PACK EXPO East, processing and packaging technologies in a single event
The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, owner and producer of the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows, the Partner Program at the PACK EXPO East, February 16-18, creates opportunities for show attendees to network with other leaders in the markets they serve.
PACK EXPO East will feature over 375 top suppliers in the Northeast’s only event for processing and packaging technologies across industries. Located in Center City Philadelphia, Pennysilvania, USA, the newest PACK EXPO show is easy to reach and within 200 miles of a third of U.S. consumer packaged goods manufacturers.
“These are leading industry groups and strategic partners in PACK EXPO East. By being part of the show, the organizations expand and strengthen their networks, support their members and encourage processing and packaging innovation,” says Jim Pittas, senior vice president, PMMI.
Those benefits made being a PACK EXPO East association partner an easy decision for the Independent Bakers Association (IBA), says IBA Chairman Rod Cardey.
“Our members overwhelmingly praised PACK EXPO International for the networking opportunities and the different products exhibited,” he says.
Pittas added that a wide range of markets, including pharmaceuticals, beverage, food processing and baking/snack will be present at the trade fair:
- The Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM)
- The Biscuit and Cracker Manufacturers’ Association (B&CMA)
- Contract Packaging Association (CPA)
- Independent Bakers Association (IBA)
- International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT)
- International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE)
- Midwest Food Processors Association (MWFPA)
- The Organization for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC)
“PACK EXPO shows are customer-centric. That’s especially true for PACK EXPO East, which we created in response to end-user demand. The PACK EXPO East Partner Program is a way to make attendees’ experience in Philadelphia even more productive. We greatly appreciate our Association Partners support of PACK EXPO East,” he says.
Special displays for engineering students
The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies has organized special displays and demonstrations that spotlight the achievements of packaging and engineering students from RutgersUniversity and VanderbiltUniversity.
Rutgers’ elite Packaging Engineering Program (Booth #1067) will present The Packaging Design Studio to demonstrate the latest student-developed packaging equipment. The new technologies on display will include automated systems for loading and unloading, custom-order snack mix production machines and innovative packaging prototypes.
The Future of Pneumatics (Booth #858), sponsored by Vanderbilt, the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) and The Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), will showcase advancements in pneumatic technology, including live demonstrations of the school’s pneumatic exhaust gas recovery system. The team says its system can help companies meet sustainability goals by reducing air consumption of pneumatic actuators by up to 25 percent. This system is neither commercialized nor widely used yet, and the display will offer attendees an early look into the next generation of pneumatics technology.
The contributions of students from Rutgers and Vanderbilt at PACK EXPO East represent just a few of the early manufacturing achievements of the millennial generation, fueling heightened expectations for this group. According to “Inspiring the Next Generation Workforce: The 2014 Millennial Impact Report,” from The Case Foundation, this group of workers is over 35 million strong, with approximately 14 million 20- to 24-year-olds and almost 32 million 25- to 34-year-olds employed in the United States as of April 20141.
“Companies must continue to adapt to the rapidly changing face of the workforce,” says Maria Ferrante, vice president, Education & Workforce Development, PMMI. “Hiring millennials can come with distinct advantages. The students who participate in the Rutgers and Vanderbilt programs exhibiting at PACK EXPO East exemplify the drive, talent and commitment to excellence that they share with so many of their counterparts in engineering programs across the country.”