Packed out with innovation

Packaging Innovations London 2013 attracted international exhibitors from all corners of the globe and 3,560 visitors - an increase of 18% on last year's record attendance. According to organiser easyFairs, exhibitors were delighted with the show and 75% of them have already rebooked stands for 2014. The expanded Luxury Packaging show was particularly successful; with the floorplan expanding for the next year, many of the exhibitors have already doubled their stand space.

Growing each year both in size and in importance within the industry, Packaging Innovations London and its co-located shows offers a forum for packaging, marketing, branding and design professionals to find innovations "to inspire them and make their packaging stand out and delight customers whilst continuing to perform on a functional level". Among the companies visiting this year's event were Waitrose, Fabergé, Diageo, Disney, Tesco, Coca-Cola, Sainsbury's, Glaxo Smith Kline, Estée Lauder, Harrods, Ted Baker, Mars, Unilever and Space NK.

First-time visitor Eugen L Ritter, marketing manager at Noris Food & Packaging, enthused: "I came in from Germany and it has certainly been worth the visit. Every stand had at least one eye-catcher. The combination of new and old technology being demonstrated at the exhibition was amazing. This is the show of special products, and we don't have such a show in Germany."

Among the exhibitors, Colin Griffiths, president at Golden Valley Pallet Wrap Specialists, said: "The show has a strong luxury focus which attracts the blue chip companies. On day one we already had 75 high quality leads, so we'll certainly be back for the event next year."

Also exhibiting at the sell-out show was Rudy Martinez, head of concept design at ASG Spark!, who remarked: "It's been so successful I don't have any business cards left. It has been a great show; we showcased three of our innovations and have received not only quality leads, but also quantity."

The London event, held at the Business Design Centre, Islington, on 1-2 October 2013, focused on four key areas - Packaging Innovations, Luxury Packaging, Brand & Design Village, and Contract Pack.

Eighty per cent of the 170 exhibitors used the event to launch or show new products and services. Two examples were J&J Pont Packaging's launch of Pont Pack, a slimline packaging solution; and Mirri and Smurfit Kappa jointly launched MirriNor, a premium board demonstrating the "stunning metallic effects" that can be achieved through packaging.

The show also featured a packed learnShops programme, with speakers from Neal's Yard Remedies, Miracle-Gro, Marks & Spencer, Kimberly Clark, Bombay Sapphire and many other leading and interesting brands. Appropriately the topic on the first day was 'Great consumer experiences build brands'.

Nick Dormon, managing director and founder of Echo Brand Design, discussed the critical role of packaging and product design. He remarked: "The digital age has brought convenience but consumers also want a relationship and intimacy with the brands they buy. Packaging plays a crucial role in that process."

There was also plenty of show floor 'theatre' in the form of The BIG Packaging Debate, where a panel of packaging professionals, including Innocent Drinks, Marks & Spencer, Design Activity and the Faraday Centre for Retail Excellence, discussed the topic 'Online sales will kill packaging design'.

The debate was chaired by Kevin Vyse from the IOPP Institute of Packaging Professionals UK, who concluded: "People are better digitally connected than ever before. Online sales are nothing new, and it's clear from this debate that the move online won't kill design, but until someone steps up and says this is how it should be done, this debate will continue."

Another show feature was a new Beauty Symposium, run in association with The Red Tree Consultancy. Stirling Murray, CEO and founder of The Red Tree, said: "With its strong emphasis on design and luxury, the show provided the perfect place to host our symposium. Having speakers such as Helen Miller, former commercial director for Beauty at Boots UK, and Judy Deuchar, ex VP of merchandising and planning at QVC UK, meant we could give delegates some real packaging and retail insights for driving their beauty businesses forward. They could then go out into the show, and talk to suppliers who could help them apply that learning."

Out of the Lions' Lair
SIG Combibloc was crowned Packaging King after winning the Lions' Lair competition at this year's Packaging Innovations show. The company was one of four exhibitors that pitched their most pioneering products to a panel of fierce packaging experts - the 'Lions'.

SIG Combibloc was the second competitor to enter the Lair, pitching its new Combidome - "the first ever bottle made of cardboard".
The Combidome was judged to combine the best features of a carton pack with the best features of a bottle - guaranteeing exceptional differentiation for any beverage. Thanks to its shape, stability and smooth pouring action, it seemed easy to handle, like a bottle, while at the same time offering all the proven benefits of a carton pack in terms of product protection, environmental and economic considerations; benefits that are equally important for manufacturers, retailers and consumers.

On winning the Lions' Lair accolade, Malcolm Allum, MD at SIG Combibloc, commented: "We are delighted to win Lions' Lair this year. This is the third award in just three weeks for our new Combidome, so it is really building momentum. It was great to see the other shortlisted product presentations and we wish the other companies luck with their innovations."

Up against SIG Combibloc, the other three Lions Lair competitors were DAPY Paris with its Pulsar display box for Dom Pérignon champagne; Design Activity pitching Launch Pad, a new service providing branding and packaging design expertise within an accessible pricing structure; and EasyPack's Spiral Pro patented technology designed for delivering high volumes of void-fill paper packaging in seconds.

Alison Church, event director at Packaging Innovations, summed up the success of the London event: "We couldn't be more delighted; every area of the show was heaving throughout both days, and the feedback from visitors and exhibitors has been incredible. It is great to be a part of such a vibrant show and, of course, industry. The response to the show, and in particular the Luxury Packaging element, has been phenomenal, making it very much the place where all those involved in branding, design, product marketing and inspirational packaging meet each year; which has resulted in very happy exhibitors, with 75% rebooking onsite for the 2014 show.

