A Record-Setting Event for PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging Expo

October 10, 2019
PACK EXPO

The 2019 edition of PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO 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 and Healthcare Packaging EXPO was the international packaging event of 2019," said Jim Pittas, president and CEO of PMMI.

He continued, “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.

Do you have news to share about a recent show? We’d love to hear about it. Send an email to kogletree@tsnn.com for a chance to be featured on TSNN.

Photo credit: PACK EXPO Facebook page

Add new comment

Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started. Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for." What’s New – AT&T Discovery District Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall. Hotels Coming Soon Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond. JW Marriott This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. InterContinental Dallas  Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.   Hotel Swexan Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.