The Holy Grail of Packaging Shows

The minute I stepped out of the airport of Dusseldorf, I felt that “spring breeze” and had a nostalgic feeling of what it used to be like in Canada.  One cannot help but inhale that air deeply and heave out a big sigh of contentment.  All of a sudden, my steps had a bounce to it, and I am feeling giddy as a bumblebee as I walk to my hotel.

We were billeted at Maritim Hotel, which is 100 metres or even less from the airport.  So, me & bert walked with our luggage in tow.  Maritim Hotel in Dusseldorf is newly built and opened only last December 2007.  Architecture is modern, with lots of glass ceiling, & glass elevators.  I could not help but think that the 295 euro per night is now worth it. 

Card key with a slight touch to the door means no stained carpeting or mildew shower area.  It means villeroy water closet & bathroom sinks.  I’m a happy camper!

As I make new friends at Interpak, I realized that everyone else was booked in Cologne area.  This is around 30 minutes by train, but 80 euro by cab!  So if you are a party individual who gets too drunk to figure out train rides between two cities, then you are better off paying the additional 150 euro per night.  Not to mention the tiredness you get from walking miles inside the interpak could be a bit intense on the toe department that you just surrender & plop yourself all over the place. For these reasons, I am VERY glad I am booked near the messe centre.

As always, the interpak proves to be the holy grail of all packaging shows. It cannot fail to blow me away even if it just decided to open one hall.  This year’s interpak however, has multiplied to 17 halls!!!!!  Good luck, Almay! 1 hall is bigger than the whole of world trade centre, so you can just imagine my dilemma.  I am like a little kid lost inside a toy store!  The booths are quite impressive, with bars, spas,  ice curling and most of them looking more like restaurants rather than the boring machine suppliers that they are.  It would be very difficult for any visitor not to have fun at this fair!  Even for the non engineers like me. 

I am inspired to bring the Philippine manufacturing to the next level.  And sometimes… that’s all we really need….  Inspirations to become better than we ever thought possible….

 

Written on: April 28, 2008 inside the hotel room