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‘We hope to expand international trade to create more jobs in Nigeria’

Jamie Pearson is the Marketing and Operations Manager of Afrocet Montgomery, an events management company renowned for staging innovative and world-class exhibition events in West Africa. In this interview with The Guardian, he highlights the benefit of the 2018 Propak West Africa conference and exhibition in assisting companies grow their businesses through participation in targeted…

Jamie Pearson is the Marketing and Operations Manager of Afrocet Montgomery,

Jamie Pearson is the Marketing and Operations Manager of Afrocet Montgomery, an events management company renowned for staging innovative and world-class exhibition events in West Africa. In this interview with The Guardian, he highlights the benefit of the 2018 Propak West Africa conference and exhibition in assisting companies grow their businesses through participation in targeted trade.

What is the essence of the packaging and print trade show?

Propak West Africa is the largest packaging, food processing, plastics, labelling and print exhibition in West Africa.

It acts as the regions business networking event of the year where trade professionals are able to congregate in one place for the three days and see what new products and solutions are available in the market, meet with old and new clients and hear key insights from the industries thought leaders on what to expect from the year to come.

Propak West Africa has been on for some time now. What is the progress made so far?

This year Propak will be running for the sixth time and has grown considerably in size since its first outing.

When it launched in 2012 it took up a space of 650SQM in the exhibition hall but this year it will have a floor space of over 2,100SQM.

This shows just how much growth and expansion there has been in the industry over the last few years.

It has also welcomed more visitors each year with an average of 1,000 attending the first couple of editions to last year welcoming well over 3,000 industry professionals to the event and this year we expect considerably more.

What is the objective of the organiser and what do you hope to achieve this time?

What we aim to do for each event is put on the premier platform for the industry and make each year a must attend event for all those looking to build and expand their businesses.

Coming from an exhibition group which runs events globally helps to ensure the highest level of professionalism at our events.

When coupled with the management’s extensive experience of working in the region we believe it helps to provide the most relevant and all-encompassing exhibition and conference.

Who are the partners to the project?

This year we are working closely with the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Bank of Industry (BOI), The Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), World Trade Centers Association Lagos (WTCA) and Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) among others.

We are also excited to be sponsored by Sasol and Skysat Technologies who are both internationally recognized as leaders in the industry.

How many exhibitors and visitors are you expecting during the conference and what new things will they be showcasing at the event?

This year will see over 165 exhibitors showcasing their equipment.

Among the leading brands confirmed to be present at this year’s exhibition are Windmoeller & Hoelscher, BOBST, Kodak, Krones, Heidelberg, KBA, Piovan, Exact Solutions, Neofyton, Fujifilm, Skysat, Canon, Proxima and many more.

Skysat are exhibiting the latest AccurioPress C3070 for the first time and Neofyton are showcasing the Engel ‘e-motion 160’ mold maker from Otto Hofstetter which will for the first time provide attendees the chance to see a running injection machine at an exhibition in the region.

There are more than 18 large industrial machines that will be demonstrating live their capabilities throughout the exhibitions three halls and further information can be found on www.propakwestafrica.com.

Alongside the exhibition there is also a high-level conference program that is free to attend for those who visit the show.

With key notes from the likes of PZ Cussons, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Dow Packaging, GlaxoSmithKline, BASF West Africa and Premium Pack Ltd among many others.

The conference program will cover topics ranging from Innovation in Print Business, Promoting Investment in Nigerian Manufacturing, Innovations Driving PET and Effective Packaging Waste Management Strategies and are not to be missed for those looking for new trends, expert advice and the opportunity to ask global industrial leaders directly on how to progress your business.

What are the future plans for Propak West Africa?

The future plans of Propak West Africa are simple; we want to grow the show and continue to bring value and opportunities to those in the sector.

We’re confident with the track record to date and foresee this continuing for many years to come as the industry builds and the economy continues to grow year on year.

What are the benefits of this conference to the Nigeria economy?

The benefits to the Nigerian economy are the exposure to local and international brands that are showcasing new technologies and solutions.

These help to push the packaging and print industries forward through efficiency and productivity which has knock on effects throughout the supply chain as the newer equipment is able to service a higher workload, meaning an increased level of job creation from start to finish.

This is demonstrated in the buying power of visitors to the 2017 edition, which had a combined figure of over US$3bn in available budget to spend on machines and technologies in the sector.

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