PACK EXPO Int’l 2012

The Brand Zone and customer-centric features make navigating North America’s most comprehensive processing & packaging event easy.

It’s the largest, most comprehensive resource for processing and packaging solutions — a sure source of innovation for private label brands: PACK EXPO International 2012 (McCormick Place, Chicago; Oct. 28–31). The show will be home to more than 1,800 exhibitors, across more than 1.1 million net square feet, and is expected to attract over 46,000 attendees.

“We crossed the million-square-foot mark several months ago — it’s a real indicator of the role PACK EXPO plays in the realm of processing and packaging,” says Charles D. Yuska, president & CEO of show owner/producer Packaging Machinery Manufactures Institute (PMMI). “But our goal is less about volume than it is about improving the PACK EXPO experience to the point where every attendee can walk the show in an efficient way tailored to his or her needs.”

The Brand Zone Returns

Private label brands looking for ways enhance the shelf appeal, convenience and sustainability of their packaging will find the latest material and container advancements in The Brand Zone. The area in the Lower North Hall, dedicated to innovations in materials such as plastic, metal, glass and paperboard, will be filled with exhibitors who deliver the unique ideas brands need.

The Brand Zone’s newest features are designed to enlighten and inspire visitors:

At its booth within The Showcase of Packaging Innovations, sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company, global consultancy Material ConneXion will display samples from the company’s global library of more than 6,500 materials. Experts will educate attendees about materials’ properties— many of which are not primarily used for packaging — and their “cross-over potential.” Each day, Material ConneXion will also present a series of live demonstrations in its booth.

Mintel will also offer on-floor education at PACK EXPO. The global research consultancy will present compelling consumer insights from some of its most recent research studies in a special theater inside the booth (N-6214).

Visitors to the booth will also be able to access recent reports addressing trends across different markets as well as browse and interact with an inspiring gallery of package designs from around the world, sourced from Mintel’s Global New Product Database, which is updated with over 20,000 new product launches every month from 49 of the world’s major economies.

Topics and schedules for Material ConneXion’s and Mintel’s on-floor educational sessions will be announced shortly, as will specific plans for a special exhibit from Clemson University entitled The Packaging Test Track, sponsored by Esko.

Cover it All with a Customer-Centric Approach

With its customer-centric approach, PMMI plans to take PACK EXPO International 2012 to new levels of success. The approach uses targeted exhibit areas, marketing and education as ways for private label brand owners and manufacturers to create a show experience that meets their needs.

The strategy includes a mix of pavilions and networking areas, among other tactics, to make it easier for attendees to find what they need more efficiently. The latest features include:

The Beverage Cooler lounge, which will make its debut at PACK EXPO International 2012 with the help of International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT) as the sponsor;

The sold-out Confectionery Pavilion, sponsored by the National Confectioners Association (NCA), which is also sponsoring The Candy Bar lounge;

The Pharmaceutical Pavilion, which is also sold out and will include the Rx Lounge;

The Baking-Snack Break lounge, sponsored by the Snack Food Association (SFA).

Total Systems Solutions for PL Manufacturers

Another sold-out pavilion, The Processing Zone, will make its second appearance in Chicago. This area dedicated to front-of-the-line innovations for the food, beverage and other industries, will be located in the Upper Lakeside Hall.

Get Started!

Show registration costs $30 online before October 8, 2012. Registration after October 8, 2012, will be $60. To register or learn more about PACK EXPO International 2012, visit packexpo.com or e-mail [email protected]. You can also connect with peers and exhibitors through PACK EXPO’s Connected Communities. Visit www.community.pmmi.org/Home/ for more information.

251, September 2012, PLINT3694, Tradeshows