Las Vegas — Attendees identified as baking and snack professionals paced the record breaking 20th anniversary of Pack Expo Las Vegas, held Sept. 28-30.
Show owner and producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, reported preliminary data for Pack Expo Las Vegas and the co-located Pharma Expo showed a 4% increase in attendance over the record that Pack Expo Las Vegas set in 2013. Of the nearly 29,000 attendees, more than 18% self-identified as having some level of involvement in the baking and snack industries, making it the largest vertical market represented at the three-day event.
Registrants came to see 2,006 exhibiting companies in 844,510 square feet of exhibit space, both records for the show, and experienced a processing and packaging event like no other. With more than 40 vertical markets represented, Pack Expo and Pharma Expo advanced innovations and the cross-pollination of ideas.
 |
| Jim Pittas, senior v.p. of PMMI |
“Technologies and applications often apply across a range of industries, and the sheer scale of our show fostered manufacturers’ ability to make the connections that lead to true innovation,” said Jim Pittas, senior vice-president, PMMI. “That phenomenon really set the Pack Expo shows apart. The power of Pack Expo brands continues to show consistent growth and provide solid returns for the attendees and exhibitors who support the show.”
The constantly bustling Baking & Snack Break Lounge, hosted by the Biscuit & Cracker Manufacturers’ Association, served as the key on-floor destination for baking and snack professionals. As the central meeting point, bakers and snack manufacturers networked with experts and peers addressing similar trends and challenges.
The baking and snack industries also took advantage of Pack Expo Las Vegas to further investigate the newly unveiled ProFood Tech. The collaboration of three trade show powerhouses: PMMI; Koelnmesse, known for Anuga; and the International Dairy Foods Association was created as a response to market research that revealed a desire for a dedicated, comprehensive North American food and beverage processing event.
ProFood Tech, projecting 150,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 700 exhibiting companies, will debut April 4-6, 2017, at McCormick Place, Chicago, and will continue biennially, in odd-numbered years.
“We’re off to a great start,” Mr. Pittas said. “Exhibiting companies have made it clear they want an event like ProFood Tech, and they’re excited by the possibilities the partnership of PMMI, Koelnmesse and I.D.F.A. offers.”
For more information, visit www.pmmi.org.
