The fair opens the three-year intervals from this edition

The edition of Hispack is presented with a growth of 12 percent on surface and of 10 per cent in the number of direct exhibitors regarding the 2003, brings together more than 2,600 companies represented at 800 booths and the internationality of the Hallled by Italy, France and Germany, has increased by 23.4 per cent. The packaging and POS, Hispack industry stands in an Observatory of trends and a forum of sectoral debate of exception.

Riera Marsa, Chairman organizing Committee.

Xavier Pascual, director of the Hall.

The international packaging show, Hispack 2006, opens its doors from 27 to 31 March at the Fira de Barcelona's Gran via venue with the best records of participation in its history: A total of 54. 000metros NET occupied squares and more than 2,600 companies represented at 800 booths that will show the latest trends and developments in the world of the packaging and packaging - present in almost all of the economic and commercial activities - as well as a wide range in POS. These figures represent an increase of 12 per cent in surface and a 10 per cent in the number of direct exhibitors on the last edition held in 2003 and show the high expectations of business Spanish packaging industry has placed in what is today its fair reference.

Hispack is the exhibition manifestation of the industry of the container and packaging in Spain and one of the most prestigious in Europe in his specialty. On a triennial basis from this Edition, the exhibition organised by Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Graphispack Association has accredited a high power of call professional, ensuring the highest concentration of buyers of the Spanish market, as well as of other important areas of influence as PortugalFrance, Italy, Mediterranean countries and Latin America. This year the organization provides for the attendance of more than 35,000 professionals.

The sharp increase in domestic consumption of containers and packaging in the industry, trade and distribution - with special emphasis on areas such as food, industry, pharmacy, drugstore and Perfumery or automotive-, Hispack makes a basic room for all sectors of activity.

To facilitate the visit of the living room, the commercial offer expositora has structured following this sectorización:

• Pavilion number1: Advertising in the available Place; Services; Prime Matters, Material and Products; and Machinery of packs and packaging.

• Pavilion number2: Machinery and accessories of packs and packaging; Machinery for processes of manufacture; and the sector of recovery and recycling;

• Pavilion number3: Machinery of bottled; Machinery of etiquetaje, coding and labeling; and the sector of Logistics and manipulation.

The sector of machinery and accessories of packs and packaging supposes the 39 percent of the display units direct of the living room, followed of the sector of raw materials, material and auxiliary products, that represents the 27,3 percent of the total of stands. The section of machinery for etiquetaje, coding and labeling has the 9 percent of direct companies and the sector of machinery and equipment for bottled, the 7,3 percent. They complete the commercial offer the companies of quality consultancy, engineering, services and the ones of environingingment, recovery, treatment and recycling, that suppose in group a 5,3 percent of the total, followed of the logistics with a 4,75 percent; the machinery for the processes of manufacture of products, with a 3,1 percent; and the PLV that represents a 3 percent.

In general lines, the display units of machinery present equipment automated, with the incorporation of flows of digital work, and improvements regarding processes, speed and versatilidad of production. In the section of materials, the reduction of the weight and the increase of the resistance are two common characteristics as well as the incorporation of the effect barrier in plastics, films and special cardboards. In the living room will exhibit , besides, all type of solutions of identification, labelled, logistical and trazabilidad. Definitely, the technology RFID goes to centre the section of novelties with grabadores of data and readers, labels with electronic chips, antennas receptors, etc., applicable to all type of economic activities.

The Spanish market of packaging, one of which has been growing in recent years, interest beyond our borders. The efforts and resources devoted to promoting international - one of the strategic axes of this edition - have resulted in an increase of 23.4 percent of the international presence in the commercial offer of Hispack with respect to the year 2003 when they participated directly - that is with stand - 128 foreign companies from 14 countries.

To date, a total of 158 companies from 22 countries are participating as direct exhibitors in Hispack. Italy, with 58 companies, is the country with wider representation, followed by France and Germany. In the commercial offer of the Hall will be present different companies goings of Argentina, Austria, Belgium, China, Chile, Korea North, Denmark, United States, Finland, Great Britain, Holland, India, Morocco, Mexico, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Turkey.

At the same time, in collaboration with Amec Envasgraf, Hispack has identified several target markets for the promotion of visitors in order to attract potential buyers, distributors and representatives, as well as professionals from different sectors users of packaging in general.

Also, Amec-Envasgraf in collaboration with ICEX is coordinating the visit to the Hall of different professionals international delegations of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Morocco, Tunisia and Poland, countries selected according to the interests of the sector. On behalf of the living room, this Association is carrying out the direct invitation to representative companies of Mexico, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Poland and Czech Republic, as well as some major magazines specialized foreign journalists.

As a novelty, in this Edition, Hispack opens the center of attention to foreign visitors (CAVE), managed by staff of Amec-Envasgraf, which aims to provide guidance to the international professional to make your visit more operational. From the CAVE will be provided information on exhibitors, the lounge and its activities, on the Spanish sector of the packaging, etc. Also, in the CAVE will centralize information on exhibiting companies which have notified their interest in exporting to put them in contact with the visitors requesting. This room, located in the Pavilion No. 2 stand C336, will feature a business center, and a zone of rest for foreign visitors. The CAVE is also available to customers and foreign contacts of exhibitors. In addition, this Center will be the meeting point of international delegations and also the stage of the business meetings of the programme to the - INVESTIII between European and Latin American companies.

