The new location allowed the nearly 23,000 attendees to visit almost 1,000 exhibitors over 19,300 net square meters (~208,000 net square feet) of exhibit space. Visitors included prospective buyers from the Mexican States of Puebla, Guanajuato, Estado de México, Queretaro and Morelos, while international attendees came from throughout Latin America, including targeted buying groups from Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia.

“Exhibitors were very pleased with the quality and quantity of attendees this year,” says Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO, PMMI. “The success in the new venue speaks to the strength of the EXPO PACK brand.”

The show once again featured international pavilions from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Italy, Spain, Taiwan and U.S. The PMMI Pavilion grew 11 percent from 2015, stretching to 2,379 net square meters (~25,600 net square feet). The largest PMMI Pavilion to date hosted 92 of the 175 PMMI members exhibiting at EXPO PACK México. EXPO PACK México 2016 also saw a second successful year of the Innovation Stage and the seventh year of the EXPO PACK Verde program.

As the Mexican marketplace continues to embrace sustainable processing and packaging options, EXPO PACK México exhibitors in the EXPO PACK Verde program more than doubled with 248 participants.

EXPO PACK México also hosted Packaging Week, organized by the Mexican Association of Packaging (AMEE). AMEE conducted its National Congress, a complete program of conferences and Envase Estelar Awards program. Association partners at EXPO PACK México included AMEE, the National Chamber of Industry Processed Food (CANAINCA), the National Chamber of Industry Graphic Arts (CANAGRAF), the Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Services (CANACO), the National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (CANIFARMA), the National Chamber of Industry Cosmetic and National Association of Personal Care Products and Home (CANIPEC) and the National Chamber of Metal Containers (CANAFEM).

“The relationships with our association partners are a testament to EXPO PACK México’s position as the premier processing and packaging event in Latin America,” says Yuska.

Gerardo Barajas, director of EXPO PACK, used the opening of EXPO PACK México to reiterate that beginning in 2017, EXPO PACK Guadalajara and EXPO PACK México will alternate years. With the success of EXPO PACK Mexico 2016, exhibitor demand for the first national edition of EXPO PACK Guadalajara (Expo Guadalajara) far exceeded expectations. The 2017 show is on pace to more than double the size of the previous Guadalajara show a full year before the June 13–15, 2017 dates.

“We are confident that this strategy will maximize EXPO PACK’s impact in Mexico’s two main markets and early booth sales for Guadalajara confirm this,” says Barajas. “Suppliers are looking to do business with the many multinational corporations expanding their operations in the Mexican market.”

His comments supported the findings reported during a special conference session at EXPO PACK México on PMMI’s newest research, “Opportunities for Packaging Machinery in the Mexican Market 2016–2017.” The study specifically cited strong expected investments from the beverage and food sectors in 2016–2017, naming Constellation Brands, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Mondeléz, Heineken, Mars, Kellogg’s and Diageo as just some companies who have announced plant expansions or modernization projects.

EXPO PACK México returns to Expo Bancomer Santa Fe, June 5–8, 2018.