“I’ve been told it’s big, but it’s different when you’re already here,” a fellow journalist from Eastern Europe said. “I know!” Everyone else chorused in different accents. We and a number of other correspondents were at a table for lunch hosted by the Association of Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI). We didn’t know each other, but interpack’s sheer size never fails to break the ice. Yes, as usual interpack occupied 19 halls with each about the size of a football field. I’m tempted to use the word ‘ginormous’ – only because I will never be able to use that word to describe anything else related to my work, as far as I know. Me and my blistered feet know. For the past 56 years, Messe Düsseldorf has been hosting interpack, a major packaging and processing exhibition held in Germany every three years. While I cannot compare it to previous shows, I believe the 2014 edition was as huge, and as curious. interpack sees a participation of 2700 exhibitors every time.