Drinktec’s show team hailed a 14% rise in visitor numbers to Munich between September 16-20, and said 89% of exhibitors and 98% of visitors rated the show as ‘excellent to good’.
International visitor numbers also rose significantly – the number of visitors from Japan doubled to 1,170, 1,779 (+16%) came from the US, 1,423 from China (+45%) and 586 from Thailand (+71%).
Russian visitor numbers rise 112%
In terms of overall rankings for countries of origin among visitors, Italy led the way (4,418 visitors), followed by Russia (2,095, +112%), Switzerland (1,930, +32%), while Great Britain, Austria, France, Belgium and Japan were also among the top ten.
A survey of show exhibitors found that 84% described the current economic situation as ‘excellent to good’, whereas only 48% were so positive in 2009, during the previous Drinktec.
Key themes at the show were energy saving, variety, flexibility and safety, with a special focus on innovative packaging materials to cut material use and digital direct printing on bottles.
A new Innovation Flow Lounge attracted around 800 visitors, and was the first dedicated forum for marketing themes at Drinktec, attracting everyone form craft brewers to Coca-Cola and Carlsberg.
Blown away by the show?
Gebo Cermex, Pascal-Louis Caillaunt, communication director: “After all, it is the most important and most visited trade fair of the industry. We were very impressed by the high degree of internationalism of the trade fair; visitors came from everywhere in the world. The quality of discussions was very good and holds the promise of successful, future business relations."
GEA Group, Anja Oltmanns, marketing manager: “There is nothing comparable in any other country. The number of visitors was considerable higher than in 2009; all were there from craft
brewers to large corporations, and all continents were represented. Overall, it is a lot livelier than four years ago, and customers are more active and again willing to invest."
ECOLAB Europe, Marcus Ley, AVP corporate accounts: “The experienced internationalization of Drinktec fits just right with the general globalization of brands. We found the again growing number of Asian visitors to be especially striking. The increasing share of contacts from the dairy
industry is also notable.”
Döhler, Oliver Hoffman, head of group marketing: “You meet a very wide range of decision-makers here. Company owners and CEOs come with their complete management staff. We do not treat any other trade fair with such intensiveness and so much work.”
Ball Packaging Europe, Uwe Stoffels, booth manager: "Drinktec is a very international trade fair. The thematic structure and the hall layout are also optimum for us. We can demonstrate our position as an innovative partner optimally and present our company and services differently compared with customary customer pitches.”