ProPak, the leading processing and packaging trade event in Asia, set up its very first trade exhibition in the Philippines.
With the support of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Packaging Institute of the Philippines (PIP), UBM Exhibitions Philippines Inc. successfully launched the ProPak Philippines 2019 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay City on January 24.
Organized by UBM Philippines and powered by ProPak Asia, ProPak Philippines 2019 is the first-of-its-kind food, drink and pharmaceutical focused international trade show for the Philippines exhibiting world-class packaging and processing machines to further boost the capability of local packaging service providers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
UBM President M. Gandhi asserted that food manufacturing is the Philippines’ strongest manufacturing sector representing 65% of the manufacturing industry, which is in need of upgrading technology and higher levels of automation.
“ProPak Philippines will support manufacturing ambitions and serve as a springboard to expand business opportunities for the processing and packaging industries, especially in the key sectors of food, beverage and pharmaceuticals, through introducing new technology, new products, services and education to industry,” Gandhi stated.
Featuring 292 world-leading manufacturers from 29 countries, including 9 international pavilions from China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom, the trade exhibition showcases the best and latest technology, machines and solutions for industry from large scale manufacturing to MSMEs.
Similarly, DTI sees the importance of good packaging in enhancing the marketability and competitiveness of Philippine MSMEs and so the Department has been working with UBM through efforts such as Pack Pinas! and ProPak Asia to broaden the horizons of MSMEs in their product packaging options.
“Packaging is very important. When we started introducing Product Development to a lot of our MSMEs, it was so difficult to convince them to change the color, the design, the way they do things, until an event had to take place, a trade fair had to happen. Product prototypes were the ones making money and it was a realization among MSMEs that they had to innovate, they had to be more creative. They had to find out what the market needs so that they can sell more. Before, we look at packaging only to protect the product, making sure that we have a longer shelf life for the products. But now, more than that, packaging in the words of Secretary Ramon Lopez, is your form of advertisement,” said Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Cuison-Maglaya to the thousands of participants.
Last year, DTI and PIP sent more than 500 MSMEs to the ProPak Asia 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Aside from the exhibits, ProPak Philippines has also started to conduct seminars to discuss latest industry developments, trends and techniques in supply and innovation for the food, drink and pharmaceutical processing and packaging industries.
On its first day, the trade show garnered almost 4,000 trade visitors composed of food processors, importers, distributors, manufacturers and other industry stakeholders.
The trade exhibition is slated to run through January 24-26, 2019.♦
Date of Release: 25 January 2019