Why you need to come to AUSPACK 2015

The largest biennial processing and packaging machinery and materials exhibition in Australia, AUSPACK 2015, is reaching a significant milestone this year: the exhibition is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Owned and presented by the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA), AUSPACK 2015 will be held from 24 to 27 March at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Entry to the exhibition is free and intending visitors can register in advance at www.infosalons.com.au/AUSPACK15M/index.php/.

For those involved in food and beverage manufacturing or processing, AUSPACK is a must-attend event with the entire industry on display - from processing, packaging and filling machinery, through to packaging materials, product identification solutions, materials handling, ancillary components and more. All this will be presented on 18,000 m² of venue space with over 1200 brands and lots of working machinery on display.

Over the four days, 300+ suppliers to the food and beverage processing and packaging industry in Australia and New Zealand will display their wares and be eager to discuss the latest innovations and trends in the industry.

A whole week of events

As part of AUSPACK’s  30th anniversary celebrations, the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and the APPMA have organised a whole week of events: Packaging and Processing Week 2015.

This week will see the expansion of the national technical forums, which will provide a three-day knowledge and educational program, the APPMA Industry Excellence Awards and other networking events to celebrate the 30th anniversary.

2015 National Technical Forums

• 24-26 March 2015
• 8.30 am-4.30 pm
• Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

The AIP and the APPMA National Technical Forums will be held concurrently with AUSPACK and deliver an educational program that will cover a broad range of topics relating to the theme of Open Innovation and Collaboration.The forums will be divided into breakout sessions to ensure that a diverse range of issues and topics is covered including:

• Packaging and processing innovations
• Robotics and automation solutions
• Primary packaging (including materials, food safety, responsible packaging, etc)
• Active and intelligent packaging
• 3D printing
• Chain of custody certification
• Retail-ready packaging
• Packaging printing
• Tamper evidence
• Eco design tools

 A broad range of speakers from all areas of the packaging, processing, materials and components sectors will ensure the forums offer something for everyone.

Register to attend the 2015 National Technical Forums by visiting http://128.199.172.102/event-registration/?ee=18.

2015 APPMA Scholarship

This will be awarded to a packaging engineer looking to further their education. The scholarship enables the recipient to enrol in a Diploma in Packaging Technology, an internationally recognised and accredited qualification for those wishing to pursue a career in the packaging industry or already in the industry wishing to expand their knowledge and expertise.

In conjunction with the AIP, the APPMA is offering a packaging engineer the opportunity to complete a Diploma in Packaging Technology to the value of $9000. The diploma is a Level 5 qualification that prepares students to take responsibility for packaging operations at any level through the supply chain and can also lead to higher-level study.

2015 APPMA Industry Excellence Awards

The 2015 APPMA Industry Excellence Awards winners will be announced on 25 March at the Crown Melbourne.

“Companies that enter these biennial awards are recognised for their contribution and outstanding achievements against their peers within the wider packaging industry and we encourage everyone to enter,” said Mark Dingley, chairman, APPMA.

The awards categories are:

2015 Export Achievement Award

This award recognises worthwhile contributions to an existing or new export market. Contributions can include establishing a new market, achieving a significant increase in sales by both supplier and customer, identifiable by monetary gain from an export activity. It can also be any developed packaging or processing machinery sold into overseas markets which contributes to improved business outcomes, efficiency, sales and profit increases.

2015 Design Achievement Award

This award recognises the development of a packaging or processing line or module that results in the significant advancement of packaging and processing machinery technology by either introducing a new idea or modifying an existing principle. The design concept and implementation are weighted highly in the bestowing of the award. The product must have helped to achieve better business performance.

2015 Customer Partnership Award

This award focuses on the customisation of packaging and processing machinery that is required to meet a customer’s individual needs. The winner - either an individual or a team - will be able to demonstrate that the end user has experienced increased sales, plant efficiency and profitability. The customer’s outcomes will form a large element of the award decision.

2015 Imported Equipment Award

This award is designed to recognise the efforts of a company that promotes its overseas principal’s equipment in the Australian market. The equipment itself must represent a high standard of excellence in every respect.

2015 Best New Product Award

This award is designed to recognise the most innovative product or equipment in the packaging and processing industry launched in Australia for the first time during AUSPACK 2015. The equipment or product must have proven efficiency or productivity gains, be innovative and have proved and improved cost of ownership