Hispack puts the radar on Mexico, Poland, Morocco and Tunisia to select and attract professionals from these countries with the capacity to import Spanish packaging technology and solutions. With this action, the Fira de Barcelona trade show aims to promote more than 800 business meetings between visitors from these markets and Spanish suppliers of packaging equipment, machinery and materials participating in Hispack, which will be held from 7 to 10 May.
In collaboration with Amec-Envasgraf, Hispack 2024 is rolling out its international promotion plan, focusing on attracting highly qualified profiles. As in previous editions, the Barcelona trade show continues to promote itself in Europe, the Mediterranean and Latin America, the traditional geographical areas of origin of most of the international visitors expected. In addition, and as a novelty, this year Hispack is focusing selectively on Mexico, Poland, Morocco and Tunisia, countries where exports by Spanish packaging technology and materials manufacturers have ample potential for growth.
Specifically, the focus is on two large and medium-sized markets such as Mexico and Poland, which currently rank fifth and tenth respectively as a destination for Spanish packaging technology exports, with sales of 28.3 million euros in Mexico and 17.7 million euros in Central Europe in 2023. At the same time, Morocco (10 million euros) and Tunisia (3 million euros) were added with more modest sales figures for the sector last year, due to their proximity and an important opportunity factor.
Hosted Buyers Programme
Among the actions being carried out, the "Hosted Buyers" programme is particularly noteworthy. Registrations are open until 30 March, through which professionals with specific investment projects in packaging solutions will be selected, mainly from these four priority markets. The organisation will also consider incorporating professionals from Chile (guest country at Hispack 2022), Japan (this year's prospective market) and other countries into this programme, depending on the investment forecast presented by the candidates.
This group of guests will be provided with an optimal experience for the generation of business opportunities at Hispack 2024, with an exclusive programme of networking and scheduled business meetings, which will take place at the fair's International Business Center (IBC), located in Pavilion 3 of the Gran Via venue at Fira de Barcelona.
IBC, the hub of international activity
In order to improve the visiting experience for international professionals, Hispack is expanding the IBC as a reception point for this public, with specific services and its own agenda of activities.
At the IBC, international visitors will be able to receive personalised advice on the most suitable Spanish suppliers to develop their projects; attend conferences on markets and the presentation of success stories of Spanish manufacturers; hold interviews with exhibitors; participate in a business meeting (Brokerage Event) with quick meetings to find suppliers, collaborators or exchange experiences; register for technical training courses or guided thematic visits, among other proposals.
Japan Day
Finally, in this edition Hispack will present Japan as a market opportunity for Spanish packaging, activating avenues of industrial cooperation between supply and demand companies from both countries, and generating shared knowledge on innovation and trends, especially linked to digitisation and sustainability. In this sense, the IBC will host on 9 May the "Japan Day", a day with several success stories and networking sessions.
This year, Hispack is growing in size and company participation and will be much more representative of the entire packaging value chain, including processing and logistics. More than 720 exhibitors from over 20 countries and 1,250 brands will be represented in Halls 2 and 3 of the Gran Via venue at Fira de Barcelona. More than 27,000 professionals are expected to visit, 10% of them international.