UTRECHT – Empack Reconnect, the trade fair for packaging technology, will take place as a fully online event on Thursday 17 September. This means that the physical trade fair in Jaarbeurs Utrecht is canceled. Easyfairs recently proudly announced Empack Reconnect as the first hybrid packaging event, however the majority of the community appeared to prefer an online variant. Easyfairs sees it as its primary task to listen to the wishes of its exhibitors and visitors and therefore provides the packaging sector with a fully online event. “We are not turning our backs on that and so we are going to organize an online event for the packaging sector for the first time,” says Irma de Hoon, Group Event Director at Easyfairs.
To make Empack possible in this pandemic period, exhibition organizer Easyfairs had doubled its efforts and measures. All conceivable protocols were ready to bring packaging professionals together in a safe and responsible manner. “Since the press conference of August 18, 2020, we have received more and more questions from exhibitors and visitors about the feasibility of the physical trade fair in Jaarbeurs Utrecht. Our goal is to serve the community and for that reason we have reconsidered with all parties involved. This showed that the majority prefers an online edition of Empack Reconnect ”, says Irma de Hoon, Group Event Director at Easyfairs.
“We would like to do something for the community and innovate as an organization ourselves because of the current circumstances. With this online edition of Empack we want to bring the Dutch packaging industry together, realize connections and offer companies and visitors the opportunity to show and discover innovations. In the recent period we have seen many online alternatives, especially webinars are very popular. But we go one step further, which is why we are organizing a completely virtual trade fair ”, says de Hoon. Empack Reconnect is set up with the online event platform Swapcard. The software of this platform offers visitors the opportunity to come into contact with exhibitors, speakers and other professionals online.
The online event focuses entirely on Empack’s main function: connecting supply and demand in the market. Packaging professionals can virtually visit and interact with more than 300 exhibitors. In addition, the visitor has the opportunity to talk one-on-one with other attendees in network lounges focused on themes such as compensation and reduction of C02, food safety and food waste, the power of plastics and the dynamic developments in e-commerce. Careful attention has also been paid to the substantive knowledge program. The program starts with various interactive sessions that connect with each other, where everyone can choose their own online path. Finally, visitors can admire innovations from exhibitors online in the innovation gallery.
For Empack Reconnect, a main stage and a studio are being set up on Next Level, the hypermodern top floor in Evenementenhal Gorinchem. Marketer Empack Tanee Plat: “At Next Level we have the space and all the techniques are available. Here, live speakers will have their say, who can again be seen via the online platform, and we will set up one conference room into a studio for recordings ”. The Empack exhibition team works for this professional production together with partner Swapcard and the audiovisual production team of ATG.
The virtual fair will go live on Thursday, the 17th of September from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Registration in advance is necessary and can be done easily from Monday 31 August via www.empack.nl. In 2021, Empack will take place again physically on March 31 and April 1 in Brabanthallen ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
