Everything is set, signed and sealed…

… to enable action as a strategic network in favor of the processing and packaging technology producing concerns and, more in general, for the business community on both sides of the Atlantic. This the sense of the partnership agreement between PMMI and Ipack Ima SpA, committed in particular to reinforcing their prospects on new markets.  Luciana Guidotti

They have pooled their consolidated knowhow of the market as well as processing and packaging technologies but, aboveall they have pooled their specific skills and expertise built up over the years. We are speaking of the partnership between Ipack Ima SpA and the PMMI, the American Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, that can be seen to be proceeding rapidly and to the satisfaction of both parties, spurred on by the final objective of offering an evermore effective service to the dynamic and innovation-oriented international industrial community.
Hence, with the first practical experiences for the occasion of East Afripack and Pharma Expo already filed away to everyone’s satisfaction, we spoke to Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO of PMMI, about the modes and first results of this union of both action and intent, who offered the point of view of the association he represents, following the Italian B2B fair organizer’s commitment to promoting the Pack Expo network of events in Europe. Prominent too the reflections offered on the role and the objectives of the sector associations, obviously arising from the direct experience gained in the US.  
 
How will the collaboration with Ipack-Ima SpA take place and what are the elements that have led you to choose this partner to promote your network of Pack Expo fairs? Is your objective that of reinforcing the presence of Italian companies at the coming 2015 fairs?
Ipack-Ima is Italy’s leading exhibition organizer for the packaging and processing industries, and the importance of our partnership in the promotion of the Pack Expo trade shows was evident in the success of this autumn’s Pack Expo International and co-located Pharma Expo 2014 (McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Nov. 2-5).
As you know, this was the first-ever edition of Pharma Expo, which PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, produced in partnership with the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). Together, the two events covered more than 110,000 square metres (1.2 million net square feet) of net floorspace, with 2,352 exhibiting companies, representing more than 19 percent more exhibit space than at Pack Expo International 2012. We were also pleased to welcome more than 48,400 visitors to the events. This was a 6.5 percent increase over visitor attendance in 2012 and within that figure, pharmaceutical attendance doubled.
More important than the statistics, however, is that exhibitors reported strong sales and high-quality leads from the steady stream of attendees. The event clearly brought the supply chain together. As a trade association, convening the packaging and processing supply chain is PMMI’s primary business objective. By promoting attending and exhibiting at the Pack Expo trade
shows, Ipack-Ima adds strength to PMMI’s ability to achieve this goal across international borders. Considering the importance of the global market to our members and exhibitors, and the level of respect Ipack-Ima has around the world, we can’t overstate the importance of Ipack-Ima’s endorsements and promotions in Europe, particularly Italy.

What synergies do you intend developing?
In February 2015, we are launching a regional trade show, Pack Expo East (Feb. 16-18; Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA). This event, serving the highly active manufacturing community of the Northeastern United States, is convenient to nearly one-third of U.S. consumer packaged goods manufacturers in the country. It is, by design, a smaller-scale exposition than Pack Expo International and Pack Expo Las Vegas, and we’re looking forward to a strong event with something
short of 20,000 square metres (200,000 nsf) of floorspace, 300 exhibitors and 4,000 attendees.With the success of Pack Expo and Pharma EXPO demonstrating the clear strength of the Pack Expo brand across vertical markets, and the strength of Ipack-Ima SpA working on our behalf in Italy and Europe, we are looking forward to a successful inaugural event in Philadelphia.

The first test bed of this partnership was the organization of East Afripack in Nairobi, Kenya, that closed with an encouraging balance. In the light of these results, what are your feelings?
PMMI members need to be where their customers are, and East Afripack gave them the opportunity to learn about the emerging East African market. On that level, it was a clear success. But, doing business is just as important, and exhibitors did that, too. One of our members told us he accomplished the three goals he had set for the show - to find new sales agents, meet new customers and connect with existing
customers. He and other members told me it was a valuable experience.

Recently PMMI acquired the Summit Media Group publishing house, and hence the magazine Packaging World: what role do you attribute to the sector press, in general, and in particular in the light of your future objectives?
Earlier this year, at the direction of the PMMI Board of Directors, the PMMI staff began exploring ways to strengthen the association’s online presence and better deliver our members and their customers easy-to-implement business intelligence.
In the course of the exploration, we saw Summit Media Group in a new light. We already had a strong relationship with Summit, but when we looked at the publisher from a digital perspective, we learned more about how well this publishing group serves the industry. Summit’s core competency is gathering and disseminating actionable information - and they achieve it within a proven business model. They bring to the table a fully developed web platform, an established audience, a high level of brand recognition and a portfolio of highly-respected publications.
These assets clearly complement PMMI’s strategic vision to create opportunities for businesses and people along the packaging and processing supply chain to network, solve problems and conduct business. That will mean greater depth and reach for innovations, thought leadership and the data our members and their customers need to continually improve their businesses. In effect, it offers the immeasurable assets of the show 365 days a year.

What and how will PMMI change in the coming years?
As technologies in packaging and processing change, we will see them reflected in our members’ - and their customers’ - needs. However, who PMMI is, as an organization, will not. We will continue to provide platforms to help members find and develop key customer markets; we will continue to deliver actionable business intelligence; we will serve as a strategic network and knowledge community for the industry; and we will provide resources to assist our members’ pursuit of operational excellence in the field of processing and packaging.

AN IMPORTANT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Ipack-Ima has been inserted among the “top 15” Italian landmark trade fairs. Which is why it is supported in the “Extraordinary plan for the international relaunch of Italy” included in the special government “Sblocca Italia” decree.