Over 20 trade groups representing PACK EXPO attendees and their industries will take part in PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2013.
 
“We’re very pleased with the level of participation that we’ve seen,” says PMMI President & CEO Charles D. Yuska. “It adds depth to the PACK EXPO attendee experience.” 
 
For example, Yuska adds, associations endorse and support the industry pavilions and lounges, which are at the crux of the customer-centric show approach:
  • The International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT) has endorsed The Beverage Cooler lounge.
  • The International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) has endorsed The Pharmaceutical Pavilion and The Rx Lounge.
  • The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has endorsed The Confectionery Pavilion and the Candy Bar lounge.
  • The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) has endorsed the Reusable Packaging Pavilion.
  • The Association of Independent Corrugated Convertors (AICC) will showcase the best from the AICC Independent Packaging Design Competition.
Each lounge has an “ask the expert desk,” staffed by an appropriate association, Yuska adds. With NCA at The Candy Bar lounge, ISBT at The Beverage Cooler lounge, SFA at The Baking-Snack Break, and ISPE at The Rx Lounge — these will be valuable show floor resources for attendees. 
 
“Pavilions help attendees focus their time at PACK EXPO, giving them a starting point for finding the technologies they came for,” Yuska says. “The lounges add a networking aspect, and having industry leading associations serving at the ‘ask the expert’ desks, adds another layer of depth.”
 
Other groups will enjoy new levels of attention through the Allied Association Program, which helps them leverage the prestige, access and exposure that comes with being part of the year’s largest North American packaging and processing trade show. And, by bringing together so many associations from which attendees can gain guidance on trends, technologies, regulatory changes, sustainability measures and ways to streamline efficiency, the Association Pavilion provides a convenient destination to address many industry-specific challenges.
 
Allied Association Program participants (below, to date) will exhibit in PACK EXPO’s  Association Pavilion:
  • Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC)
  • American Meat Institute (AMI) 
  • Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL)
  • Australian Packaging & Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) 
  • Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI)
  • Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) 
  • Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA)
  • Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) 
  • In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA)
  • International Molded Fiber Association (IMFA)
  • Instituto Argentino Del Envase (IAE)
  • ODVA, Inc.
  • PLCopen 
  • SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association
“These groups are catalysts for innovation,” Yuska says. “They’re clear leaders in their markets. With booths on site, and access to other leaders, they’ll be able to harvest knowledge and ideas that they will pass along to their stakeholders.”
 
PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2013 will be the largest, most comprehensive resource for total systems solutions across the manufacturing supply chain, with more than 1,600 solutions providers attracting over 26,000 attendees from a wide range of companies around the world. To register for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2013, visit www.packexpo.com. A discounted registration fee of $30 applies until September 9, when it increases to $60.