Over the 20 years of its existence, PACK EXPO Las Vegas has grown from a regional show to one of the most expansive events for packaging and processing innovation. This year, the show will feature more than 800,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space.

PMMI anticipates the attendance this year will reach near 30,000, and the event will attract over 2,000 exhibitors, including industry leaders that serve more than 40 vertical markets. It will include the Las Vegas debut of Pharma EXPO, jointly produced by PMMI and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). “PACK EXPO shows have evolved alongside the needs of attendees and exhibitors, and we’ve come a long way from where we started,” says Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO of PMMI.

In 1995, PMMI introduced the industry to PACK EXPO West, featuring packaging equipment from 532 exhibitors and attracting 9,334 attendees. Exhibit space was approximately 200,000 net sq. ft.—about 25 percent of this year’s event. The international flavor of the show has grown as well. While visitors from outside the US made up 8.3 percent of the attendee base in 1995, they accounted for 18 percent at the most recent event in 2013. The number of international exhibitors also has increased from just 54 at the debut PACK EXPO Las Vegas to more than 310 expected for this year’s event.

PACK EXPO Las Vegas will be bringing back its Innovation Stage, which will occupy three different spaces. All the stages will offer free, 30-minute educational sessions running concurrently throughout each day of the show. Attendees can also learn about new technologies in seminars at the Food Safety Summit Resource Center and the Center for Trends and Technology: Improving Production Through Innovation, sponsored by Rockwell Automation and its PartnerNetwork Program.

To help attendees maximize their time at the show, industry-specific lounges and specialized pavilions, such as The Brand Zone, will provide access to current developments in specific market niches. The Biscuit and Cracker Manufacturers’ Association (B&CMA) will host the Baking–Snack Break Lounge. The International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT) will be providing resources at The Beverage Cooler Lounge, designed for beverage industry professionals to network and learn about solutions from ISBT subject matter experts.

PACK gives BACK will take place on Monday, September 28 at 4:00 p.m. featuring the band Chicago. Tickets for the show are $100 each and are available to all industry professionals. A portion of this year’s ticket sales will support the Fisher House Foundation, best known for providing a network of homes where families of injured veterans can stay for free while their loved ones are receiving medical treatment.

“Over the years, we’ve added features and events, but one thing hasn’t changed,” Yuska says. “PACK EXPO Las Vegas is a venue where industry professionals come together, do business and find the solutions they need for operational excellence.”