Best of Connects: Our Editors' Favorite Innovations

Available for only two more weeks, here are short clips from our editors discussing their personal picks from last Fall's PACK EXPO Connects. Make plans to be back live in Vegas this September.

Mar 17th, 2021

Our editors have seen it all. Dozens of shows, hundreds of plant tours. So what turns their heads at a show?

We asked the team to record short videos of the exhibits that caught their eye last Fall during PACK EXPO Connects. No, they did not walk the aisles, but they attended both live and pre-recorded demos, Innovation Stages, Trend Chats and our own TV Show, Jumpstart.

At the end of each day of the virtual show, we elected a pair of writers to download the best of Connects - real innovation from exhibitors. We offer these insightful observations one last time before we take down more than 60 hours of educational material at the end of this month (March 31). Our team could not catch it all. But we will be walking the aisles again for PACK EXPO Las Vegas September 27-29, 2021.

SEE IT ALL ONE LAST TIME Sixty hours of educational sessions from sustainability to cannabis. Amazon and e-commerce, remote access and workforce development.

Now for the editorial team's head-turning picks...

Top Virtual Show Finds with Packaging World’s Pat Reynolds and OEM Magazine’s Stephanie Neil

PACK EXPO Connects Daily Download: Monday

Best of Tuesday’s Demos and Presentations by Packaging World’s Matt Reynolds and Editor at Large Aaron Hand

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OEM Magazine’s Natalie Craig and ProFood World’s Joyce Fassl Discuss Packaging and Processing Equipment Innovations

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Life Sciences & Controls Innovations with Healthcare Packaging’s Keren Sookne and Automation World’s David Greenfield

PACK EXPO Connects Daily Download: Thursday

Matt Reynolds and Pat Reynolds from Packaging World Wrap Up the Show

PACK EXPO Connects Daily Download: Friday

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There are two categories of cyberattacks, but they can create a bridge to one another, creating a potential avenue for cybercriminals to access the organization.

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Nearly six months after the enaction of NOM-051 about front-of-package labeling for foods and non-alcoholic beverages, a webinar of Enlace EXPO PACK 2021 brought companies up to date on the progress made and the challenges of its implementation.

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Manufacturing Cybersecurity: Critical Components for Risk Assessment

By the second quarter of 2020, cyberattacks targeting manufacturers accounted for 33% of all incidents across all industries with losses totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Small businesses are also at risk.

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Pet Food Packagers Weigh In On Top Issue: Sustainability

Recently one of our content strategists chatted by phone with key players in the pet food marketplace. Their discussions really helped shed light on current trends affecting pet food processors and packaging professionals, sustainability taking top spot.

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Contract Packaging/Customer Relationships: Is Confidentiality Attainable?

When it comes to confidentiality, we all seem to align to the need to protect information that is exchanged between contract packagers/manufacturers and their customers. But perhaps we should be open to just how we protect information.

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Cannabis Consumer Purchase Behavior: Buying Trends

Consumers trend toward similar combinations of products when purchasing a basket, but the majority of flower consumers prefer to buy only flower.

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ISTA Forum Focuses on Packaging for Transport, and Temp Controlled Packaging

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In this 5-minute listen, BumbleBee Seafoods President and CEO Jan Tharp tells us how the company handled a total branding shift, including a packaging redesign meant to make the products more relevant on the shelf and appeal to higher end sensibilities.

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Virtual FATs Here to Stay

The COVID pandemic has turned virtual factory acceptance tests into an accepted method of testing which is now here to stay.

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Both smart sensors and software are key to a successful predictive maintenance solution, and finding a business model that benefits end users and OEMs is also key.

Editor Show Picks--The Best of PACK EXPO Connects

Available for only two more weeks, here are short clips from our editors discussing their personal picks from last Fall's PACK EXPO Connects. Make plans to be back live in Vegas this September.

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How does Your Salary Compare?

Are you among top earners or are you sorely in need of a raise? Calling for industry-wide response to annual salary survey conducted by IoPP and covered in Packaging World Magazine.

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Unilever Label Change Influenced by Consumer Research

200 products will eliminate the word “normal” from product labels, as will all product advertising, in response to a 10,000 person, multi-country consumer study.

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How are Food Industry Innovators Meeting Consumer Needs?

Plant-based protein is still a big topic in the food industry and reducing waste and responsible packaging are the top related-trends for food packaging, according to New Hope Network.

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Predictive Maintenance Pain Points in Packaging Machinery

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Alcohol Consumption Habits Shift During COVID-19

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‘Pearl Milling Company’ to Replace Aunt Jemima Brand Name

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CEOs and long-term vision

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Robotics: Driving a New Revolution of Change Within the Food Industry

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Nutella the Latest to Join Shrinkflation Nation

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