A new processing equipment pavilion is among the enhancements planned for this year’s Pack Expo Conference and Trade Show (www.packexpo.com), according to a recent announcement by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI, www.pmmi.org), which sponsors the event. The show is scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
Held in Chicago every other year, Pack Expo attracts upwards of 40,000 visitors. (Shows in the so-called off years are held in Las Vegas.) PMMI has several partnerships for co-located shows that complement the packaging machinery focus. PMMI reported that the established partners are back for another run, while a major expansion of exhibit space is planned to house the new processing equipment pavilion. Processing equipment manufacturers will showcase their products in the Lakeside Center in a 70,000 square foot area.
That's not all, though, according to planners. Many PMMI members who were once restricted to packaging machinery but who also manufacture processing equipment will now be free to also exhibit processing equipment. PMMI anticipates an additional 100,000 square feet of space will be devoted to this expansion.
There are many reasons for this expansion, of course. From the point of view of automation and manufacturing practitioners, a major driver is the continued integration of process and packaging equipment in the factory. Much of this integration is at the controls, networking and information layers—right in the sweet spot of automation professionals.
