Asia’s leading processing and packaging machinery exhibition—the SWOP Packaging World (Shanghai) Expo—successfully concluded from November 25 to 28, 2019, at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, Halls N1-N5. Excitingly, this edition marked the third SWOP exhibition. As a member of the interpack alliance, the world’s leading packaging machinery and processing trade fairs, SWOP integrates international resources. SWOP 2019 also served as a preview for interpack 2020, showcasing new trends, innovations, and technologies in the packaging industry. The exhibition covered an area of over 60,000 square meters, featuring 701 exhibitors competing on the same stage, and attracted 25,193 professional visitors from home and abroad.

This year, SWOP continues to focus on creating a comprehensive platform for the packaging industry chain, encompassing packaging material production and processing, primary packaging, secondary packaging, packaging material manufacturing and processing machinery, packaging printing, food and beverage processing and packaging, pharmaceutical and cosmetic processing and packaging, non-food consumer goods processing and packaging, packaging materials, containers and products, as well as packaging design. The exhibition covers nine major end-use sectors: food, beverages, daily chemicals, electronics and appliances, pharmaceuticals, complete vehicles and auto parts, plastic products, as well as packaging and printing, integrating a one-stop procurement platform for the entire packaging industry chain. This edition of the exhibition attracted renowned companies from 13 countries and regions around the world, including China, Germany, France, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, showcasing top-tier products and innovative achievements in the processing and packaging fields. Leading enterprises in the processing and packaging industry, such as HP, Haoyoufu, Demag, Hangzhou Zhongya, Hualian Machinery, Yongchuang, Berry Elite, and Tsung Hwa Lih Sing (in no particular order), made their presence at SWOP 2019, collectively demonstrating the major trends of intelligent, integrated, personalized, and environmentally friendly development in the packaging manufacturing industry.

swop is committed to creating the most valuable fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry chain ecosystem, with more than 1,200 members in the FMCG industry. The 'Home of Packaging' has partnered three times to jointly present the 'FMCG Pavilion' in Hall N3. This pavilion primarily exhibits packaging containers and packaging consumables. Compared to the previous edition, the scale has been further upgraded, with over 200 exhibitors and more than 10,000 square meters of exhibition space. The participation of the Shaoxing Shangyu District Cosmetics Packaging Industry Association has also made the 'FMCG Pavilion' shine. It aims to showcase high-quality products to end users of packaging applications and create a cross-industry communication platform, thereby enhancing brand competitiveness. In today's context, where packaging materials and products have become focal points for the end market, the 'FMCG Pavilion' is undoubtedly one of swop's most competitive highlights.

The concurrent events at swop 2019 were vibrant and diverse. Many thematic exhibition areas and forums were inspired by the interpack trade fair, including the “SAVE FOOD” initiative co-hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Düsseldorf Exhibition (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., which appeared at swop 2019 in the form of both themed exhibitions and a high-level forum. On the second day of the exhibition (November 26), award-winning participants from activities such as the FAO, Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. Shanghai, the German Mechanical Equipment Manufacturers Association, Ametek Membranes, ModivCare, and Tsinghua University's “Anti-Hunger Maker Workshop” shared insights on how innovative packaging materials and technologies can extend food shelf life, reduce food loss and waste, thereby lowering production costs for enterprises while contributing to environmental protection for society.

In addition, this year SWOP has collaborated with the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts’ Packaging Communication Design program (SIVAPACK), a renowned institution in China’s packaging design industry, to jointly host the "Generation Z, New Future" — SIVAPACK Packaging Design Exhibition and the "New Era Insights" — International Design Summit. Generation Z generally refers to individuals born between 1995 and 2000, representing the new future of the market. In this increasingly competitive ‘new era’ of branding, SWOP aims to work with brands and the packaging industry to leverage packaging design, combining innovative thinking, commercial insight, and consumer understanding to help businesses and end users seize market opportunities.

In order to explore the future development trends of smart packaging in depth and to provide strategic support for the development of upstream and downstream enterprises in the packaging industry, the organizers concurrently held multiple large-scale, multi-perspective forums covering hot topics such as food processing, smart packaging, green packaging, packaging design and creativity, and e-commerce logistics packaging. These included:
- Generation Z, New Future — SIVAPACK Packaging Design Exhibition
- FMCG Creative Forum
- Forum on the Development of Paper and Plastic Packaging in the Era of Green and Intelligent Manufacturing
- “Leading the Future” FMCG Special Forum
- “With You All the Way” FMCG Theme Pavilion Appreciation Reception
- SAVE FOOD China Summit on Food Waste Reduction
- “Insight into the New Era” — International High-End Design Forum
- interpack 2020 Promotion Conference
- Smart Packaging: The Future is Here
- New Technology Exchange and Promotion Meeting for Plastic Packaging Enterprises
- E-commerce and Logistics Packaging Summit — "Innovation & Intelligence" for the Future
- drupa 2020 Promotion Conference
- Catering 2019, "Seize the Opportunity" Themed Summit

The SWOP Packaging World (Shanghai) Expo received strong support from nearly 60 domestic and international associations related to the food, daily chemicals, plastics, and printing industries. During this edition of the expo, over 200 enterprise and association delegations visited the event, with the total number of attendees exceeding 10,000. The four-day SWOP 2019 has now concluded, and SWOP 2021 will be held from November 23 to 25, 2021, at Halls N1–N5 of the Shanghai New International Expo Center. Two years later, we will reunite in Shanghai to jointly explore this grand event in the packaging industry!