A Packed PACK EXPO will Focus on the Future

The organizers of this year’s PACK EXPO, to be held September 27-29 in Las Vegas, are making some pretty big promises when it comes to what attendees can expect. For one, they’re calling it “The World’s Most Comprehensive Packaging and Processing Event.” They also say that; “no other event in 2021 will bring together a more comprehensive gathering of packaging and processing suppliers, ideas and industry professionals.”

The Las Vegas Convention Center will, indeed, have a lot going on during those three days in late September. Among the educational sessions: 30-minute seminars on breakthroughs and best practices that will take place at various Innovation Stages. Their length and variety of topics will make these seminars especially convenient to show-goers. No registration is required. Attendees can simply stop by whenever they can to learn something new. The PACK to the Future Stage – located within the PACK to the Future exhibit – features presentations by industry experts that showcase advancements such as sustainable solutions, smart packaging and artificial intelligence. The exhibit itself is described as “a voyage of discovery into the special association between people and packaging.” The Processing Innovation stage – new this year, will focus on the latest breakthroughs in processing.

In addition to presentations in the Reusable Packaging Learning Center, there’ll be lively discussions taking place in the Forum, an “industry knowledge exchange.” The 45-minute sessions will begin with short presentations by topic experts and then become more interactive, turning into roundtable discussions among peers. Forum seminar topics cover issues important to the packaging industry, like

• Where are You in the Automation Timeline?
• Risk Assessment of Legacy Machinery
• Driving Packaging Line Performance
• Leveraging Resources in Today’s World of Challenging Food & Beverage Manufacturing
• Key Trends in Robotics Applications
• Latest Global Food Packaging Trends

And of course, a big draw of PACK EXPO is the opportunity to see state-of-the-art packaging equipment; materials and containers; automation technologies and digital packaging solutions up close – and often in action. Full scale packaging and processing machinery, for instance, will be rumbling in every hall of the convention center throughout the show. It’s a unique opportunity to see technology in operation and to ask questions from vendors in person.

Throughout the hall, specialty pavilions will focus on solutions in the categories of containers and materials, confectionery, digital printing, processing and reusable packaging. A Future Innovators Robotics Showcase is bound to attract a lot of attention. So is the Amazing Packaging Race, which takes place on the final day of the show and pits student teams against each other in completing tasks (assigned by exhibitors) that they must complete throughout the nearly 900,000 net square feet of show floor. Students who can’t participate in person can take part in the Amazing Packaging Race – Scavenger Hunt, a virtual race in which students must answer questions sent in advance from exhibitors. Students will be encouraged to answer questions by searching the exhibitors’ websites and/or social media accounts.

The educational sessions, product exhibitions, technology demonstrations and special events are intended to expose attendees to new technologies (including some they may not have realized existed) that can help push their businesses forward; to help them discover solutions, stay on top of trends and find out what competitors are doing through networking; to get the information that will enable them to make the right capital investment decisions for their needs; to get answers to improve production and achieving sustainability quickly and efficiently; and to be ready to adapt to changing market conditions.

So, who will be making their way to Las Vegas for this year’s PACK EXPO? Professionals from all packaged goods industries will attend, including:

• Brand managers and marketers
• Corporate, general, plant and project managers
• Engineers
• IT professionals
• Logistics and supply chain management professionals
• Operations and quality control professionals
• Package designers, brand managers and marketers
• Package development/design
• Procurement
• Production supervisors
• Validation/compliance

In keeping with the way many conventions pivoted to a digital version during the pandemic, PACK EXPO is offering a digital experience, for those who are unable to or prefer not to attend in-person. It’s called PACK EXPO Xpress, and it allows registrants pre-recorded session viewing options during the show and on-demand following the show. They’ll also have exhibitor online showroom access, so they can view products and demonstrations via their computers. WMHS

PACK EXPO is produced by the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI), which represents more than 900 North American manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, components and materials as well as providers of related equipment and services to the packaging and processing industry. PMMI’s portfolio of trade shows includes: PACK EXPO International, PACK EXPO Las Vegas, Healthcare Packaging EXPO, PACK EXPO East, EXPO PACK Enlace, EXPO PACK México and EXPO PACK Guadalajara. For more information, visit www.packexpolasvegas.com.