Page 48 - Packaging News Magazine May-June 2019

MACHINERY MATTERS
Message from the Chairman
Mark Dingley: “Packaging and Processing Week benefits and value continue to flow well beyond the end of the AUSPACK exhibition.”
AUSPACK 2019 wrapped up in Melbourne as a resounding success, breaking every record. The entire Packaging and Processing Week this year was a fantastic success. We had positive feedback from all exhibitors and attendees – there were nearly 8000 trade visitors, which is up 25 per cent compared with the previous largest show. This year featured the largest floor space ever: close on 20,000 square metres, comprising 105 international exhibitors. The expansion of the Packaging and Processing Week activities was in line with industry demands and feedback, and included the inaugural Business and Industry Conference at which more than 40 speakers from around the world and right here at home spoke in front of a sold-out attendance.
Another highlight was the reinstatement of the APPMA Awards of Excellence. We had over 50 award submissions, and more than 400 guests attended the glamorous Gala Awards Ceremony to celebrate the winners and the industry as a whole. While this year’s awards saw a narrow band of winners, with Foodmach and HMPS topping the table and ProSeal sharing the winner's accolade in the Customer Collaboration Award, the night represented a fantastic re- engagement with and celebration of the industry. Moving forward, the APPMA Board has committed to further evolve the Awards of Excellence programme and category offerings to provide opportunities for companies of all sizes.
The NextGen breakfast focused on how to attract and retain the next generation, Gen Z, into the workforce. Addressing skill shortages in the manufacturing industry is paramount to business success, and this informative event, along with the involvement of RMIT lecturers and students on the Friday morning, provided a great introduction and opportunity for the industry and the future generation to engage.
APPMA’s invitation to RMIT Online, Fight Food Waste CRC, and Family Business Association to participate on the APPMA stand provided them with a great introduction to the AUSPACK exhibition and the Packaging and Processing Industry as a whole. Their positive experience and engagements will provide benefits and opportunities for many APPMA members and exhibitors alike.
With IIoT very much becoming part of the vernacular in Australian manufacturing, it was excellent to see the interest in newly formed Industry 4.0 user group Open IIoT, comprising prominent Australian automation brands SMC Corporation, Beckhoff Automation, NORD Drivesystems, Balluff, and ZI-Argus. This group represents a great example of co-operation and collaboration within the industry to highlight the benefits and value that can be delivered by Industry 4.0, with the team attracting great interest as both an exhibitor at AUSPACK and contributor on the panel discussions.
AUSPACK and Packaging and Processing Week benefits and value continue to flow well beyond the end of the AUSPACK exhibition. Exhibitors are following up sales opportunities, while the APPMA Board and management team continue to focus on providing an expansive range of value add member services and benefits. One such service comes from the partnership with PKN and the resulting bi-monthly release of the Machinery Matters publication, which has been established to provide all APPMA members with the opportunity announce and promote new innovations and success stories.
Lastly I would like to thank Exhibitions and Trade Fairs, the Nectar team, and the APPMA Board and management team for a fantastic AUSPACK and Packaging and Processing Week, and I look forward to seeing everyone at future APPMA events.
MARK DINGLEY, CHAIRMAN
ABOVE: APPMA chairman Mark Dingley with Lily D’Ambrosio, the Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, and Minister for Solar Homes, who opened the inaugural AUSPACK Business & Industry Conference.
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