There’s no getting round it

“Directly at the entrance,” she says with a smile on her face: “No one goes past without at least reading the name of Krones”. And she’s justifiably pleased, because that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Sandra Schindlbeck, who organises Krones’ trade fairs in Europe, Africa and the Orient, is talking about Krones’ visual impact at the Hispack.

Hispack, that’s the premier packaging trade fair in the western Mediterranean region – so any company wishing to play a significant role in the markets of Spain, Portugal and Italy will be showcasing its corporate capabilities here. And Krones has long since been a regular. When as Sandra Schindlbeck she joined Krones’ Trade Fair Department back in 2000, the Hispack was already well established on the trade fair calendar. Well, every three years at least, because that’s how often this event is held in Catalonia’s capital of Barcelona. So it’s five times now that she’s prepared, planned, organised and followed up on Krones’ presence at this fair. Nonetheless, it’s still rather exciting: will all the exhibit arrive undamaged and on time? Will erection be completed without any hitches? Are the visitors to the fair showing the expected amount of interest? How many old acquaintances and new contacts will turn up in the hustle and bustle of the fair?

On 21 April in Barcelona die 16^th event in the Hispack’s history will be opening its doors. In the Gran Via der Fira de Barcelona exhibition centre, up to 45,000 visitors will then be crowding around the stands of the 1,400 exhibitors. And among them, of course, are also many who are of interest for Krones AG – not only long-standing contacts but also new acquaintances and partners.

As the fair’s name indicates, the Hispack was originally inaugurated as a trade fair for pack(ag)ing technology. Anyone who (like me) who associates “packing” with removal boxes and cartons, will perhaps be wondering whether a fair of this kind can really be so important for Krones AG. But Sandra swiftly convinces me with the cogent argument that after all every beverage has in some way also been “packed” in a bottle or a can. Which means that filling and labelling technology is also in fact part of the packaging industry – and all of a sudden Krones AG has a whole lot of stuff to showcase after all.

But Sandra also admits that though the fair’s principal focus is still themed around packaging as such, meanwhile you can also find quite a few cross-sectoral exhibitors and visitors. The fair’s organiser is accordingly also proud to be able to say that what’s on show in the halls covers the entire lifecycle of foods and beverages. It starts with the raw materials and the design, continues with machines and technology for the production process, and finally closes the circle with packaging technology and logistics. So there’s something there for everyone.

And Krones AG, on its 200 square metres of stand area, also provides a broad spectrum of exhibits and information. In Hall 1 on Stand E 550 – or, to put it more simply, “directly at the entrance” – a Topmodul labeller and some Evoguard exhibits are on show. As indeed are some staff from Krones Germany and Krones Iberica, who will help to make sure that everything goes according to (Sandra’s) plan.