Exhibition trio for the ‘Converting’, ‘Corrugated’ and ‘Industrial Print’ industry

ICE Europe, CCE International and InPrint Munich will go ahead as planned from 15-17 March 2022 at Munich

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Exhibition
ICE Europe, CCE International, InPrint Munich - Exhibition Trio for the Converting, Corrugated and Industrial Print Industry to go ahead in spring. Photo inprintmunich

With European governments moving fast to ease Covid-19 and travel restrictions, event
organizer Mack-Brooks Exhibitions has confirmed that their co-located spring
exhibitions for the Converting, Paper and Print Industry will go ahead as planned. All
three events – ICE Europe, CCE International and InPrint Munich – will take place
side-by-side and face-to-face, from 15-17 March 2022 at Munich Trade Fair Centre in
Germany.

Spring is the season of new beginnings – Amid positive signs of general recovery, the
upcoming March editions of ICE Europe, CCE International and InPrint Munich mark a long-awaited return of unrivalled business and networking opportunities for the converting, paper and print industries and the various markets they serve.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the show floor”, says Patrick Herman, Event
director of the Converting, Paper and Print Events at Mack-Brooks Exhibitions. “Of course,
we can’t rule out all eventualities, but an awful lot would have to happen to make us
postpone. This means that for the first time since the start of the pandemic, industry
professionals involved in the converting, printing and finishing process will finally get the
chance to meet and re-connect with their technology suppliers and peers again.”

3-in-1 event providing more value

New this year, ICE Europe, CCE International and InPrint Munich will take place in parallel,
creating a tremendous offering for the converting, corrugated and printing community in
various manufacturing sectors. With full access to all exhibition stands on a net floor area
exceeding 13,500 square meters, attendees will benefit from a breadth of solutions and
increased synergies between suppliers. In total, more than 460 international companies will
present their latest machinery, accessories and services, aimed at optimizing the production process or enhancing product features.

A large proportion of ICE Europe, CCE International and InPrint Munich visitors work for
the same industry sectors, such as packaging, plastics and paper, consumer electronics,
pharma and cosmetics, food and beverage, transport and logistics, engineering, textile and
furniture. And they all share the same challenge – To always be ready to react quickly to
ever-changing market trends and demands, fuelled by the constant acceleration of retail
and eCommerce.

“There is an ongoing need for creative and customised products that meet specific
performance attributes for specific end uses, often involving digital elements. To achieve
this, producers need to invest in new solutions, for example a new surface treatment or
mechanical process to add functionality or enhance specific product features. Efficiency
and sustainability are also important key drivers, both in regard to the manufacturing
process as well as to the finished product”, explains Patrick Herman.

“So a typical ICE Europe or CCE International visitor might initially be searching for a clever
converting solution to produce a fully recyclable packaging blank, but they will also be
looking at technical challenges further down the line, trying to keep the overall production
process lean and clean, for example by adding an integrated print solution to label or
decorate their finished foil, paper, or carton product – which they will find at InPrint Munich
on the same show floor!”

New matchmaking service across all three exhibitions

To ease the time-consuming task of finding suitable tech suppliers, a new AI-powered
matchmaking service will assist buyers in making smarter networking decisions by
suggesting relevant people to meet. This will help attendees to prepare their show visit and
use their time on-site efficiently. The new matchmaking service covers all three exhibitions,
ensuring visitors can connect with any supplier of interest across ICE Europe, CCE
International and InPrint Munich.

Exciting Supporting Programme to boost buyer-supplier connections

A diverse supporting programme, featuring the ever-popular InPrint conference, ICE
awards, and CCE open seminars, offer additional touchpoints between buyers and tech
suppliers. The supporting programme runs through all three exhibition days, offering a clear roadmap to a successful future for all converting, processing and industrial printing
specialists. Attendance is free of charge to all registered exhibitors and visitors. Please see
exhibition profiles below for further information.

Delivering a milestone event under safe conditions

All three shows follow a robust programme of measures to support the health and safety of
everyone on-site. Over recent months, Mack-Brooks Exhibitions and venue partner Messe
Munich have built a strong track record of successfully delivering large trade events in a
Covid-safe environment, including the inter airport Europe exhibition in November with more than 10,000 attendees. “Thanks to our rock-solid event management experience, our show teams can proactively prepare for Covid-19-secure events in accordance with current
Government guidelines, and we are able to change safety and entry procedures at short
notice if needed”, explains Patrick Herman, “We are fully committed to deliver a milestone
event safely and responsibly for all attendees and team members.”

2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India

Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.

The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry. While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.

The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.

Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.

Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.

Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.

– Naresh Khanna

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