Hispack, such as backbone of Spanish packaging industry, promotes various initiatives for the promotion and wider dissemination of the social, cultural and economic benefits of the activity in this sector.

In this sense, during the celebration of Hispack will be presented the third edition - updated, expanded and revised - the White Book of the container and packaging, published by Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, tourism i Consum of the Generalitat de Catalunya. This work has become bibliography of reference to the knowledge of the sector of packaging in our country. On this occasion, as well as providing a macroeconomic view of the sector of packaging in our country, encompassing the different producing subsectors according to the materials used and the sector of machinery, the book contains a more qualitative analysis of the reality and the challenges of the Spanish packaging sector.

Also this year, Hispack is betting on the culture of the packaging. Here the Hall House in the Pavilion nº 1 "Pack & Food" exhibition which will collect the benefits introduced by the packaging in the food world. Through packaging and various plastic housings, Pack & Food will move to the reflection on the contribution of the packaging to the development and well-being of society. The exhibition will show the relationship of the packaging in food from three aspects: the functional; the informativa-comunicativa; and the sensorial-emocional. This exhibition is part of the official programme of events from the year of food, cuisine and gastronomy held in Catalonia from March 2005 to March 2006.

Also, as usual, Hispack expose in the foyer of the Pavilion nº 1 the winning entries of the Líderpack Awards, the most important competition of packaging and POS which takes place in Spain and featuring internationally to promote the winning containers to participate automatically in the WordStars, the most accredited World pageant of packaging.

On this occasion, an industrial packaging for the automotive sector has been considered the best packaging of the 2005 Líderpack Awards, while an exhibitor for a video game console has been leading in POS product. This sixth edition, there have been 78 works that only fifteen have been deserving of an award.

The awards ceremony will take place on 27 March, at 7.30 p.m. in the lobby of the Pavilion nº 2 of the Gran Via venue.

Presentation of the Hispack Hall to the media in Barcelona.

Hispack 2006 is an important forum of sectoral debate which contributes to the analysis of trends, the presentation of innovations and technology and the exchange of experiences.

In this regard, on Tuesday, March 28, will be held the "first encounter Hispack of research and development in packaging and packaging". This scientific Congress of international meet researchers and technicians of companies manufacturers and users of materials and packaging, as well as members of academic institutions to present and discuss recent advances in materials barrier applied to packaging and packaging technology. Current EVOH, polyamides, polyesters or poliacrilonitrilos, as well as innovative materials as aliphatic policetonas, polymer liquid crystal, metal and of metal oxides, organic coatings, biopolymers, nanopolímeros coatings or materials material active antioxidant will be presented by the technicians involved in new developments. The event will feature the presence of international experts from Japan, United States.UU. and several countries of the European Union.

On Wednesday, March 29, in the morning will be two interesting days. The first, organized by Innopack private foundation and BCD, Barcelona Centre de Disseny, will focus on innovation, design and certification in packaging. The presentations will focus on innovation as a tool of competitiveness, the design as engine of innovation, new materials and processes as drivers of innovation and the certification as a key element of consolidation. The second event of the day will be the seminar, organized by AECOC, on the applications of label radiofrequency (RFID), based on the EPC (electronic product code) standard. These conferences will complete the area of practical demonstrations on this new technology AECOC coordinate in the Pavilion No. 2.

Picking up the baton of Lars Wallentin and Paco Underhill in the three previous editions of Hispack, Barcelona's publicist Lluís Bassat will be responsible to pronounce Thursday, March 30, the traditional keynote focused on aspects of the packaging as an advertising medium, and communication. Bassat will analyse new patterns of consumption and models of buyers and other aspects of the advertising environment related to the packaging. This seminar, organized by the Graphispack Association, is aimed at consumer goods companies, advertising agencies, designers and teachers.

Prior to the Conference of Lluís Bassat, will be held a panel discussion on the power of advertising in the place of sale, promoted by ADIFA PLV, POPAI Spain and Graphispack Association. Participating designers, manufacturers of POS, advertisers and brands advertisers users of POS products and services and representatives of the commercial distribution. The objective is to offer insights into the POS in Spain market and the possibilities of communication offered this advertising medium.

Finally, the last day of the show, will be held the third edition of the young Packaging Conference, organized by the Graphispack Association. This activity is aimed at University students and vocational training of second cycle students who want to know the factors involved in the design of packaging, packaging and POS for success. Also, the day will showcase studies (masters and postgraduate courses) specialized in packaging as an interesting job output in different areas of the company, the world of communications and marketing, or industry.

However, the international packaging exhibition will again show the strength and dynamism of Spanish packaging and the POS industry.

Day of the weight of the packaging in the food.

Liderpack awards.