Pharmaceutical pavilion planned for Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011

During an Oct. 31 press reception at Pack Expo Intl. 2010 in Chicago, trade association Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute announced that it will add a Pharmaceutical Pavilion at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 26-28, 2011. The announcement was made by Glenn Siegele, chairman of PMMI's Board of Directors and President of Omega Design Corp. "The specialty area, which will be home to pharmaceutical processing and packaging solutions providers, will be located in the Central Hall, and will be a destination for leading pharmaceutical companies such as Unilever, Kimberly Clark, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Becton Dickinson and the Bayer Corporation," says Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO, PMMI. "Pharmaceutical solutions providers told us they want a presence at Pack Expo, and when we reached out to their customers, the response was extremely positive. This will be an ideal spot for processing and packaging solutions providers who serve the pharmaceutical arena and recognize the importance of a presence at Pack Expo," he says. Roger Toll, Executive Vice President of Marchesini Group added, "The addition of the Pharmaceutical Pavilion to Pack Expo Las Vegas is really exciting for Marchesini Group. We feel that this is an additional draw to our customers to be able to meet in a specific dedicated area of our industry's interest and expertise." The Pharmaceutical Pavilion is a logical addition to Pack Expo's expansion into processing solutions that goes into effect this year, Yuska says. "You can't miss the importance of branding in the pharmaceutical marketplace — from ad campaigns to the check-out line, manufacturers invest a great deal of time and effort to creating these brands," Yuska says. "I can see a pharmaceutical brand starting at the Brand Zone for marketing & packaging concepts, and heading to the pharmaceutical pavilion and for processing and packaging solutions." Booth selection is underway for Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011, and PMMI expects more than 1,200 exhibitors in close to 600,000 net square feet. Pharmaceutical technologies and solutions providers interested in exhibiting in the Pharmaceutical Pavilion, or any other area at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011, should contact the PMMI Show Department for details: [email protected] or 888.ASK.PMMI (888.275.7664). Meanwhile, PMMI noted there are more than 1,900 exhibitors taking up 1.1 million net square feet at Chicago's McCormick Place, with 45,000 attendees expected. Among preshow registered attendees, 42% were from food and related products, with pharmaceutical and medical device attendees next at 11%.