Due to the pandemic, interpack. the world’s largest and arguably most important packaging trade fair last opened its doors six years ago. Organiser Messe Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf, Germany; www.messe-duesseldorf.com) said over 2,800 exhibitors were present at the latest event on 4-10 May, which covered around 177,000 m² at the fully booked fairgrounds.

Some 143,000 visitors made it to the Düsseldorf show, the organiser said. That this fell short of the number at the last fair to welcome people in 2017, which boasted 170,900 registered attendees, was the result of a world that has since changed, the organiser explained.

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“Political and economic crises always leave their mark on trade fairs too”, a Messe Düsseldorf spokesperson told Plasteurope.com. “In the case of interpack 2023, various factors were at play, including delays in the issuing of visas by the German missions in a number of key visitor regions. The direct effects of the Ukraine war in the countries concerned and the associated price rises in numerous regions also had a major impact.” Despite this, two-thirds of attendees this year still came from abroad. Apart from other European countries, visitors were said to be primarily from India, Japan, and the US.

The event, originally planned for May 2020, was first postponed to 2021 before being cancelled. The next interpack is set for 7-13 May 2026 in Düsseldorf.