Las Vegas Convention Center

PACK EXPO 2011 and Colin Powell Inspire Over 25,000 Las Vegas Convention Visitors

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PACK EXPO 2011, North America’s largest convention of packaging and processing professionals was an overwhelming success. One of the most popular Las Vegas conventions packed in over 25,000 visitors and 1,633 exhibitors, as well as some of the biggest industry decision-makers at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Monday, September 26th through Wednesday, September 28th, 2011.

The convention brought under one roof all the major players in product packaging, including suppliers of packaging machinery, converting machinery, packages and containers, materials and components; plus the corporations who use these products. It is a biennial event returning to Las Vegas.

This year’s event boasted a 20% increase in exhibiting companies over the 2009 and 2010 events. This number included over 550 first-time exhibitors. Total number of guest registrants for the three-day event also went up 25%. Hotel reservations went up 42% for Las Vegas tourism. Pack Expo’s scope is also reflected in the 29 international delegations registered with the group.

Packaging Industry Innovations Showcased at PACK EXPO Show

Las Vegas Convention Center

Las Vegas Convention Center

The biennial event acts as the packaging industry’s showcase for state-of-the-art technology. It brought together major players in technology and engineering from the packaging supply side with the people who specify packaging for their products. This year’s event included an overwhelming display of industry innovations from:

  • Bosch Rexroth Corporation showed off their newest innovations in mechatronics.
  • Siemens demonstrated their latest computer technology by adding Profinet IRT into their hardware, allowing servo drives to operate without overloading under high demand.
  • ABB Robotics showed off their latest software for picking, packing, and palletizing including Pickmaster 3 that can use robotic vision to pick up randomly placed objects and put them in place.

And that’s just a few of the presentations and demonstrations that were available at the convention. Picture yourself walking into fully decked-out trailers showing off panel after panel of sleek operating systems and the latest in computer and robot technology.

Among the big, widely-recognized names attending this expo are Coca-Cola, ConAgra, Del Monte, Estee Lauder Cosmetics, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Pfizer, and Procter & Gamble.

Few Las Vegas conventions can point to such a roster of industry giants. Even among Las Vegas conventions, this one is huge. Dedicated exhibit space was at 630,000 square feet, which was an 18% increase for the event.

Networking at PACK EXPO

This year, Pack Expo Las Vegas also featured dedicated industry pavilions and special “Connect” opportunities for the Pharmaceutical, Baking and Snack, and Confectionery industries. Hot topics included sustainability, product safety and workforce development.

In conjunction with this, PACK EXPO also added a feature to their website that allowed PACK EXPO registrants from 2011 an opportunity to follow up on any networking opportunities that they may have encountered there.

Colin Powell at the PACK EXPO

Colin Powell

Elizabeth Crane

Elizabeth Crane grew up not wearing a helmet, drinking from the hose and not wearing a seat belt. She managed to survive and now spends her time developing websites, drinking coffee, and eating chocolate.