The South India’s largest Packaging Show records over ten thousand unique visitors.
PackPlus South, along with PrintFair 2018, has set another benchmark as the most attended packaging show in the South. The four day show concluded successfully along on 12th March at HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad. With 250+ exhibitors, 150+ live demos, variousl product launches and several other attractions, the visitors had much to partake.
Launches & Displays
PackPlus South showcased some of the latest game-changing machines, materials and technologies that include high-end security and anti-counterfeiting packaging solutions, weighing and labeling machines, automated slitting, rewinding systems, paper-cup making machines and much more. UFLEX attractively showc
ased its MT-1200, a fully-automated multi-track (fill and seal) machine; Pragati Pack displayed an integrative range of new-age packaging innovations, such as high-end anti-counterfeiting packaging solutions; Naph Graphics demonstrated Slitline 35, a slitting machine that can handle diverse materials, such as metalised films, foil laminates, paper and board; Bizerba showcased a line of weighing and labeling machines, manufactured in a tailor-made manner. To name a few more, companies like Leuze Electronic, Print Jet, Lohia Corp, Silver Print, were other key exhibitors at PackPlus 2018.
Alongside highly-automated package converting machines, arrays of ultra-modern equipment for carton coding, metal deduction, bar code scanning, colour sensor, laser making (bar and QR codes), box compression testing and many such systems pulled crowd at the expo. USP showcased its line of machines for carton coding, which nowadays is mandatory in packaging. Leuze Electronic displayed bar-code scanners, metal deductor (double-sheet deductor), colour sensor, etc. HG Tech demonstrates laser marking machines that can mark bar and QR codes on any rigid material. Presto presented a line of paper and package testing instruments viz. crush tester, peel strength tester (computerised), bursting strength tester (digital pneumatic), scuff resistance tester, etc.
The show attracted some first timers too, such as I-Stix, a manufacturer and importer of silicon sealants and a range of adhesive tapes. “We are Mumbai-based; our objective of participating in PackPlus South 20018 is to explore the southern market in a deeper way. This show is the right platform for us to introduce in the region,” said Idris Officewala, founder, I-Stix.
“We displayed complete range of packaging solutions. Hyderabad is our home market. This was a good opportunity to meet our existing customers and develop prospective customers. Visitor footfall was really encouraging and we got several leads,” said Mr. Hemanth Paruchuri, Director, Pragati Pack India.
Business & Networking
At PackPlus’18 Snehaaflex sold its Lamicoat 200 solvent-based laminator to Jagadamba Roto, Hyderabad. Signode announced that one of its taping & strapping combo machines was sold to Varsity, Hyderabad, during the expo. Weighing machine company JSR Instruments sold its Digital Bursting Strength Tester to Meerut-based Arihant Publications. Moreover, almost every exhibitor at PackPlus South 2018 was jubilant about the amount of enquiries they received during the expo, which they said can convert into business in near future.
“We have been participating at PackPlus regularly. The footfall in Hyderabad was excellent. The arrangements were 
good; the ambience was one of the finest in the country. Overall we are very happy that we were a part of the show. We have already booked our space in PackPlus South 2019, Bengaluru,” said Mr. C. G. Ramesh, General Manager, UFLEX
“We deal in automation products. We always attend PackPlus South. This is the show where we get to meet the OEM’s of packaging industry under one roof, and also get to explore the new trends, machineries and products,” said Mr. Harish Doijad, Siddhivinayak Automation, Hyderabad.
Concurrent Show- PrintFair 2018
Organized in a separate hall PrintFair 2018 showcased arrays of state-of-the-art machines, materials and technologies that ranged from production presses, wide-format printers to specialty printing materials for the commercial printing, package converting and digital sign industries. Among the crowd-pulling exhibits presented by the key exhibitors at PrintFair were full colour production printing systems designed for rock-solid professional image quality.
The exhibits included complete lines of commercial printing systems and materials, which consisted of flatbed printers, production presses and special substrates and consumables. Among the key showcases at PrintFair’18, Konica Minolta demonstrated AccurioPress C6100, a full colour mid-segment production printing machine designed for premium image quality, and a gallery of MGI JETvarnish print samples. Canon presented diverse printing machines, comprising its popular PRO 520, ImageRunner ADV 8585 and iPF671E, with attractive Dream Lobo print samples. EPSON machines on display were WorkForce (WF-C20590) for A3 size, WF-R5691 for A4 and others, presented by Perfect Solutions. Monotech Systems was yet another exhibitor showing a complete line of commercial printing systems, which include its PixelJet wide-format printer, Oce 345, etc. with digitally enhanced Scodix print samples.
“We participated in PrintFair for the first time. We displayed various media printing solutions. The show turned out really good for us. We got many quality enquiries and already closed few deals here. Looking at this response we will obviously be there at PackPlus South 2019,” said Mr. Prasad, Director, Venkataramana Graphics.
“At PrintFair we had lot of visitors at our stall and so the overall response was excellent. We look forward to the next edition now,” said Mr. Ajit Vandi from Monotech Systems Ltd.
In the league of exhibitors of wide-format printers, Arrow Digital demonstrated efi VUTEk H1625 LED UV flatbed and SII ColorPainter M-64s. Monotech Systems displayed its PixelJet wide-format eco-solvent. Venkataramana Graphics conducted live demo of its V-Jet flatbed, alongside a line of EPSON SureColor Series. Some crowd that gathered at Canon’s stall was for its PRO 520 wide-format printer designed for rock solid large graphic prints. In addition, some exhibitors at the show displayed wide-format printer inks, machine spare parts and other allied products as well. Other showstoppers at the expo were Xerox, Riso, AKR, Crystal Digital, Sai Enterprises, Avery Dennison, and many more.
Visitor Comments
“We visited to explore new technology and products. PrintFair was much bigger than what we had expected. This was the first time we saw so many visitors at a printing exhibition in Hyderabad. It indeed was a well organized show” Said Mr. Prasad from Balaji Scan, Hyderabad.
“We came from Nanded-Maharashtra to visit the show. We are a book manufacturer and came here to see the latest machines and technology. The show was really good and it was a great experience visiting here as we got an opportunity to network with many important companies,” said Mr. Nikhil Mavedwar a book manufacturer.
“PackPlus South, together with PrintFair, has been alternating between Hyderabad and Bengaluru every year, and have been constantly growing too. This immensely successful edition and the thriving marke, should provide the base for an exponential growth in the coming editions,” said Neetu Arora, Director, Next Events Pvt. Ltd., the organizers of the Show.
The next edition of PackPlus South and PrintFair is slated to be held from10 to 13 April 2019 at BEIC Bengaluru.
For any further details, write to shantanu@print-packaging.com
