Tailor-made - Almost 30,000 people visited the CPhI in Paris last year - that's equivalent to the population of an averaged-sized town. While the show has grown and grown since its inception in 1990, it has also faced its fair share of criticism from the industry regarding its size - something the show says reflects industry growth.

The show's brand directors Annemieke Timmers (CPhI) and Haf Cennydd (ICSE, P-MEC & BioPh) are therefore always on the lookout for new ways to better connect with the industry's needs and tailoring the show accordingly.

Brandi Schuster spoke with them ahead of this year's show in Frankfurt, to take place Oct. 25-27.

CHEManager Europe: What trends have you picked up on in the industry since last year's show in Paris?

Annemieke Timmers: From our additions of the new InnoPack event and the LabWorld Pavilion within P-MEC, it is clear that there are areas of the market with new or transitioning demands for resources. For instance, InnoPack will address the increased need for innovative packaging concepts in the global pharma market, including resources and solutions for the production of blisters; blow-molded plastics; ampules and vials; caps and closures; tubes and glass; bottles; pouches; strip packs; and more.

Haf Cennydd: Similarly, the LabWorld Pavilion, which debuts at P-MEC Europe, reflects the significant diversification seen in global exhibitor demographics throughout the P-MEC events by offering resources beyond the "traditional" large-scale capital machinery with which the event has become associated. The LabWorld Pavilion will effectively offer high technology laboratory solutions such as instrumental analysis, measuring and testing technologies, materials testing, quality control and laboratory equipment that cater for smaller scale lab environments.

While most chemical companies have posted positive Q2 results, many pharma companies have seen a drop. Will this dynamic have any effect on the show? How are this year's exhibitor numbers looking compared to 2010?

Annemieke Timmers: We are thankful to say that this dynamic does not appear to have directly affected the show. 2010 was a record year in Paris and as we approach 2011 in Frankfurt, there is once again growth across all of the events.

How have the parallel shows ICSE, P-MEC & BioPh been developing? What can visitors expect this year?

Haf Cennydd: Each event is constantly changing to cater specifically to its target market. As such, the brands have all experienced development in their own right. ICSE has evolved through the expansion of the zoning that was introduced last year in Paris.

For 2011, the General and CRO- Clinical Trials zones will return to ICSE and will be joined by additional zones to highlight New Exhibitors, USA Exhibitors, and Logistics and Supply Chain. The new InnoPack event was borne out of the Packaging Zone that successfully debuted in 2010 as part of ICSE, while P-MEC Europe will introduce the LabWorld Pavilion in response to the increasing demand for small scale laboratory instruments and resources.

Finally, BioPh has transitioned away from a standalone event and into zones within CPhI and ICSE to more effectively offer visitors resources for a wide range of specialized biopharm areas such as bioelectronics, diagnostics and technology services.

Two new zones have been added to the Frankfurt show - generic APIs and finished dosage. What led to this? Will there be any new elements to this year's show?

Annemieke Timmers: The zoning format was introduced in Paris last year to more effectively facilitate navigation of the events and it received exceptional feedback from both exhibitors and attendees. As we carried the zoning format over into the 2011 show, we evaluated ways to expand the usefulness of this format for visitors. Pre-show registration patterns consistently show that resources for both APIs and finished dosage are two of the biggest demands from our visitors, which is no surprise, as CPhI's primary focus remains the pharmaceutical ingredients market.

Also new this year are the Lunchtime Learning Sessions presented by CPhI Conferences, comprising six different workshops across the three days. The series features a lunch break in between the two daily sessions to further facilitate networking and the creation of new business connections for registered attendees.

Also exciting are some of the new digital offerings for pre-show planning that include the "Exhibitor Invites" feature for exhibitors to invite targeted attendees to their booth, as well as the "Who's Attending" feature for visitors to see who is onsite from exhibiting companies and plan meetings. The social media aspect of the show has also been expanded to offer up to date information from the show floor, as well as to maximize networking onsite at the events, and facilitate connections that will allow for networking and expanded business exposure even after the events close.

Conferences like the Pharma ChemOutsourcing in New Jersey are gaining in popularity within the industry because of its familiar atmosphere. The CPhI, on the other hand, is one of the largest events in the industry; what steps are you taking to make it more personal for visitors and exhibitors?

Haf Cennydd: As such a large exhibition, it is important that we do not lose the personal connection to our client base. A large part of this is listening to feedback and paying attention to market trends that affect our exhibitors and visitors. CPhI, ICSE, P-MEC Europe and InnoPack have all been tailored around research and feedback from our customer base and even in such a large-scale environment, we feel that the events are still able to provide a unique experience to each visitor.

Our core focus on networking events, whether educational or purely social, allows for guests to maximize their time onsite and foster existing business relationships, while also making new business connections. Features like Zoning allow visitors to schedule their own agenda while onsite and easily locate exhibitors who provide targeted solutions for their needs within the different sectors of the Pharma industry.

What are your expectations for the Frankfurt show?

Haf Cennydd: The last time the events were held in Frankfurt was in 2008 and we had extremely positive feedback from visitors. The venue itself is located in a central and vibrant pharmaceuticals business market that provides optimum accessibility for both local and global visitors.

We are pleased to return to Frankfurt for the 2011 editions of CPhI Worldwide, ICSE, P-MEC Europe and InnoPack with a positive outlook. Last year's events in Paris hosted record attendance of 28,897 unique visitors, and we are excited to have expectations of another record year in Frankfurt.

*Frankfurter dialect for "How are you?"