Exhibitor and visitor satisfaction at the close of the first joint Hispack&Bta

The shows close after receiving 55,000 trade visitors from the packaging and food & beverage technologies sectors

Fira de Barcelona's International Packaging Show, Hispack, and Alimentaria Exhibitions' Barcelona Food & Beverage Technologies, Bta, closed their doors last 15th. May with a very positive balance of their first joint endeavour. In an economic climate as complex as the current one, the presence of 3,000 companies and 55,000 trade visitors highlights the strength of the Spanish packaging and food and beverage technologies sectors and reaffirms the alliance as one of the most important events of this speciality in Europe. 

The first joint Hispack&Bta event has confirmed "that it was ideal to bring together, in the same venue and on the same dates, machinery and solutions for the packaging and food & beverage technologies industries, since it was very well received by exhibitors and visitors", explained the director of Hispack, Xavier Pascual. At the same time, it has enabled, "making the most of the synergies between the two shows, since the food & beverage industry is the main consumer of packaging and has demonstrated its capacity to attract national and international visitors with purchasing power", stated the director of Bta, Víctor Pascual.

During the two shows, from the 11th to the 15th of May, around 150 business meetings took place between exhibitors and foreign buyers from countries of Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean area, the main potential markets for the packaging and food & beverage technologies sectors.

Hispack&Bta also provided a showcase for new trends, above all in more sustainable and environmentally-friendly products. For example, visitors to Hispack were able to see 100% biodegradable packaging manufactured from potato or corn starch, plastic bottles weighing little more than 6 grams to reduce the use of contaminating materials and even packaging with natural antioxidants such as vitamin E to lengthen the life of foodstuffs.

For its part Bta presented new machinery for the food & beverage process and new ingredients and additives such as natural colorants and preservatives, fat and gluten reducers, liquid vapours, dehydrated fruit and vegetables and powdered cooked bacon, crab and squid. 

The latest developments of both sectors were topics of the joint activities and seminars, in which international experts took part. Over 1,000 exhibitors representing more than 3.000 companies participated in the first Hispack&Bta, occupying 70,000 m2 in the six pavilions of the Gran Via exhibition centre.

Bta: Susana Santamaría
Tel. 93 452 11 04
e-mail: ssantamaria@alimentaria.com

Hispack: Montse García Duque            
Tel. 93 233 35 46
e-mail: mgarciad@firabcn.es