number of multiple-day visits increased by 20 percent," said PMMI President & CEO Charles D. Yuska. "Those figures clearly demonstrate how important Latin American packaging professionals consider EXPO PACK Mexico."

Further underscoring the importance of the show to Latin America, attendance included delegations from El Salvador and Guatemala.

And with PROCESA, the food and beverage processing machinery and equipment exhibition, once again co-located with EXPO PACK Mexico, packaging professionals found even more value in attending.

Attendees with Buying Power

EXPO PACK Mexico attracted decision-makers from well-known consumer packaged goods firms including Abbot Laboratorios, Alpura, Avon Cosmetics, Black & Decker, Cemex, Herdez, JUMEX, La Costeña, Loreal, Modelo, Procter & Gamble, Purina, Revlon, Unilever, Volkswagen de Mexico and Wal Mart.

"The high level of attendees supports the findings of PMMI’s recent study on Mexico. Every packaging professional we interviewed said they send teams to EXPO PACK Mexico and PROCESA to learn about trends and potential suppliers," Yuska added.

EXPO PACK Mexico and PROCESA Make Marketplace More Accessible

The event featured 931 exhibiting companies from 25 countries, an 8 percent increase in exhibitors over 2007. In addition, 12 pavilions sponsored by leading packaging associations from Argentina, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Spain, Taiwan and the United States provided Latin American buyers with access to top global suppliers of packaging and processing products and services. The show also hosted a financing pavilion and a PMMI Pavilion featuring 55 US and Canadian packaging solutions providers. An additional 50 PMMI member companies exhibited outside the pavilion.

The U.S. Department of Commerce recognized the strong U.S. presence at EXPO PACK Mexico with an export achievement award presented to show organizers during the opening ceremony.

"The recognition from the Department of Commerce reinforces EXPO PACK Mexico’s importance as a forum for encouraging international trade between Mexico and the world, particularly with the United States," stated Yuska.

Mexican Packaging Week Showcases Innovation & Excellence

EXPO PACK Mexico and PROCESA also served as the foundation for "Mexican Packaging Week", which featured the Mexican Association of Packaging’s (AMEE) 23rd edition of "Envases Estelares" (Best of Mexican Packaging Awards). The 133 packages submitted for the awards were featured for the first time in the AMEE Innovations Pavilion. In addition AMEE hosted its Mexican Packaging Congress and a three-day conference program.

With the June event, EXPO PACK Mexico and PROCESA once again solidified their importance as the leading resource for the Latin American packaging and processing industries, providing solutions for every market sector and access to the latest technologies, equipment and services.

EXPO PACK Mexico and PROCESA 2009 will take place June 23-26, 2009, at Centro Banamex in Mexico City, Mexico.

About PMMI

PMMI is a trade association with more than 550 member companies that manufacture packaging and packaging-related converting machinery, commercially-available packaging machinery components, containers and materials in the United States and Canada. PMMI’s vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging, and its mission is to improve and promote members’ abilities to succeed in a global marketplace. PMMI organizes the PACK EXPO trade shows: PACK EXPO International, PACK EXPO Las Vegas and EXPO PACK Mexico. Learn more about PMMI at pmmi.org

PMMI’s report on Mexico, "2008 Packaging Machinery Market Overview: Mexico," online at PMMI.org, was produced by Hanhausen & Domenech Consultores, which has monitored Mexico’s packaging machinery market since 1999.