The Shanghai World of Packaging (swop) successfully concluded its anniversary edition on November 27, 2025. The event marked a decade of rapid growth and laid the foundation for the launch of interpack China in 2026. Held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), swop 2025 brought together 950 exhibitors and welcomed 43,090 trade visitors from 122 countries and regions. This represents a 30 percent year-on-year increase and a new high in international attendance, with 17.5 percent of visitors coming from overseas. Exhibitors from Germany, Italy, Austria, France, Türkiye, Switzerland, Japan and South Korea, including key players such as MULTIVAC, MOSCA, Starlinger, KOCH, Metsä and Itatools, presented advanced, sustainable and intelligent packaging solutions.
A decade of innovation and industry advancement
Reflecting on swop’s 10-year journey, Evian Gu, General Manager of Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai, emphasized the collaborative foundation behind its success: “Since its launch in 2015, swop has carried the mission of advancing China’s packaging industry. From that original blueprint to the prominent industry event we see today, every step of swop’s journey has been made possible by everyone’s support and partnership.”
Looking ahead to the transition toward interpack China, Rita Chu, Vice Chairwoman of The Adsale Group, added: ““As we look ahead to the grand inauguration of interpack China in 2026, swop 2025 will serve as the essential foundation, paving the way for a truly unique and market-defining benchmark event. This year, the exhibition was strategically centered on the core themes of ‘Disruptive Innovation,’ ‘Global Vision,’ and ‘Cross-Sector Integration.’ swop 2025 proudly featured four key areas: Fostering an immersive innovation ecosystem with the central objective of ‘helping the industry overcome key challenges’; Adopting a ‘Global Vision’ to provide strategic anchors for international market expansion; Offering a curated, ‘Buyer-Centric’ experience to deliver targeted solutions for specific production pain points; and Highlighting ‘Innovative Packaging Materials’ to drive the seamless integration of functionality and sustainability.”
Special zones such as the Industry Pain-Point Tracks, the Packaging Performance Challenge, the Scenario-driven Solutions Zone, and the International Breakthrough Innovation Showcase provided hands-on insights into intelligent manufacturing, sustainable materials, and digital transformation.
Momentum Across the Show Floor and Conference Program
Speaking to the increasing global profile of the event, Thomas Dohse, Director Processing & Packaging at Messe Düsseldorf, noted: “As a proud member of the interpack alliance, swop continues to build bridges across continents and industries, connecting global innovation with regional opportunities. For ten years, swop has embodied the spirit of progress that drives the packaging and processing industry, demonstrating a commitment to quality, creativity and sustainable growth. We are particularly pleased to see an increasing number of international companies participating, which reflects swop’s growing global relevance and its vital role as a hub for exchange and collaboration.”
The concurrent Save Food (China) Forum, co-organized by Messe Düsseldorf, WPO, FAO China, and UNIDO, addressed global strategies to reduce food loss and waste and honored six companies with the Save Food Design Award and the Sustainability Design Award. More than 150 buyer delegations and over 60 industry associations contributed to high levels of business activity and strong demand for automation, digital solutions, and sustainable materials.
Strategic international upgrade: interpack China arrives in 2026
Effective from 2026, swop will formally elevate its brand to interpack China. This strategic evolution marks a pivotal step in broadening the global outlook of China’s packaging sector. It also leverages the interpack alliance’s robust brand resources, extensive international network, and deep industry expertise. As the recognized global benchmark for packaging exhibitions, interpack’s strong reputation is expected to attract more top-tier international exhibitors and a greater volume of trade visitors, further reinforcing the show’s role as a premier platform for industry exchange and collaboration. This powerful upgrade is poised to support the Chinese packaging sector’s rapid advancement toward intelligent, green, and sustainable development.
interpack China will open from November 16–18, 2026, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC).
