Next year is a Scanpack year, but not just any Scanpack year! Scandinavia’s leading packaging exhibition celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024, an achievement that will be given the recognition it deserves. “The 2024 edition of Scanpack will be extra special”, says Business Manager Monika Ölund.

Comparing Sweden in 2024 with Sweden in 1964 is like looking at two completely different worlds. In 1964, just twenty years after the end of the Second World War, there was no digitalisation, and no one was talking about sustainability. But the years 2024 and 1964 do have one thing in common: Scanpack!

The Path to Success: Evolution and Relevance

“When Scanpack was first arranged in 1964, there were already packaging exhibitions in a number of other countries, but Sweden did not have this type of common platform, and I think Scanpack filled that need well”, says Anna Lena Friberg, Senior Advisor at Scanpack.

So well, in fact, that Scanpack has now developed into one of Sweden’s largest and most international industry events. While other exhibitions and trade fairs have come and gone over the years, Scanpack has endured and thrived. But what is it that has enabled Scanpack to remain relevant for so long?

“I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we are and always have been so close to the industry, and we have therefore been able to change and develop in line with both the industry and the world around us”, Anna Lena Friberg explains.

Furthermore, from the very beginning, Scanpack has always worked hard to bring together the entire value chain.

“These days, there are a lot of smaller conferences and niche events that address parts of the packaging industry’s challenges, but there are few that gather the entire value chain in one and the same place, as Scanpack does”, Monika Ölund says.

“Part of Scanpack’s raison d’être lies in the unexpected encounters and new business opportunities that can arise. You can meet your existing contacts, but also gain new insights by interacting with others from different backgrounds who still share common points of interest. This creates a chemistry that is very hard to replicate elsewhere.”

Collaboration for a sustainable future

This mix of businesses and sectors has many benefits, not least for the visitors to Scanpack who get a chance to discover new products and explore concepts, ideas and innovations that they would not otherwise come across in their everyday lives.

“The packaging industry is extremely broad, and Scanpack is a forum that brings together representatives of all aspects of the industry, from raw materials, materials and machinery to finished packaging and recycling/reuse. This makes the event a complex, exciting and diversified meeting place”, Anna Lena Friberg says.

Over the years, in order to make the most of the industry’s knowledge and insights, Scanpack has developed its seminar programme into what has now become an important part of the Scanpack experience.

Innovations at Scanpack 2024

“The packaging industry is facing major challenges – for example, how AI and other forms of digitalisation affect us, and how we should develop the sustainable materials of the future. If we are to solve these issues, it is crucial that we have the ability to connect representatives of different parts of the industry and create collaborations across borders”, Monika Ölund says.

“If we are to succeed in reducing the industry’s climate footprint, we must collaborate, and in order to collaborate we must have forums where we can meet and interact, which is exactly what the industry does at Scanpack.”

In 2024, as part of Scanpack’s 60th anniversary, several new features will be introduced:

“One example is the launch of a new matchmaking tool that enables exhibitors and visitors to book meetings with each other before and after the exhibition”, Monika Ölund says.

Next year’s event also sees the launch of Packaging Plaza, a completely new area on the second floor.

“We envisioned an Italian piazza where you can have informal meetings, take a break and enjoy a refreshing drink, but also participate in interesting events on one of our stages.”, Monika Ölund explains.

“There will also be a number of surprises, of course, and while we can’t reveal too many details in advance, we truly hope and believe that visitors will leave the event feeling that Scanpack 2024 really was extra special.”