Pack Expo 2014 Offers Education and Innovation

Pack Expo International, which brings together ideas and technologies in packaging and processing machinery, materials, components and containers, comes to McCormick Place, Chicago Nov. 2-5, 2014. 

Pack Expo International 2014 will see the return of the Innovation Stage on the Grand Concourse. The stage features 30-minute educational sessions on trends, challenges and solutions for a wide range of packaging applications and markets. Foreign object detection in food, smarter asset management, and safe and sustainable packaging are just a few topics that will be addressed. 

Education is also emphasized on the show floor this year. The Food Safety Summit Resource Center (FSSRC), presented by The Food Safety Summit and sponsored by GE Intelligent Platforms, will feature presentations from subject matter experts as well as one-on-one consultations. Session topics include compliance with the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA), the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and traceability, as well as best practices, recent advances and proven strategies.

The Reusables Learning Center (RLC) will have information on the efficiencies and cost-saving benefits of reusable packaging. The RLC will present free education sessions uncovering ways to integrate reusables into the supply chain.

Networking and education 

Industry-specific networking lounges provide structured educational programming. For example, The Beverage Cooler lounge, hosted by the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT) will stage two daily educational sessions addressing critical issues in the beverage manufacturing sector. PET Fundamentals for Beverage Packaging will provide an overview of the use of PET plastic materials, processes and trends in beverage packaging.

In-booth presentations include Optel Vision’s “Flying CartonTracker,” which gives attendees a first-hand look at the industry’s smallest print and inspection system for packaging lines. Optel, maker of packaging and inspection machines for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, also demonstrates the PackStation, a semi-automatic aggregation station that supports manual packaging operation from carton-to-case in an ergonomic way.

Pack Expo: 'The Perfect Forum'

Derek Thomas, director and brand officer, Emerson Industrial Automation, says the conference provides the perfect forum to engage customers. The company will demonstrate best practices for ultrasonic welding and optimizing compressed air utilization, among other topics.

“Emerson has put together a series of educational events we hope our visitors will find interesting and engaging, discussing how expertise and innovation come together to deliver advancements in safety, energy efficiency and performance,” he says.

A full list of exhibitor in-booth educational opportunities can be found online at Packexpointernational.com.

Registration for the show is $60. For more information, visit packexpointernational.com. 

Pack Expo 2014 is co-located with Pharma Expo, the processing and packaging conference and tradeshow for the pharmaceutical industry. For more information, visit pharmaexpo.com.