This fall, PMMI, the Reston, Va.-based Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, will host Pack Expo International 2014 from Nov. 2 through 5 at

More than 1,130 suppliers have signed up to exhibit at Pack Expo International 2014, according to PMMI. (Image courtesy of PMMI)

McCormick Place in Chicago. As America’s largest processing and packaging event, the tradeshow will serve as a hub for the innovation that food and beverage manufacturers need, the company says.

To fuel tradeshow attendees for the full days of innovation ahead, Bosch Packaging Technology Inc., New Richmond, Wis., will sponsor morning coffee service for tradeshow exhibitors and attendees.

After their morning coffee pick-me-ups, visitors can walk Pack Expo International 2014’s 1.15 million net square feet of exhibit space, which is organized into industry-specific pavilions and features, including The Beverage Cooler Lounge, which is located in the Grand Concourse near the entry to the North Hall. Endorsed by the Dallas-based International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), The Beverage Cooler Lounge enables beverage manufacturers to network with industry peers and meet with suppliers.

Other industry-specific areas at the tradeshow include the following zones:

• The Brand Zone, located in the Upper North Hall, will highlight a variety of innovative containers and materials to interrupt the retail landscape, broaden brand appeal, enhance shelf presence and extend shelf life. In addition, the 11th Annual Showcase of Packaging Innovations, sponsored by The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., will display an array of award-winning package designs from around the world.
• The Processing Zone, located in the Upper Lakeside Center, returns for the second consecutive year in response to processors’ increasing demands for automation and robotics. The pavilion will offer a wide range of the latest processing technologies for manufacturing industries, including baking and snack, beverage, dairy, meat and confectionery, as well as non-food sectors, such as cosmetics and home and lawn care.
• The Reusable Packaging Pavilion, also located in the Upper Lakeside Center, will explore methods of reducing waste, cutting shipping costs, protecting goods, and increasing productivity and the bottom line.

In addition to these areas, the exhibit hall floor will feature suppliers with expertise across the entire supply chain that can help tradeshow attendees develop total system solutions. 

For further education, Pack Expo International 2014 also offers a variety of free educational opportunities:

• The Innovation Stage, which includes four locations throughout the exhibit hall, will host seminars on breakthrough technologies and techniques with applications in a wide variety of industries.
• The Food Safety Summit Resource Center will present subject matter experts on critical food safety matters like the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The exhibit is organized and owned by the Food Safety Summit, a tradeshow sponsored by Beverage Industry’s Troy, Mich.-based parent company BNP Media; co-sponsored by GE Intelligent Platforms, a division of GE headquartered in Charlottesville, Va.; and located at booth No. S-2962.
• The Center for Trends & Technology (CTT): Improving Production through Innovation, located at booth No. S-3907, is back for the second consecutive year. Sponsored again by Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation, the 2014 exhibit is more than twice the size of last year’s exhibit, according to PMMI. The CTT will include kiosks and live 30-minute presentations about machine safety, food safety, serialization, secure remote support, connected enterprise, security, and line optimization and performance, among other topics.

After tradeshow hours, PMMI will host Pack Gives Back starting at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 3. in the Grand Ballroom of McCormick Place’s South Building. The charity event, sponsored by International Paper, Bemis North America, DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers, and Pro Mach Inc., will begin with a reception featuring beer, wine and light hors d’oeuvres, followed by a performance by comedian and former “The Tonight Show” host Jay Leno.

“We are really excited to have Jay Leno performing on-site at Pack Expo International,” said Jim Pittas, vice president of tradeshows for PMMI, in a statement. “After a long day of doing business and walking the show floor, what better way for exhibitors and their customers to unwind than a night with Leno?”

Tickets for Pack Gives Back are available to Pack Expo International registrants for $100 each. A portion of the proceeds from the event will support K9s for Warriors, a charitable organization dedicated to providing service dogs to military veterans who are experiencing post-traumatic stress as a result of conflicts and war following 9/11.

In addition, this year’s tradeshow will be co-located with PMMI’s Pharma Expo, a tradeshow providing solutions medical device manufacturers can use to enhance efficiency, speed and time to market and to ensure regulatory compliance. This co-location will offer attendees of both shows the opportunity to generate new ideas and innovations to cross between the two industries, PMMI says.

 Tickets for Pack Expo International are available at a discounted rate of $30 until Oct. 3, at which time the price will increase to $60. To register for Pack Expo International 2014, visit packexpointernational.com.