The Pamex roadshow reached Indore on its fourth stop on 24 January 2023 at the Brilliant Convention Centre with more than 300 registering for the event. Visitors from Bhopal and Ujjain converged with local attendees for the afternoon-to-evening event comprising a table-top exhibition and a conference. Pamex 2023 is scheduled from 27-30 March 2023 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.
The theme of ‘Convergence in Print’ was highlighted by industry experts who educated the visitors about the pros and cons of adopting it as a business strategy. The Indore event was a joint effort of the All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) and Indore Master Printers Association (IMPA) and was organized in association with Print-Packaging. The event was supported by the Bhopal Master Printers Association, Indian Plastpack Forum, Federation of Corrugated Box Manufacturers of India (FCBM), the Madhya Pradesh Corrugated Box Manufacturers’ Association, and the Ujjain Print & Media Association.
The inaugural lamp at the conference was lit by Raveendra Joshi, president, AIFMP; Umesh Nema, president, Indore Master Printers Association – IMPA; Vineet Jain, president, FCBM; Sachin Bansal, president, Indian PlastPack Forum- IPPF; Rajesh Nema, president, Label Manufacturers’ Association of India- LMAI; Amit Shah, president, Bombay Master Printers’ Association- BMPA; Sanjeev Sureka, president, Madhya Pradesh Corrugated Box Manufacturers’ Association- MPCBMA; Manoj Agnihotri, president, Bhopal Master Printers Association- BMPA; Deepak Sharma, president, Ujjain Print and Media Association- UPMA; Tushar Dhote, co-chairman, Pamex, AIFMP and Anil Arora, president, Print-Packaging.Com.
The welcome address was delivered by Umesh Nema, president, IMPA, who spoke about Indore not just being the cleanest but also one of the fastest-growing cities in India. He assured full support to Pamex, in which a lot of printers and converters from Indore and nearby cities will take part.
Raveendra Joshi spoke about the response to Pamex 2023. He said, “Pamex, the flagship event of AIFMP, has gained momentum over the years and 2023 is set to break all previous records.” He spoke about the AIFMP Bhavan, which is aimed at developing IT-related skills that are applicable to print, packaging, printed electronics, 3D printing, and publishing domains.
Tushar Dhotegave a presentation on Pamex, talking about its history and the current status of the 15th edition of the show, where only a few stalls remain available for booking. “The show is very near and so visitor registrations are on in full swing. The theme of ‘Convergence in Print’ has resonated well within the industry. Visitors are going to witness several new technologies at the event this year.”
The panel discussion was moderated by industry veteran V Vaidyalingam, director, Suba Solutions. Raising some interesting questions, he held the interactive session with Aditya Pahuja, Colours Packaging Solutions; Gaurav Nema, Pragati Graphics & Packaging; Amit Shah, Spectrum Scan and Amit Khurana, Technova Imaging System. Amit Shah said, “Convergence is the using of various ideas, techniques, and machines to give a favorable outcome.” He stressed the importance of sustainability, which according to him will be imperative in the future of packaging.
Gaurav Nema said that during Covid, the concept of convergence was applied in various segments such as food-safe packaging with a reduction in touchpoints. Online buying was driving convergence in print during the pandemic while bringing in a dimension of sustainability in packaging, he said.
Aditya Pahuja said, “Flexible packaging is growing at 33% PA and it’s is a good opportunity for us. In such a promising and growing market, we wish to build sustainability through a multi-pronged approach.”
Khurana stated, “Change is only the constant thing and one must be ready for this. Speed and innovation should be kept on the radar as the next 10 years are the golden period for the Indian print industry.”
At the end of the panel discussion, Amit Shah shared a video on the making of his very famous 50+ feet Spectrum Express steam engine created with a corrugation board.
Rajesh Khatwani, Vinsak India, spoke on the importance of track and trace and gave a brief on how technology makes it possible to get full information about a product through a simple barcode.
Pawandeep Sahni, Omet India, has been part of all four roadshows. According to him, convergence can have different meanings for different people. “It is important to identify your definition and work towards that direction,” he said.
Premchand Prajapati, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, spoke about ‘digital printing & the way forward’. Talking about the drivers of digital printing, he said, “Some of the features leading to the adoption of digital printing include short print runs, low initial set-up cost for print jobs, improvement in technology, variable data and personalization.”
The event concluded with a vote of thanks extended by Pritesh Jain, vice president of the Indore Master Printers Association (IMPA).
The next destination for Pamex 2023 roadshow is Bengaluru on 23 February 2023. The last destination will be Haridwar on 3 March 2023.
