Processing and Packaging Machinery Association
The Processing and Packaging Machinery Association ('PPMA') is a UK trade membership organisation headquartered in Wallington, Surrey.
The PPMA is part of the PPMA Group of Associations trading brand, which represents a range of processing equipment and packaging machinery manufacturers and component suppliers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and across Western Europe and North America.
Purpose
The PPMA assists member companies with the sales and marketing of industrial Processing equipment and Packaging machinery through various exhibitions, events, publications, and business and regulatory training.
History
Incorporated in 1987, the PPMA was born out of a desire to run an exhibition ‘for the industry by the industry’ by eight founder member companies.
The first three-day PPMA Show was launched in 1988 at Telford Exhibition Centre. In the proceeding years, the Association experienced substantial growth, which included the merger with the Packaging Equipment Manufacturers’ Association and the launch of the PPMA’s official trade magazine, Machinery Update, in 1989.
As the PPMA Show grew in stature, it moved to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, creating competition with a larger show, Pakex, run by Reed Exhibitions every three years.
In 2002, Reed and the PPMA entered a joint venture to run the PPMA Show two out of every three years and renamed its Pakex Show to Total Show, which replaced the PPMA Show triennially.
In 2009, the PPMA took over the secretariat of the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA) and UK Industrial Vision Association (UKIVA).
The PPMA ended its 12-year partnership with Reed Exhibitions in 2013 to regain ownership and management of its PPMA Show in 2014. The company also purchased the major exhibition brands of Pakex and Interphex. Collectively, these shows increased in size and revenue, attracting 400+ exhibitors from manufacturers’ around the world selling into the UK market
Also, in 2014, the PPMA set up and funded PPMA Business Education, Skills and Training (BEST), a registered charity (1156041) in England, Wales and Scotland, to encourage more young people to take up a career in engineering and more PPMA member companies to take on apprentices.
In 2019, the company staged its first PPMA Conference at the National Conference Centre.
PPMA Show
PPMA Show is the UK’s largest annual event for the processing and packaging industry.
The first exhibition was staged at Telford Exhibition Centre in 1988, before the show moved to the National Exhibition Centre. The three-day exhibition, now held twice every three years, showcases the latest innovations in materials, containers and packaging design, which includes technological advancements in robotics and machine vision technology. It principally supports those within the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and household chemicals and toiletries industries.
PPMA Total Show
PPMA Total Show is the UK's largest triennial event for the processing and packaging industry, held at the National Exhibition Centre.
The Total brand incorporates the three major international exhibition brands of PPMA, Pakex and Interphex to showcase the latest in processing and packaging machinery, robotics and industrial vision systems. It also includes the latest innovations in materials, containers and packaging design.
In addition to the Food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, household chemicals industries, the PPMA Total Show brand also reaches buyers from building supplies, pet care, micro-breweries and distilleries, FMCG, and contract packers.
Machinery Update
Launched in 1989, Machinery Update is the official publication of the PPMA, which targets key buyers and industry decision makers.
The bimonthly magazine is devoted to publishing news of technical developments in the design and use of processing equipment and packaging machinery. It also includes features news and trends on robotics and automation, and industrial vision.