Packaging Innovations 2015 Wrap Up
3 min read30 March 2015
Last month saw the return of the Packaging Innovations Expo and once again, Rajapack were there to not only show off some of our great products, but also have a look at what others in the industry have been getting up to.
We sent along Matt and Jules, members of our fantastic internal sales and marketing teams, to report back to us on what was causing a stir at the expo in 2015.
Q. Which particular companies displayed products that really interested you? What were the products?
M. The one product which stood out for me was a super cool 3D printer from a company called ‘Laser Lines’; the whole area of 3D printing is just mind-blowing!
J. I thought there were a few interesting products from several different companies. I really liked the inflatable packaging that ‘Airpack’ were exhibiting and I also thought ‘Your Gift Basket’s’ range of gifting fillers were eye-catching and simple to assemble. ‘CS Labels’ had an incredible array of all types of labelling from embossed to metallic to holographic, in all sizes and colours.
Q. What were the main trends and themes that came out of the expo?
M- Customers are seeing the advantages of paper over air-fill machines and both are becoming popular replacements to loose-fill chips and bubble wrap. Customers also seem to be putting a higher value on efficiency over price and are starting to favour integrated packaging machines.
J. Cost-effectiveness and the need for strong, protective packaging were recurrent themes through the entire Expo. In terms of the types of products most on display, these appeared to be food packaging such as moulding and polypropylene and health and beauty items.
Q. Which products did you display and how were they received?
M. We displayed a selection from our 3500 line product range alongside 3 packaging machines. Our products were really well received, with customers especially interested in personalising their packaging with custom print or sizing. We showcased our new online tool RAJAprint which allows customers to design their own packaging tape online. The Ranpak FillPakTT Cutter, a paper void fill machine, had a lot of interest shown in it due to its efficiency and cost saving properties (as opposed to high volume solutions such as loose fill and bubble wrap). The Opus Mini Bio machine remains one of our most popular systems. Customers like the fact that it is affordable to be bought outright (not on a contract), as well as its speed and efficiency.
J. I agree with Matt. In terms of what we had on display, we also had shelves of customised products and gift lines which were a big draw, a shelving unit with all our core lines and our base packing station.
Q. Do you have any final conclusions that you have drawn from the Expo about the way the industry might be moving over the next 12 months?
M. Customers require more than just a low price from their packaging suppliers. They’re now looking for the whole package: a wide product offering, quick delivery, personalised support both over the phone and in the field, a deep knowledge of the market and ways that we can increase overall efficiency rather than just lowering current product cost.
Customers are looking at custom made or printed solutions as the norm these days and the number of customers going for bespoke solutions will only increase in the months to come.
Rajapack will also be displaying the eDelivery Expo in Birmingham on the 25th and 26th March.
