Pack Expo seen drawing 26,000 attendees from consumer goods manufacturing industry

Need to find a snazzy bottle for your new energy drink? What about an eye-catching box for Grandma’s homemade cake? This is the place to go.

Pack Expo will be in Las Vegas Monday through Wednesday at the Las Vegas Convention Center attracting about 26,000 attendees from the consumer goods manufacturing industry.

Managed by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, the show will bring the city an estimated nongaming economic impact of $32.7 million, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The expo first came to Vegas in 1995 with 532 exhibitors covering 200,845 net square feet and 9,334 attendees.

This year more than 1,750 exhibitors will be at Pack Expo spread out over 725,000 net square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s south and central halls. The base rate to exhibit is $26 per square foot, and cost to attend is $60.

“Anything you buy, somebody who’s involved with Pack Expo has probably touched it,” said Kate Achelpohl, director of member communications at PMMI.

Among the exhibitors will be Las Vegas-based DDS Conveyor Inc.

With sales offices in New York and Florida, the company provides sanitary production solutions such as material handling equipment, conveyors and automation controls. It has had a hand in large conveyor projects for Unilever, Ocean Spray and Rose Acre Farms, among other major manufacturers.

CEO Simon Tavdi said he’ll spend $80,000 to exhibit at Pack Expo this year.

“It’s really important because we depend on large exposure for new products,” he said.

With 33 staff members at the show, Tavdi will display new systems, including one for egg farmers and bakeries that’s essentially a robot that picks up a package and packs it into a carton, replacing the person who would normally do it. The other product is a seven-conveyor system that brings products to one robot that picks it up and puts it on pallets.

“Nobody in the world has done that before. It’s something very cool,” Tavdi said.

“We’ve found a way to increase production three times more by doing this with automation,” Tavdi said.

A week before Pack starts, Tavdi said he’s ready — about 30 percent of DDS’ business comes from the accounts that will be present at the show, where the floor will be divided into separate pavilions for confectionery, reusable packaging, pharmaceuticals, processing and brands.

Budding entrepreneurs are encouraged to attend, and registration is open until show time. Interested parties are able to sign up at the convention center.

On the show floor attendees can visit the Brand Zone, filled with containers designed to promote brand loyalty, and the Processing Zone, an area spotlighting the latest technologies for manufacturers in the baking and snack, beverage, dairy and confectionery industries. Free education also will be offered at the show.

The expo floor will be home to three stages running 40 half-hour presentations over three days designed to update attendees on the latest industry happenings. Due in part to the educational component, Achelpohl said the show is perfect for local entrepreneurs looking to get a product off the ground.

“They’re going to come away knowing tons,” Achelpohl said. “It’s an industry that really is moving. There’s always something new.”

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at lcarrollreviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @lscvegas onTwitter.