French industry, in the midst of a reindustrialisation drive, benefits from a very dense trade show calendar covering machinery, automation, robotics, chemicals, aerospace, maintenance and packaging. The latter two, often treated separately, in fact share a partially common audience: the technical, procurement and R&D directors of process industries attend generalist industrial trade shows just as much as the shows dedicated to packaging.
The challenge of the industrial sector lies in its breadth: a manufacturer of automation solutions, a precision mechanical engineering subcontractor and a supplier of primary packaging do not share the same commercial targets. Choosing the right trade show begins by clarifying who you are selling to, and in which client industry.
The benchmark trade show in France
Global Industrie is the largest French industrial trade show, covering the full range of technologies and expertise of the manufacturing industry. Organised by GL events and RX France every two years, alternating between Lyon and Paris, it brought together 2,500 exhibitors and 45,000 visitors in Lyon in 2025, a 20% increase compared with 2023, held under the high patronage of the President of the Republic. It covers 14 major industrial sectors: sheet metalwork, 3D printing, robotics, industrial IoT, maintenance, machining, welding, plastics processing, surface treatments and more. Next edition: Paris Nord Villepinte, 30 March-2 April 2026.
Specialised industry trade shows
Maintenance Expo (Paris, annual) is the benchmark trade show for industrial maintenance, covering predictive maintenance solutions, tooling, spare parts and monitoring technologies. SEPEM Industries is a touring format organised by GL events that covers equipment, processes and services for industry. It is staged across several regional editions (Rouen, Toulouse, Grenoble, Angers, Colmar and others) that allow suppliers to reach local manufacturers who are often little present at the major Parisian trade shows.
JEC World (Paris, annual, organised by JEC Group) is the world's benchmark trade show for composite materials, with more than 1,500 exhibitors and 45,000 visitors from 110 countries. Paris is the world capital of composites, and JEC is its showcase. Midest (Paris, annual, RX France) is the international trade show for industrial subcontracting, the meeting point between contractors and subcontractors across all manufacturing trades.
Packaging and packing trade shows
Packaging is a cross-cutting sector: its buyers are found in the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and industrial sectors. Its suppliers (packaging designers, materials manufacturers, packing line equipment makers) need dedicated trade shows to reach all of these client industries in a single location.
All4Pack Paris (Paris Nord Villepinte, every two years in November, RX France) is the European benchmark trade show for packaging, packing, handling and logistics. It covers the entire packaging value chain: materials (cardboard, plastic, glass, metal, paper), packing machines, labelling, printing, eco-design and end-of-life solutions. Its audience is very broad, ranging from food and cosmetics to pharmaceuticals and industry. It is the natural starting point for any packaging supplier targeting the French and European market.
Emballage (Paris, every two years, alternating with All4Pack) is the other major French event for industrial packaging, more focused on processes and production line equipment. The two trade shows alternate within the biennial Parisian calendar and address slightly different segments of the sector.
The major European trade shows
Hannover Messe (Hanover, annual in April, Deutsche Messe AG) is the world's largest industrial fair, with 130,000 visitors from 150 countries and more than 4,000 exhibitors. It covers automation, robotics, industrial energy, process decarbonisation and the digital transformation of industry. It is the global benchmark for manufacturers keeping track of technology.
Interpack (Düsseldorf, every three years, Messe Düsseldorf) is the world's largest packaging and packing trade show, with more than 2,800 exhibitors from 60 countries and around 170,000 visitors. It covers the full range of packaging materials, packing machines, printing and eco-design. The next edition takes place from 7 to 13 May 2026 in Düsseldorf: ideal timing for packaging players who want to assess the European market before deciding on their trade show strategy.
Formnext (Frankfurt, annual, Messe Frankfurt) is the world benchmark for additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing, with more than 35,000 visitors and 900 exhibitors. For players in rapid prototyping, tooling and 3D-printed series parts, it is the defining event.
FachPack (Nuremberg, every two years, Messe Nürnberg) is the European trade show specialising in packaging, packing and display, with a more SME-oriented positioning than Interpack. It attracts nearly 40,000 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors, mainly European.
Beyond the trade shows
The technical days organised by the UIMM (Union des Industries et Métiers de la Métallurgie), France Industrie and the competitiveness clusters (Aerospace Valley, Nuclear Valley, Systematic, Elastopole for plastics processing) structure exchanges between manufacturers outside the trade show calendar. For packaging specifically, ELIPSO (the plastic packaging trade body), FEFCO (the European corrugated board body) and ADEME (the ecological transition of packaging) run working groups and conferences that often anticipate regulatory trends before they appear at the trade shows.