In 2006 Plast and Ipack-Ima together

IN 2006
PLAST AND IPACK-IMA TOGETHER
AT THE NEW EXHIBITION COMPLEX IN RHO-PERO

PLAST and IPACK-IMA together: two large-scale events held every three years that have always been hosted by Fiera Milano will take place on the same dates (February 14-18) for the first time in 2006. The two exhibitions will be hosted in the halls of the new exhibition centre in Rho-Pero. This will be an important opportunity to test Fiera Milano’s new facilities –currently under construction – with a technical exhibition that has an international reach, and involves extensive logistical and organisational efforts.
The two organising companies, PROMAPLAST srl and IPACK-IMA srl, have decided to combine the two large-scale exhibitions dedicated to plastics and packing, two worlds that are synergetic in many ways. The result will be a wide-ranging and vast event, with almost 3,500 exhibitors (the last IPACK-IMA and PLAST, held respectively in March and May 2003, had more than 1,700 exhibitors each) and with a potential for more than 100,000 trade visitors (45,000 visitors at IPACK-IMA and 67,000 at PLAST).
The size of the exhibition will also be impressive (it will occupy a total of almost 140,000 net square meters) as will its international scope since the separate events have always attracted large numbers of overseas trade visitors, from more than 120 countries.
“PLAST and IPACK-IMA together – commented Piergiacomo Ferrari, managing director of Fiera Milano – is a great idea. Yet the potential of Milan Fair’s new complex will also be put to the test. Trade fairs have become obsolete and super specialized shows have reached their limits because they segment markets a great deal. The future is all about “system” exhibitions. The latter allow trade people to make the most of their time and visits and therefore, more than any other event, attract international visitors. PLAST and IPACK-IMA will create a large-scale event for the plastic-packing industry – through two well-established shows that are being held on the same dates, while maintaining their own identity. The trade people working in these closely-related sectors will have an opportunity to take advantage of the information and business opportunities offered.
They may ask, and rightly so, why such a useful and important synergy was not implemented before. Well, the answer is simply: because during the spring months when there is a very high turnover of exhibitions, the Fiera Milano facilities were not large enough to cope with two events of this scale and previously there was no alternative out of the city”.
“The synergy between the two sectors is strong,” observed Guido Corbella, managing director of IPACK-IMA. “Just think that 50% of packing materials are in plastic.

Now we have an extraordinary showcase to display these to the world. We wanted to create a worldwide forum for plastic and packing in Milan, a cornerstone event for international trade people who are often interested in both packing and the intermediary products used. We think we are right on target: it will take just one trip to Milan to visit two showcases of excellence, side by side and featuring synergetic technologies”.

“The synergy between the two sectors – commented Claudio Celata, director of PLAST – also means that our shows have some exhibitors in common and therefore, by staging both on the same dates, each exhibition will lose some companies. Despite this, we went ahead: because we believe that staging PLAST and IPACK-IMA together will offer an extraordinary service to our visitors – especially those from other countries. And this will benefit our exhibitors as well. The objectives and programs for exhibitors not strictly related to packing will remain the same of course. Exhibitors of machinery for other applications will also benefit from a more extensive advertising campaign and more visibility for the two events”.

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