Approximately 55 percent of the plastic bottles manufactured in the United States are used for beverage bottling, and half of the plastic bottle manufacturing industry’s revenue comes from carbonated soft drink bottles, according to Santa Monica, Calif.-based IBISWorld’s Sept. 2013 report “Plastic Bottle Manufacturing in the US.”

Pack Expo International 2013, which took place Sept. 23-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, was the trade show’s largest event in Las Vegas yet, according to PMMI, the Reston, Va.-based host of the event. In fact, in early estimates, the association for packaging and processing technologies reported an attendance increase of 7.4 percent to 27,759 attendees, a 15.5 percent increase in exhibitors to 1,788 companies, and a 14.7 percent increase in net square footage to 722,437 net square feet, all compared with the 2011 show, which also set event records.

Experiencing strong growth since its 2011 show, Process Expo, taking place Nov. 3-6 at McCormick Place in Chicago, will feature more than 200,000 feet of exhibit space dedicated to showcasing the latest in food processing technology from more than 500 equipment suppliers.

In the 1983 holiday classic “A Christmas Story,” Ralphie eagerly checks the mail for his decoder pin from the “Little Orphan Annie” radio show only to be disappointed when he finally solves the code and discovers it is nothing more than an advertisement. Although Ralphie’s first coding experience might not have met his expectations, within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) market, coding technology is living up to its reputation.

Attendees at drinktec 2013, Sept. 16-20, Munich, will have the chance to learn about innovative solutions affecting the beverage market.

The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute’s (PMMI) Pack Expo International 2013 is on schedule to be another record-setting event, with its Processing Zone, which hosts processing technologies for manufacturers in the beverage, dairy, baking and snack, and confectionery industries, as well as other vertical sectors, selling out as early as May.

When it comes to choosing labeling equipment, customers are interested in machines that offer the widest range of applications and uses, explains Roy Oomen, category manager of labels and packaging for HP Indigo and Inkjet Press, Tel Aviv, Israel.

At retail, beverage packages are tasked with not only displaying an attractive shelf presence but also ensuring the quality of the product and the integrity of the brand.

Years ago, the word “flexibility” carried a different meaning in the filling systems space — it might have referred to different packaging formats and beverage categories. Today, proliferation of SKUs and the increasing number of particle-filled beverages have stretched the word’s definition in the beverage industry.

ProMat 2013, which took place Jan. 21-24 at McCormick Place in Chicago, gave attendees an inside look at some of the newest supply chain solutions provided by material handling and logistics equipment manufacturers.