Located within 200 miles of one-third of U.S. consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs), PACK EXPO East 2017 (Feb. 27–March 1; Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia) offers attendees an opportunity to experience processing and packaging innovation unlike any other show in the Northeast. 

Now in its second iteration, the event from PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, provides a forum for attendees to exchange ideas with more than 7,000 peers while interacting with 400-plus exhibitors spanning more than 100,000 net square feet of exhibit space. 

The Partner Program also returns from 2015, pairing leading associations dedicated to advancing this industry, with attendees and exhibitors, bringing additional resources, connections and expertise to the show.

“Packaging organizations participating in the PACK EXPO East Partner Program understand the value of having a presence at the show, for their members and the packaging industry,” says Jim Pittas, senior vice president, PMMI. “They serve as a resourceful link between attendees and exhibitors, facilitating innovative solutions while bringing the industry together.”

The organizations involved in the 2017 PACK EXPO East Partner Program include:

• AIM
• Contract Packaging Association (CPA)
• Midwest Food Products Association (MWFPA)
• OMAC (The Organization for Machine Automation and Control)

“Participation in PACK EXPO East provides the Contract Packaging Association (CPA) with a unique forum to help both those who need information about best practices in contract packaging and our members, who provide those capabilities, to connect,” says John Mazelin, executive director of the Contract Packaging Association.

The Contract Packaging Sourcing Center is a place where brand owners interested in contract packaging and manufacturing services can learn about CPA members and how to source these service providers. Visitors will experience real examples of contract packaged and manufactured goods from CPA members and have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with industry experts. The Sourcing Center is also a place for contract packagers and manufacturers to learn about CPA and the benefits of membership.

First-rate educational opportunities are a key component of the PACK EXPO attendee experience. Innovation Stage sessions offer free, education directly on the show floor, while the two-day Healthcare Packaging and Processing Conference (Feb. 27 and 28) features keynotes, education sessions and technology workshops encompassing the entire industry.

Each 30-minute Innovation Stage session offers a look at breakthrough technologies, innovative applications and proven techniques, giving attendees an opportunity to learn from industry experts on topics such as One Cable Automation, EtherCAT P Technology and Hygienic Conveyors. Presentations from PMMI’s OpX Leadership Network will offer insight on validation activities needed specifically for baking processes, as well as delivering effective FATs.

The Healthcare Packaging and Processing Conference targets processing and packaging professionals in the pharmaceutical sector. Keynote sessions include a presentation by Ron Yakubison from Merck & Company about on success as a packaging professional in the future (Feb. 27), as well as a presentation by Guido Schmitz from Bayer AG about design in pharmaceutical packaging (Feb. 28).

Schmitz’s session offers a first-hand look at the holistic development process behind a unique clover leaf Bayer aspirin strip pack that is now rolling out globally. The presentation will also describe the secondary packaging system behind the debut – a servo-driven transfer station incorporating six robots that feeds primary packs to a continuous motion cartoner. 

Structured around nine tracks of sessions and technology workshops, the first day of the program highlights Serialization, Packaging Challenges and Strategies for Success Materials Testing, Packaging Machinery Automation, Government Regulatory Updates and Packaging and Processing Automation Control. Day two tackles Track and Trace Unique Device Identifiers, Supply Chain Security and Temperature Management, Serialization Pilot Tests and CMO’s Role, as well as Life Sciences Processing.

The robust conference program makes PACK EXPO East the most efficient way to find innovations that serve pharma with the potential to cross-pollinate other industries. Markets outside of pharma often look to these technologies and seek ways to apply them in their operations.

Conference registration is $95 per seminar through Feb. 10, when the price increases to $130 per workshop. A show badge is included in conference registration. Don’t miss your opportunity to experience machinery in action, forge meaningful relationships with peers, gain expertise via educational sessions and so much more. Register online at www.packexpoeast.com.