More than ever, Hispack 2024 will be the benchmark event for international companies in the packaging, processing and logistics industry to discover the business opportunities offered by the Spanish market and make contact with new customers. More than 250 foreign firms are part of the wide range of exhibitors at a year that, with more than 720 exhibitors from 28 countries and 1,250 brands represented, reaffirms the event as the leader in the packaging sector in Spain and one of the first in Europe in its speciality.

This year, the participation of international firms in Hispack, which will be held from 7 to 10 May at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, has increased by five percentage points compared to 2022. The recovery of the Chinese exhibitor after the pandemic, the strong growth of the Italian presence and the entry of new countries to the list are behind this increase in the international offer, which now accounts for 30% of the total.

Turkey is the foreign country with the most exhibitors (62), followed by Italy (39), China (31), Germany (23), France (16), the Netherlands (9), Portugal (8) and the United Kingdom (6). The list of exhibitors also includes companies from Poland, Belgium, USA, Egypt, Greece, Morocco, Algeria, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Slovenia, Finland, Malaysia, Mexico, Japan, Latvia, Taiwan, San Marino and Singapore.

Sixty per cent of Hispack’s offerings are in processing equipment and machinery, packaging, bottling, packaging manufacturing, coding, labelling and marking, automation, robotics and logistics. The remaining 40% of exhibitors present raw materials and materials for packaging, containers and packaging and POS elements for various industrial and consumer sectors, as well as for distribution, e-commerce and retail.

Hispack director Xavier Pascual underlines: “The opportunities of the Spanish market and its continuous growth rates are the main attractions for international companies participating in Hispack in search of new customers, as well as the connection of the fair with Latin America and the Mediterranean countries due to language and geographic proximity respectively”.

Visitors with purchasing power
Among the international visitors, the number of professionals from Portugal stands out, which positions the Barcelona trade fair as a benchmark for the packaging sector in the Iberian market. In addition to executives with purchasing power, Hispack is visited by technical profiles from the factory and production areas, as well as the purchasing, R&D, sustainability, marketing and operations departments of manufacturers, packagers and brands in the food and beverage, cosmetics and perfumery, pharmaceutical, automotive and consumer electronics sectors.

Hispack is also visited by professionals from other European countries, mainly Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as Latin America and the Mediterranean area. These are highly qualified professionals with specific investment projects interested in learning about Spanish suppliers who develop packaging, process and logistics materials and equipment that stand out for their competitiveness, flexibility, high quality standards, innovation and excellent after-sales service to ensure the best results. Spain is among the world’s top ten exporters of packaging technology.

This year, as a novelty, in addition to promoting itself in traditional foreign markets, Hispack will focus its programme of invited international buyers on Mexico, Poland, Morocco and Tunisia, four countries of interest for Spanish exports due to their growth potential.

In parallel, Hispack will present Japan as an opportunity market for the European packaging industry. In this sense, it will host the visit of a Japanese delegation and will dedicate 9 May to showcasing success stories and promoting networking between European and Japanese companies with a view to activating channels for information exchange and international cooperation.

Activities for the international public
Finally, Hispack will set up the International Business Centre (IBC) in Hall 3 of the Gran Via exhibition centre as a reception point for the international public with specific services and its own agenda of activities to enhance the visitor experience.

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 potential markets (Mexico, Poland, Tunisia, Morocco and Japan) and the presentation of success stories of Spanish manufacturers as part of the “Why Spanish Solutions” campaign promoted by Hispack together with Amec.

This space will also allow them to hold business interviews with exhibitors; access a Brokerage Event with quick meetings to find suppliers, collaborators or exchange experiences; and make thematic guided routes around the fair, among other proposals.

Barcelona, March 2024