PMMI: The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the owner and organizer of Pack Expo, is making substantial changes to the education program at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2013 (Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 23–25).
"We build Pack Expo shows around the attendees —they're our customers, and they're our exhibitors' customers," says Jim Pittas, PMMI vice president, trade shows. "The whole customer-centric approach to Pack Expo is based on meeting their needs. And among those needs are learning opportunities that fit their agendas."
"Voice of the Attendee" (VOA), an in-depth study of Pack Expo attendees, clearly showed that Pack Expo attendees value education at Pack Expo — when presented in the right way. VOA revealed a need for PMMI to rethink not just the topics but the actual location of the learning opportunities at the show, Pittas says.
"VOA made it clear that education is as important to attendees as exploring potential purchases, yet they see any time off the show floor as a drawback," he adds. "They learn from the experiences they have in the exhibit halls, such as watching technicians operate equipment or break it down. In fact, those two examples are among the top take-aways mentioned during interviews."
Accordingly, all of Pack ExpoLas Vegas programming will move to the show floor, and all educational sessions will be included in the show registration fee. PMMI is also expanding the number of learning centers on the floor and including industry leaders in the effort.
"Bringing all of this knowledge to the show floor will add to the already dynamic Pack Expo Las Vegas," Pittas adds.
Learning hot-spots include:
—Innovation Stage: Non-stop action in 27 half-hour segments delivered by experts, including the Alliance for Innovation and Operational Excellence, and covering the topics and technologies today's industry needs.
—The Center for Trends & Technology: Improving Production through Innovation (CTT) (Booth 1358) sponsored by Rockwell Automation and its Partner Network and presented at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2013: Collaboration and innovation are key at CTT. In addition to educational sessions from suppliers including Rockwell, Cisco, Microsoft and Motorola, you'll see technology on display and have the chance to learn how it works with other equipment.
—Food Safety Summit Resource Center: If you're facing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), plan to spend some time at this center of FSMA compliance expertise.
—Clemson University: Packaging Emporium Design for the Future sponsored by EskoArt: Clemson returns to PACK EXPO with another interactive experience to explore and reveal the impact of packaging designs on consumers.
—Reusables Learning Center: The Reusable Packaging Association will show you the way to additional long-term, cost-saving benefits from your reusable packaging.
—In-booth education: Exhibitor expertise is front and center with educational sessions at their booths. (Schedules coming soon.)PMMI's research also indicates many companies use PACK EXPO in their professional development efforts. For example, they may tie attendance to performance reviews, and they're also taking advantage of the show as a tool for improving cross-functional communication and collaboration.
"Many attendees serve as 'surrogates,' gathering information for coworkers who aren't able to attend," Pittas says. "Whether it's in a meeting room or on the show floor, they know that Pack Expo will be an opportunity to learn about technologies they use every day, and technologies they'll want to use every day."
