East Afripack: great opportunity

Over 100 the companies that have confirmed their presence as the first edition of East Afripack, the processing, packaging and converting technology fair targeting the huge East African market and scheduled at Nairobi (Kenya) from 9th to 12th September 2014.

The event features a highly representational line-up, with the main packaging and processing machine players, including the best Italian producers (57% of exhibitors) and numerous international companies from 16 countries (making up the remaining 43%).
East Afripack, organized by Ipack-Ima SpA in joint venture with PPMI and in partnership with UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), EAC (East African Community) and the Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development of Kenya, was presented to the press at the Southern Sun Mayfair Hotel, Nairobi on June 3rd last.
For the occasion the characteristics of East Afripack as an extraordinary business opportunity were underlined, featuring talks held by 80 selected delegates from private industry and EAC institutions. The buyer’s program is coordinated by the East Afripack steering committee and supported by the Italian Ministry for Economic Development.

Analysis of a fair and a region. The June encounter witnessed the intervention of Lucia Lamonarca, Chief Operating Office of Ipack-Ima Group Mpoko Bokanga, UNIDO representative for Kenya, Eritrea and southern Sudan, Julius Korir, Industrial Secretary, Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development of Kenya and George Ndira, Principal Industrial Economist, East African Community (EAC).
East Africa, macroregion undergoing strong development, is among the most promising emerging markets.
A specific work of screening carried out by Ipack-Ima has enabled the selection of the profiles of the potential visitors to the show, pinpointing over 7,000 qualified operators active in the area, from the multinationals to the most important local companies, that as well as in Kenya operate in Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Ruanda, Ethiopia.
The encounter in Nairobi also offered the opportunity of reviewing the situation of the presence in the region of Italian industry, third supplier of converting, printing and packaging technology to the EAC community. Italian exports to the region total 6 million euros and in 2013 a significant increase of +5.6% was seen on the year previous.