"We'll be back next year, with plans to expand the floor plan, show features, and speaker line-up," she said.

Packaging Innovations London, incorporating Luxury Packaging, will return on 30 September-1 October 2014, again at the Business Design Centre, Islington. The 2014 Packaging Innovations event will take place on 26-27 February 2014 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, incorporating: Packaging Innovations, Ecopack, Contract Pack, Packtech, Print Innovations, Labelling Innovations and Converting Innovations.

Other Packaging Innovations events will also be staged in Hamburg 22-23 January 2014, and Warsaw 9-10 April 2014.

During the learnShops programme, Jon White, former European marketing director at Kimberly Clark, and Dan Monteith, group client service director at Elmwood, outlined the role packaging played in rejuvenating the iconic Andrex brand. The UK's number one non-food FMCG brand sells an impressive 29 rolls per second - enough to wrap round the world twice each day - but, according to White:

"Despite still strong figures the brand was stalling. One look at the packaging told me we had work to do. Day-in-day-out our biggest shop window is the aisle - but the packaging wasn't working in it; it looked like we had run out of ideas, I knew we had to invest in it."

The year-long packaging redesign process included drawing on latest sentic thinking from Bradford University to ensure the packaging "pushed the right consumer buttons. The resulting redesign - which involved using curves to denote softness and angles to reinforce the product's strength, plus making the famous Andrex puppy work much harder on the pack - helped deliver an 11.5% volume growth, plus a 32% improvement in brand bonding and a slew of brand extensions.
"Our packaging ended up so important that it 'heroed' in our TV advertising," concluded White.

As part of its "Carry Your Message in Style" theme, Antalis demonstrated how creative papers can be used effectively with a shelf display of designer-style paper handbag sculptures by award-winning illustrator Gail Armstrong. The display showcased the Arjowiggins Creative range of papers, including Pop'Set, Keaykolour, SKIN and Curious Matter, a luxurious new paper made from potato starch.

One of the many innovations from exhibitors at the London event was Italian printer StampaSud's new SmartLab StampaTech service that gives users access to further information about a product by scanning its packaging with a smartphone or tablet. To use the service, consumers need to download an accompanying mobile application that supports the technology being used. They can scan most parts of the packaging to be redirected to a platform that houses the information, ranging from marketing materials to product origins and freshness indications.

Antony Calo, commercial director at StampaSud, explained: "A consumer sees nothing on the packaging, and the information available to them could be anything; it's unlimited and determined by the company issuing the product. The process is very simple and uses a technology that can be accessed by anybody. It supports both iOS and Android and is very straightforward; we can't disclose too much information regarding the technology used, but it's a mix of digital and special print technologies."

GPS tracking also enables the company's database to monitor a product from when it is dispatched until it is received by the end-user - and allows manufacturers to find out information such as where in the world a consumer is scanning a product, and when and how many people have scanned it.

StampaTech is free to branders, agencies and manufacturers until the end of 2013.

Adhesive tapes specialist tesa gave the first public outing of its "revolutionary" Lift & Reseal flexible packaging reclosure system at the Packaging Innovations London show. Lift & Reseal is finding increasing favour, the company says, especially among food producers and retailers, as it provides consumers with an easy, effective way to repeatedly reseal packs for freshness and storage.

A high tech tape with good shear strength, which leaves no residues, Lift & Reseal can also be custom printed with the providers brand.

Visitors to the tesa stand were also able to see the tesa in-line dispenser/applicator, which will deliver the spool-wound tape directly to pack. Tape unwinds from spools in a controlled way with a brake and buffer system for maximum speed and efficiency.

As part of the company's comprehensive 'tesacohesion' customer care package, which provides a full end-to-end installation and commissioning service, the dispensers are provided free of charge, with the reassurance that they are installed in a single day, with no adverse effect on running speed.

"For providers of packaged goods, the availability of Lift & Reseal dispensers offers the final element of production efficiency that completes the picture," the company says.

Premium Italian paper manufacturer Favini was at Packaging Innovations London, exhibiting Crush, the "first and only" line of ecological paper made from agro-industrial waste, which replaces up to 15% of the cellulose derived from trees.

In addition show visitors could see Majestic, Favini's striking line of metallics, including the luxurious, elegant Satins; Dolce Vita, the "next-generation" paper that offers high levels of print performance with a natural look and velvet touch; and Softy, an innovative material that feels like soft fabric, but performs like paper.

The Favini selection was topped off by Black, a selection of the best black paper that the company manufactures, ideally suited to sophisticated, elegant packaging for any luxury brand. All are collected into a handy booklet to provide a key source of inspiration for graphic designers and other creative professionals.

Exhibiting on the Mirri stand at Packaging Innovations, US-based print specialist Color Logic, developer of the Process Metallic Color System, demonstrated how its software can quickly and consistently enable the production of metallic folding cartons and labels for high-end products.

Color-Logic decorative effects utilise the existing workflows of printers and designers, yielding dynamic results without the use of special equipment, supporting the value of print and working with designers and printers to enhance their printed media.

Commenting on the company's European experience, Color-Logic director of sales & marketing Mark Geeves said: "Many printers and brand managers in Europe and the Middle East already use Color-Logic to enhance their products, and we continue to be pleased at the excitement Color-Logic produces in the marketplace."