MM Karton at the most Important Industry Events

FFI Forum
February 5, 2014, Cologne

Under the motto ”packaged right“, MMK held discussions with participants from the production chain at the one-day FFI Forum (Folding Carton Industry Federation) in Cologne. In this digital age the way in which brands and consumers interact is undergoing rapid change. With a wide variety of media opportunities on offer, it is easy to overlook a ”traditional“ touchpoint: the packaging. Seven presentations delivered practical know-how, best practice examples and the latest insights with the aim of portraying the functionality and attractiveness of cartonboard packaging in order to promote brand dialogue. The general tenor of the gathering was that cartonboard is uniquely suited to conveying the brand message to the consumer. As a result of strong impetus in terms of form and design, folding cartons offer the perfect link to new digital worlds. Product packaging shortens the learning curve between online and offline advertising and delivers unmistakeable recognition on the shelf. 
In addition the event highlighted once again that sustainability and product safety are as important to brand owners as to consumers. MM Karton has already found the answer with its FOODBOARD^TM innovation.

Pharmapack Europe 
February 12 to 13, 2014, Paris

Pharmapack Europe is seen as the most important trade fair in Europe for pharmaceutical packaging and is an important meeting-place for the industry. Around 330 exhibitors from over 70 countries presented the latest innovations and trends in packaging and application systems for medications and medical products to more than 3,000 decision-makers from the fields of pharmaceutics, biotechnology and health care. The focus in 2014 lay on compliance and safety. There was also a technical symposium which this time was dedicated to the subjects of serialisation and traceability. Here a holistic approach is needed as serialisation involves many different areas making it essential to establish an intensive dialogue with internal and external experts. Participants had the opportunity to exchange views with experts from the supply chain on the technical and regulatory challenges ahead. The EU Guideline 2011/62/EU (Falsified Medicines Directive, FMD) which among other things will make the use of data matrix codes for the serialisation of folding cartons for pharmaceuticals a statutory requirement, will probably be introduced throughout Europe from 2017. In order to be able to offer solutions for these future demands, MMK has been working intensively for several years on optimising surfaces for inkjet and laser coding. MMK pharmaceutical qualities therefore offer outstanding inkjet and laser coding characteristics.

PACE Forum
February 12 to 14, 2014, Brussels

The annual forum ”Packaging and Converting Executive“ (PACE) aims to improve communication and strengthen collaboration between industry and the trade, supply chain and brand owner. This year the focus of the event lay on the development of packaging concepts for FMCG. Once again it emerged that packaging specialists directly in the trade frequently represent the missing link and that much still needs to be done in this area. Interesting presentations from Metro, Arla Foods, Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser helped to make the event a complete success, and learning the background to Coca-Cola‘s innovative personalisation campaign was particularly impressive.

Preview: Interpack 
May 8 to 14, 2014, Düsseldorf

Over 2,700 exhibitors from around 60 countries are expected and they will occupy all 19 halls of the Düsseldorf exhibition centre. Interpack is seen as the leading global trade fair and as an important driving force for the packaging industry and related process technologies. As the world´s leading manufacturer of coated cartonboard made from recovered fibres with a growing position in virgin fibre cartonboard and white top coated liner, Mayr-Melnhof Karton will also be there.

European Food Manufacturing 
& Safety Summit
February 25 to 26, 2014, Netherlands

This year‘s ”European Food Manufacturing & Safety Summit“ in the Netherlands offered an ideal opportunity for giants of the food industry such as McDonald‘s, Coca-Cola, Premier Foods, Mars or Barilla to discuss the latest trends and insights concerning food safety, quality control and sustainability. The exciting mix of participants both from the branded goods sector and the retail trade made the summit a successful event. As the only manufacturer from the cartonboard or packaging industry, Mayr-Melnhof Karton used the opportunity to present our FOODBOARD^TM innovation to an international audience from the world of food safety. One-to-one discussions with potential buyers showed once again that as well as the subject of migration protection there is particular interest in the features which FOODBOARD^TM offers in the areas of sensory values and fat barriers.