PACK EXPO East 2022 continued its strong run of record-breaking events, welcoming more than 6,600 attendees across 95,000 net sq ft of show floor, making it the largest PACK EXPO East since its inception, according to show producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. 

“PACK EXPO East continues to meet every benchmark as the premier regional packaging and processing event in the Northeast,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI. “Exhibitors and attendees really enjoy the opportunity for extended conversations that serve as the foundation for real, actionable business relationships.”

Garvey Corporation is a staple exhibitor in the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows and has exhibited at every PACK EXPO East. Michael Garvey, CRM management and sales automation at Garvey, is more than happy with the event’s fifth edition.

“What an energetic show. People were eager to see the latest solutions and discuss how they can benefit their business,” Garvey says. “You can tell people are happy to be back to in-person events, and we have been able to have meaningful conversations with entire teams looking to find solutions for upcoming projects.” 

DTM Massman was equally pleased with the energy and connections made at the show. “PACK EXPO East helped facilitate collaboration across our customer base, allowing us to serve our customers better,” says Jeff Hohn, CEO, The Massman Companies.

John Holmes, line integration sales manager at DTM Massman, has exhibited at every PACK EXPO East and considers it as crucial to their business as the more extensive PACK EXPO International (Oct. 23-26, 2022, McCormick Place, Chicago) and PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Sept. 11-13, 2023, Las Vegas Convention Center.)

“Show after show, PACK EXPO East brings in customers from up and down the East Coast who have projects they are ready to start or genuine curiosity on what options are available to them,” Holmes says.

The opportunity to make valuable connections extended beyond the trade show floor. PACK EXPO East’s opening day winded down with a Taste of Philly reception, offering attendees and exhibitors the opportunity to continue show floor discussions over drinks and regional foods. The networking continued following the opening reception, as young professionals in packaging and processing connected during PMMI’s Young Professionals Networking Reception at SPIN Philadelphia. A highlight of the show’s second day came after show hours as well when 170 industry professionals gathered for the Packaging and Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) networking event. 

Throughout the show, PACK EXPO East exhibitors reiterated that the right people were at this show, ready to do business.

Brad Baker, senior sales director, North America at Syntegon appreciates the regional nature of PACK EXPO East for the in-depth conversations it spurs. “We’ve seen great foot traffic throughout the show and have had many teams come through, ready to discuss needs for current projects and challenges they’re trying to solve,” he says. “That’s the beauty of PACK EXPO East; whole project teams are able to visit without taking them out of the office for multiple days.”

Few exhibitors left Philadelphia as happy as Point Five Packaging, which was able to complete a sale right on the show floor and EAMVision sales manager Steve Polley believes PACK EXPO East 2022 was the best one yet.

“EAMVision had more leads at this show and more all-around quality engagement with attendees than at PACK EXPO East two and even four years ago,” Polley says.

Attendees also enjoyed returning to PACK EXPO East, noting the convenient access from points up and down the Northeast corridor. Long-time PACK EXPO attendee Tom Rogers from Vibrac was pleased with how easy it was to Amtrak down from Manchester, NH, to search out bottle caps, closures and new technology used in his bottling test systems facility. 

Hungryroot packaging engineer Laura Kershaw traveled from New York City in search of a printing and labeling solution that would ease the hand-labeling load for the online grocery delivery service. 

As a hub in the life sciences sector — 80% of U.S. pharmaceutical and biotech companies have a presence in and around the Philadelphia region making PACK EXPO East a modest commute.

Express scripts/Cigna, Florham Park, NJ, is a pharmaceutical delivery service that ships more than 70 million packages per year. Attendee Lauren Duhl appreciated the ease of driving down for a day at her first PACK EXPO East. “We are passionate about sustainability within our operations and had to be here to find the latest sustainable products for both our cold chain and regular packaging shipments,” she says. 

Fellow first-time attendees Erin Solis and Alexander Tallen from Stryker used PACK EXPO East to expand operations of single-use medical devices. “We are here to find new technology to become more efficient,” Tallen says. “Traditionally, we have used plastic seals and would like to move into ultrasonic heat-sealing if we find it to be faster.”

Throughout the three days, accessible education on the show floor provided attendees and exhibitors alike potential solutions, best practices and industry breakthroughs on The Innovation Stage. The Forum was standing room only with free interactive sessions on the latest industry trends. Content from the Innovation Stage Sessions will be available online via PACK EXPO Xpress through April 29. Additionally, view contact information, product information and more from the companies who exhibited at PACK EXPO East. 

On the show floor, the Workforce Development Pavilion was the one-stop shop for resources to strengthen and grow the future workforce and increase the current workforces skills. There was a lot of excitement surrounding the Future Innovators Robotics Showcase that saw high school robotics teams from the Philadelphia area showcase their design, engineering and troubleshooting skills. Participating schools included Camden County Technical Schools, Egg Harbor Township Police Activities League and Central High School of Philadelphia. 

The Association Partner Pavilion brought together a valuable mix of professionals, enriching connections and encouraging industry-wide collaboration. Participating associations included the Adhesive and Sealant Council, AIM North America, AIPIA, the Smart Packaging Association, CPA, The Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers, Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), F4SS, The Foundation for Supply Chain Solutions, Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), OMAC – The Organization for Machine Automation and Control, PDE Trade and the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA). 

PMMI heads to Mexico City for the next event in the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows, EXPO PACK México 2022 (June 14-17; Expo Santa Fe). For more information and to register, please visit expopackmexico.com.mx. 

Registration is also officially open for PACK EXPO International’s return to McCormick Place, Oct. 23-26, 2022, in Chicago. Registration for the show is $30 until Sept. 30, after which it increases to $130. For more information and to register, visit packexpointernational.com.