EasyFairs has been running events across Europe for a decade, but according to EasyFairs UK event director Alison Church, as the portfolio has grown to 27 shows across 11 countries, attracting 35,000 visitors and 2,500 exhibitors, the portfolio has developed a potentially confusing number of brands and show focuses.
“We have a lot of European packaging shows that all have slightly different focuses and different brands and names. So we have an incredibly strong European portfolio. But I think that if people are involved in one show in a certain market then they’re not necessarily aware of the other shows, so we’re going to refocus on our core brands to demonstrate our strength across this booming market and drive growth,” said Church.
The three core brands are: Packaging Innovations; packaging technology brand Empack, and Label&Print.
Church said that the Brussels headquartered company had considered merging the brands into one single umbrella brand, but that its large European footprint ruled it out.
Some of the current brands will become features of the three main brands; EcoPack and Contract Pack will become part of Packaging Innovations, while Packtech will rebrand Empack.
However, Print Innovations, Labelling Innovations and Converting Innovations will be merged to become Label&Print.
“The rebrand into Label&Print is central to the development of our Birmingham show in particular, where we have seen so many technological and digital innovations,” said Church.
This week’s Packaging Innovations show was the largest EasyFairs UK event to date with more than 350 exhibitors, and the bulk of the growth was across the areas that will fall under the new Label&Print brand.
“For the print area in particular, Print Innovations, Labelling Innovations and Converting Innovations are all brands that we have launched as a result of a certain focus in the market and they’re areas that we see as completely core to taking the NEC show in particular forward. They’ve been massive areas of growth for us because a lot of the new applications and innovations that packaging can adopt are being driven by print and digital print in particular,” said Church.
EasyFairs’ London show, which takes place on 30 September and 1 October, will maintain its strong focus on the high-end packaging market by being jointly branded Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging.
Church said one of the goals of the rebrand strategy was to roll out the EasyFairs model beyond Europe, with new locations set to be unveiled later this year.
The EasyFairs shows were originally developed on a fixed, low-cost exhibiting model, with exhibitors using fully inclusive shell schemes based on pre-determined ‘unit’ sizes. However, while the majority of exhibitors, made up of packaging and label printers and machinery suppliers still opt for shells, in the past two or three years an increasing number are opting for custom-builds that are still limited to a height of 2.5m and the two-day build-up.
“The innovative custom-build stands look fantastic, but we’re not going to forget our roots. We’re not going to change the style or duration of our exhibitions, the model works for us, for our exhibitors and our visitors,” said Church.
