The international packaging industry exhibition Pack Expo Las Vegas 2019 hits an unprecedented level

The 2019 edition of Pack Expo Las Vegas was a huge success by all accounts. Show owner and producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, reports that the show hit an unprecedented level in late September, breaking records for number of exhibitors, total exhibit space and total attendees.

At the show’s close, preliminary numbers showed 31,000 attendees (an 8 percent increase from the 2017 edition) and more than 2,000 exhibitors covering nearly 900,000 net square feet at Las Vegas Convention Center.

“With the incredible role it now plays for the packaging industry, Pack Expo Las Vegas was the international packaging event of 2019," said Jim Pittas, president and CEO of PMMI. “The sheer size and scope of [the show] indicates that as our industry continues to prosper, it turns to PMMI shows for the solutions and tools to improve business.”

New this year was a Robotics Zone, where tens of thousands of attendees flocked to interact with robotic and cobot (aka, collaborative robot) displays. The area also had a cool giveback opportunity. In collaboration with Blessings in a Backpack, a program called “Pack for a Purpose: Robots Fighting Hunger” used exhibitor robots to pack 6,000 bags of food to be donated to children in need.

Additionally, the annual fundraiser held on the show’s opening evening, Pack Gives Back, featured a performance by the legendary Steve Miller Band. A portion of ticket sales went toward NS2 Serves, a nonprofit that provides tech job training to U.S. military veterans.

A highlight on the second day of Pack Expo was the Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network breakfast, which drew nearly 700 industry professionals. Keynote speaker Ellen Ochoa shared her journey to becoming the first Hispanic woman to visit outer space.

Technology Excellence Awards this year had record voter participation, with top honors going to Berry Global, Tecma Aries, Sleever International, UltraSource and Belco Packaging Systems.

The next event in the Pack Expo portfolio is Pack Expo East, which is slated for March 3 — 5, 2020, at Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. It’s expected to draw 400 exhibitors across 100,000 net square feet, and 7,000 attendees.

The text/image source: TSNN, official exhibition website Pack Expo East 2020