Expected to attract 30,000 packaging professionals from more than 125 countries, Pack Expo Las Vegas 2010, co-located with the Healthcare Packaging Expo, will take place Sept. 23-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas. The co-located events will feature approximately 2,000 suppliers across 900,000 net square feet of exhibit space, said the event’s producer, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.

“With today’s growing packaging market being led by factors such as heightened sustainability concerns, demand for smart packaging and the rising popularity of flexible packaging, it is more important than ever to stay on top of the newest technology, said Jim Pittas, president and CEO of PMMI. “Pack Expo Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging Expo provide attendees state-of-the-art solutions that spark ideas and move business forward.”

 

New features for 2019

Pack Expo Las Vegas will be debuting several new features, including the Robotics Zone, PMMI said. The zone, to be set up in the North Hall, will showcase some of the latest technologies in robotics. It will include:

• The Pack Expo Omron greeter robot, which will welcome attendees upon arrival to the Robotics Zone.
• The Future Innovators Robotics Showcase, where teams from Las Vegas high schools will showcase their robots.
• Pack for a Purpose: Robots Fighting Hunger, a collaboration with Blessings in a Backpack that will showcase exhibitor robots in a variety of applications while packing food to feed kids on the weekends. Participating suppliers include Bosch, Chicago Electric with Yaskawa, Fanuc America, ProMach with ABB and Universal Robots.
• Omron’s interactive dice playing robot, Ready Robotics’ bowling robot and Kuka’s Robotic pianist.
• An interactive wearable exoskeleton from Comau — attendees may try on the suit and perform assisted tasks and product handling.
• Soft Robotics’ end-of-arm tool exhibit, which will demonstrate an end-of-arm tool designed to mimic the human hand to grasp and manipulate items varying in size, shape and weight.
• Pick-and-place/relocation activities in action, compliments of the University of Waterloo Autonomous Robotic Lab, and a Siemens-sponsored demo themed “Object Detection and Flexible Grasping with Artificial Intelligence.”

Also new for the 2019 event will be The Forum, a series of free 45-minute learning sessions related to the latest industry trends. The interactive sessions will include hands-on activities, small group discussions and Q&A each day of the show, PMMI said. The organizations that will lead the sessions include OpX Leadership Network, the Contract Packagers Association, the Institute of Packaging Professionals, the Organization for Automation and Control, the Robotic Industries Association, the World Packaging Organizaton, PMMI U and PMMI Business Intelligence.

The Package Printing Pavilion will also make its debut in Las Vegas, following its successful launch at Pack Expo International in 2018, PMMI said. It will focus on the advantages of digital printing, showcasing the latest in cost-effective solutions for smart, short-run, on-demand, variable-data and personalized packaging.

 

Education, networking and more

The educational Innovation Stage will be back at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2019. Located in the Central Hall, it will offer free 30-minute supplier-presented seminars throughout the day.

In addition, the Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) will host a breakfast networking event featuring Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space and second female director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Ochoa will share her experiences as a history-making astronaut, including thoughts on driving change and building diverse, effective teams during her keynote address, “Exploring New Territory,” slated for Sept. 24 at 7:30 a.m.

Sponsored by PMMI, the event is part of PPWLN’s effort to spotlight women’s contributions to STEM fields and support women in packaging and processing industries.

And Rockwell Automation will make a return as the title-level sponsor of this year’s PACK gives BACK event. Headlining this year’s experience will be the legendary Steve Miller Band, which is known for hits such as “The Joker,” “Livin’ in the USA,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Jet Liner,” “Jungle Love” and “Abracadabra.”

A portion of the proceeds from this year’s event (tickets required) will support NS2 Serves, a nonprofit dedicated to helping recent U.S. military veterans transition from combat boots to business suits, PMMI said. This charitable group provides valuable IT training and employment assistance at no cost to veterans. 

 

PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2019, schedule at a glance

Monday, Sept. 23, 2019

Exhibit halls open:........................ 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Innovation Stage sessions:....... 10:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

The Forum sessions: ................ 10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

PACK gives BACK reception: 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (ticketed event)

PACK gives BACK performance: 5:00 p.m.–6:15 p.m. (ticketed event)

 

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019

Packaging and Processing Women’s
Leadership Network Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Exhibit halls open:........................ 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Innovation Stage sessions:...... 10:00 a.m.– 3:30 p.m.

The Forum sessions:................. 10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

 

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019

Exhibit halls open:........................ 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Innovation Stage sessions:.... 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

The Forum sessions:................. 10:30 a.m.–2:15 p.m.