Packaging and processing professionals gathered in Chicago last week for Pack
Expo International 2012, the largest packaging and processing trade show in the
world this year.
The four-day event, Oct. 28–31, covered more than 1.1 million net square
feet in McCormick Place with 1,965 exhibiting companies – an increase of over six
percent for space and seven percent for exhibiting companies from Pack Expo
International 2010.
Pre-registration for Pack Expo was up significantly (nearly 10 percent)
going into the event, however, the East Coast storm did have some effect on the
final attendance numbers. In spite of the storm, Pack Expo welcomed 45,300
attendees to McCormick Place for the four-day event, which is an increase of three
percent over the 2010 show. Much of this increase can be credited to the
significant growth in the number of international attendees, which was up just
over 53 percent from 2010.
Charles D. Yuska, president & CEO of Pack Expo, owner and producer PMMI,
says, “While we fully expected to surpass our attendance goals, the storm’s
effect on East Coast travel prohibited many from making the show. However, we
still finished with the largest Pack Expo International since 2006.”
Yuska adds, “The increase in exhibitors speaks to the quality of business
done at Pack Expo. These exhibiting companies invest time and resources, and
they have to believe that they are going to get a return on that
investment.”
The momentum from the Chicago show continues with exhibitors already
planning their presence at Pack Expo Las Vegas, Sept. 23-25, 2013.
Approximately 47,000 square feet of booth space sold during the show in Chicago
last week, bringing the current Pack Expo Las Vegas net square footage to
nearly 560,000, over 20 percent ahead of pace from 2011. This is an excellent
indicator that next year’s Pack Expo Las Vegas 2013 will be the largest yet and
that business remains on the upswing.
“Pack Expo International 2012 was definitely a success,” says Yuska, “Traffic
was strong, despite the storm, and the exhibitors I spoke with were very
pleased with the number and quality of leads they received. I think it’s also
significant that exhibitors were already planning ahead and reserving booth
space for Pack Expo Las Vegas 2013.”
PMMI
www.pmmi.org;www.packexpo.com
Report Abusive Comment