In this article, the author gives an overview of  the InnoPack event which  brings together buyers and specifiers from the packaging and pharmaceutical industries, creating business opportunities through a dedicated worldwide forum.

Market surveys show continued expectations for the pharmaceutical packaging industry to grow at a rate of 5.9 per cent per annum with predictions for the market to reach $34 billion by the close of 2011. This steady growth has served to change the face of the pharmaceutical packaging market by bringing the needs of buyers and sellers of pharmaceutical packaging into the spotlight within the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, a renewed focus has now been placed on the development of innovative packaging design solutions that maximize materials use and confront growing concerns about quality validation and anti-counterfeiting of the pharmaceuticals ingredients and products being packaged. These concerns have been further enhanced as the global scrutiny of sustainability and supply chain security has also greatly increased and caused customers to ask what materials are being used in the creation of pharmaceutical packaging, where they originate from and how it is being supplied.

In 2011, UBM Live is looking to address these concerns in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical market. Known as the premierents provider of the global line-up of CPhI events which cater to the pharmaceutical ingredients industry and feature co-located events ICSE for contract services and outsourcing, P-MEC for pharmaceutical machinery and technology, and BioPh for the biopharmaceuticals market, the UBM Live portfolio has once again expanded with the 2011 roll out InnoPack, to cater the pharmaceutical packaging sector.

The roots of InnoPack can be traced back to the first ICSE Packaging Zone which was held last year in Paris. From the introduction in 2010, the zone rapidly increased to the extent that a stand-alone event was clearly needed. InnoPack will debut during CPhI Worldwide from October 25 to 27, 2011 at Messe Frankfurt, Germany and will be focused on innovative packaging concepts in the global pharmaceutical packaging markets. Exhibitors will be in attendance from across Europe, China and the United States and the event will offer resources and solutions, as well as news about launches and innovations, for the production of blisters, blow-moulded plastics, ampules and vials, caps and closures, tubes and glass, bottles, pouches, strip packs, and more. InnoPack will offer value-added educational and networking features through daily “Innovation Briefs” presented by key players in the industry that cover industry trends and uncover critical case study insights in pharmaceutical packaging. InnoPack will also feature a labelling zone that will host companies that offer anti-counterfeiting and track-and-trace solutions to the pharmaceutical industry.

The evolution of the ICSE Packaging Zone into InnoPack was mainly based on the feedback from attendees of the past ICSE Europe events. Most recently, this demand increased and over 11 per cent of the 28,500 attendees at the Paris events line-up in 2010 expressed interest in a dedicated pharmaceutical packaging event. However, the introduction has also been driven by the current trends in this sector of the pharmaceutical industry. In a market where needs are ever changing, events such as this must cater to areas of growth and demand. With the transition to a global market, many of the boundaries to business that existed previously have been broken down. The transition to a global market has not come without cost and the consumer market has unfortunately seen a flood of products that lack standards and do not meet basic quality and purity expectations. Packaging is a key area where these concerns can be addressed, especially when it comes to processes such as validation. InnoPack serves to create an environment where both exhibitors and attendees can meet and do business while also getting a clear view of new trends, what competitors are offering and what direction the industry is expected to head.

Throughout the full line-up of events that InnoPack will be part of, there is evidence of many diverse, yet intertwined needs for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. In the case of InnoPack, the event will benefit from co-location with the established P-MEC event for pharma machinery, technology, laboratory and biotech solutions. InnoPack attendees will be able to access a comprehensive group of P-MEC exhibitors offering innovative Packaging materials solutions specifically designed for the pharma industry.

The synergy between CPhI Worldwide, ICSE Europe, P-MEC and the new InnoPack events will be further complemented by the return of the “Packaging Trail” to the full line-up of events after a successful introduction in 2010. The “Packaging Trail” highlights exhibitors throughout each event with a specific packaging offer so that attendees may easily locate exhibitors with these resources throughout the show floor. The ICSE part of the “Packaging Trail” will feature resources such as contract packers and drug delivery systems. The P-MEC Europe section of the trail will feature manufacturers of innovative packaging related technologies such as Track and Trace solutions, tabulating and capsule fillers. All locations along the “Packaging Trail” will benefit from projections for CPhI Worldwide and its collocated events to have the largest visitor attendance to date.u