In an ever-changing, consumer driven industry, manufacturers seek to ensure that their products are meeting the latest demands. Sustainability, efficiency and product safety are all hot button issues that will be addressed with the latest packaging technology at this fall’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Las Vegas Convention Center; Sept. 25-27, 2017), produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.
The event is expected to host 30,000 attendees, including 5,000 international visitors from more than 125 countries, combined with 2,000-plus exhibiting companies and will span nearly 900,000 net square feet of an almost sold-out exhibit floor. In addition, PMMI is excited about the inclusion of the inaugural Healthcare Packaging EXPO, which will be co-located with PACK EXPO.
Related: An Inside Look at September’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas Show Floor (Part 1)
Related: An Inside Look at September’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas Show Floor (Part 2)
Check out the must-see features at this year’s show:
The Containers and Materials Pavilion: This year, the Containers and Materials Pavilion will address the latest innovations, including updates on paperboard, glass, metal and plastic. Flexible and resalable packaging options will also be on display as well as innovation in options for containers and materials.
The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®: Sponsored by Dow®, award-nominated packaging solutions will be on display at the Showcase of Packaging Innovations located within The Containers and Materials Pavilion. Attendees will be able to see inspiring technology that addresses the evolving needs of demanding consumers.
The Reusable Packaging Pavilion: As demand rises for sustainable packaging solutions, the Reusable Packaging Pavilion, sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), is a hotspot to help you reduce waste, cut costs and gain chain efficiency. If you’re considering how reusable packaging can help your bottom line, start here.
The Confectionery Pavilion: Candy and snack connoisseurs can find the newest trends and technologies relating to aeration, batch refining, shaping, cluster production and much more at the Confectionery Pavilion, Sponsored by Dorner Manufacturing Corp. and hosted by NCA (National Confectioners Association).
Industry-Specific Lounges: Attendees of PACK EXPO Las Vegas can network with peers, gain specialized insights and just rest and recharge at three different industry-specific lounges. Hosted by the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), the Beverage Cooler Lounge (Booth #7632) will offer educational presentations, including Ask-the-Expert sessions. The Baking and Snack Break Lounge (Booth #S-7832), sponsored and hosted by the American Bakers Association, offers professionals within those industries a similar hub as does the Candy Bar Lounge (Booth# S-7202) sponsored by Dorner Manufacturing Corp. and hosted by NCA, located in The Confectionery Pavilion.
The PMMI Education & Workforce Development Pavilion: Attendees can start maximizing their time in Las Vegas before the show doors even open. Two of PMMI’s most popular training workshops will be offered in the Upper South Hall: The Risk Assessment Workshop (Sept. 23-24), prepares manufacturing professionals to conduct successful risk assessments to improve safety while the Certified Trainer Workshop (Sept. 25-26), is a cross-industry seminar on the best tactics to train well across all employee skill levels. Learn more here.
PACK gives BACK™: Sponsored by Rockwell Automation, PMMI’s regular benefit returns to PACK EXPO Las Vegas with a networking event in support of PACK EXPO Scholarships, a scholarship program for U.S. and Canadian students majoring in packaging and processing. Guests can enjoy beer, wine, light appetizers and a performance by the GRAMMY® award-winning American band, The Doobie Brothers. Tickets to the fundraiser are $75.
Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN): Launched in 2016, PPWLN serves to recruit, retain and advance women in processing and packaging. The PPWLN meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 26.
In addition to the packaging and processing technologies that will be on display on the show floor, PACK EXPO Las Vegas will be giving attendees access to free educational programming at The Innovation Stage. During the show, 30-minute seminars presenting breakthrough technologies and techniques will be scheduled and will focus on a wide range of industry specific solutions.
Take a look at some of the other innovations you can expect to see at the show floor:
Microwavable container design brings convenience, portability
Placon Corporation (Booth #S-6835) will introduce its new microwaveable stock food product line, HomeFresh Entrée. Available in five stacking sizes from eight to 32 ounces, the sealable containers also provide a variety of lid material options, including PET and polypropylene. This range of materials expands the range of options for brands to gain additional product and merchandising versatility. The containers are reusable, recyclable and sized to fit standard and small carryout bags.
Applications: Food
Photo courtesy of PMMIAutomated hand and footwear washing saves time, cost
Meritech (Booth #N-411, #S-7555) will exhibit CleanTech®, a fully automated handwashing system with an integrated footwear sanitizing pan for pathogen control. CleanTech cleans hands and sanitizes shoes, boots or any footwear in 12 seconds, helping to control contamination risks, improving employee hygiene and saving time and money by allowing employees to return to work faster. Fresh sanitizing chemicals flush through the system with every hand wash cycle, ensuring that pans are constantly maintained at FDA recommended sanitizer levels between 800-1,000 PPM. Meritech products also use 75 percent less water, require less soap and reduce discharge waste when compared to equivalent manual handwashing.
Applications: Food, Beverage, Dairy, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics
Photo courtesy of PMMIInvisible barcode offers visual appeal and efficiency
Inland (Booth #S-6535) will showcase a new label with a unique interactive digital watermark called the Digimarc Barcode. Invisible to consumers, the unique barcode is repeated multiple times over the entire label so that it can interact with POS scanners and mobile devices. The barcode delivers data including the same Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) currently carried in traditional produce barcode symbols (UPCs). The Digimarc Barcode frees up space on product packaging for branding and information and increases efficiency in the checkout line.
Applications: Food, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical
Photo courtesy of PMMIUltrasonic generator creates seamless bonds for coffee capsules
Herrmann Ultrasonics, Inc. (Booth #S-5935) will showcase its new, slim ultrasonic generator, ULTRAPACK AMG. The machine’s 48 stations, powered by 24 generators and producing 1,200 watts, weld filter liners onto capsule bottoms for applications in the coffee industry. Ultrasonic machines create a consistent bond when combining packaging materials made of PP or PE with nonwoven materials like filter liners, perforated films or filter papers on coffee capsules.
Applications: Food and Beverage
Photo courtesy of PMMIRegistration for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2017 is now open and can be found at packexpolasvegas.com.
