So if you live in the Northeast part of the country, you just caught a break. It’s called PACK EXPO East, and it’s right in your own back yard. The Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, to be more precise.
In launching this brand new event, PMMI is doing exactly what it’s done in extending its brand in places like Las Vegas, NV, and Guadalajara, Mexico. And look how well-received those shows have become. When it debuted in 1995, PACK EXPO Las Vegas drew about 470 exhibitors to the Sands Convention Center. Fast forward to 2013 and you’re looking at 1,600 exhibitors covering 700,000 net square feet at the much more impressive Las Vegas Convention Center.
And Guadalajara? Launched in 2013, EXPO PACK Guadalajara tripled pre-show expectations where attendance was concerned, drawing 10,000 visitors. Could those visitors have gone to PMMI’s already well-established EXPO PACK Mexico in Mexico City? Sure. But PMMI has learned that packaging shows are like the business of real estate in that they both share the same mantra: location, location, location. By putting a show in Western Mexico—just as they had put a show in the Western U.S.--PMMI made it convenient for companies in that region to send people to the show. From food to pharmaceutical to automotive manufacturers, the western and central regions of Mexico are growing, so why shouldn’t there be a world class packaging exhibition in that region?
Similar thinking went into the launch of PACK EXPO East. Countless consumer packaged goods companies and a whole lot of pharmaceutical manufacturers are clustered in the Northeast, especially in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. But guess what percentage of end-user attendees at the recent PACK EXPO Chicago came from those states? Only 8%. Armed with such information, why wouldn’t PMMI bring a quality packaging exhibition to the Northeast? Especially when data from a “Voice of the Attendee” survey of PACK EXPO visitors showed keen interest in an Eastern show?
Early indications suggest that PACK EXPO East will be a smash hit. The event was originally scheduled for February 2 to 4. But as momentum built and commitments by exhibitors proved strong, the date had to be switched to February 16 to 18. In announcing the new dates, Jim Pittas, PMMI Senior Vice President of Trade Shows, had this to say: “We expected PACK EXPO East to generate a lot of excitement from exhibitors, but the demand has gone beyond what we hoped for. The new dates give us the flexibility to open up more space for exhibitors. Ultimately, the attendees will benefit from having greater access to the technologies they need.”
As this PACK EXPO East Showcase goes to press, PMMI estimates that the show will debut with more than 300 companies exhibiting. Like other PACK EXPO shows, this one will include an Innovation Stage where packaging’s leading companies will deliver educational presentations on breakthrough technologies and trends. And don’t miss the opening reception on Monday, February 16, at 4:00 p.m. It’s an open bar with hor d’oeuvres and conversation with industry peers. We’ll look for you there.
