Preliminary data from PACK EXPO Las Vegas, held Sept. 23–25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, point to it being its largest Las Vegas event ever.
Show owner and producer PMMI reported increases in attendance (27,759; up 7.4 percent), exhibiting companies (1,788; up 15.5 percent) and net square footage (722,437 nsf; up 14.7 percent) over the 2011 edition, which also set event records.
Convening the packaging and processing supply chain
“PMMI’s mission is to convene the packaging and processing supply chain, and that’s exactly what PACK EXPO Las Vegas accomplished,” said Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO, PMMI.
The show drew attendees from more than 40 vertical markets by presenting a customer-centric vision that helped them navigate the show floor and the event as a whole, according to Yuska.
| PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2013 (*Preliminary, raw data; subject to confirmation ) |
2013* | 2011 | Growth |
| Visitor Attendance* | 27,759 | 25,837 | +7.4% |
| Exhibitor Personnel* | 15,128 | 13,088 | +15.6% |
| Total Attendance* | 42,887 | 38,925 | +10.2% |
| International Attendance* | 4,721 | 4,729 | 0% |
| Number of Exhibiting Companies | 1,788 | 1,559 | +14.7% |
| Net Square Footage | 722,437 | 629,509 | +14.8% |
“Our goal at any PACK EXPO show is to give attendees an experience that feels personalized. We do that with market-specific exhibitor pavilions and lounges for networking, by providing tools, like My PACK EXPO and the PACK EXPO app, that allow them to plan their time on the floor and get down to business as soon as they get to the show,” added Yuska.
Standing room only for show floor education
The newest addition to the customer-centric approach was education on the show floor, Yuska adds.
“The idea to move educational sessions from conference rooms to the exhibit hall came from a post-show attendee survey we conducted in 2012,” he explained. “Attendees said they value education and want to maximize their time on the show floor as well.”
The strategy played out well. The three stages of Innovation Stage presented exhibitor-led education to standing room only (SRO) crowds hourly in the Central Hall. The Food Safety Summit Resource Center, The Center for Trends & Technology and the Reusable Packaging Association’s Reusables Learning Center also reported healthy attendance at their educational sessions, with some sessions spilling into the aisles.
PACK gave BACK to the tune of more than $62,000
Singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins provided the soundtrack for the inaugural PACK gives BACK benefit. With more than 2,300 tickets sold, plus nearly $4,000 in donations collected throughout PACK EXPO, the effort raised over $62,000 for K9s for Warriors.
“When PACK gives BACK, they do it in a big way! K9s for Warriors is so grateful for their support. Together, 12 lives [six human, six canine] were changed forever,” said Shari Duval, president and founder, K9s for Warriors.org.
The Florida non-profit organization trains and provides service dogs— primarily obtained through rescue groups — to servicemen and servicewomen who suffer from post-traumatic stress stemming from their military service since 9/11.
