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Reston, Va.; Oct. 18, 2016 — PACK EXPO International (Nov. 6–9; McCormick Place, Chicago) and co-located Pharma EXPO 2016 projects as a record breaker with a combined 50,000 attendees seeking new technologies and insights from 2,500-plus exhibitors over 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space, according to show producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. This anticipated increase in show participation is bolstered by projections for industry growth. PMMI’s 2016 State of the Industry Report forecasts U.S. shipments of packaging machinery to reach $8.5 billion in 2020 at a CAGR of 2.4 percent. “Growth in packaging is fueled not just by plant expansions, but also by the need to update operations, creating smarter, faster, safer, flexible and more sustainable lines,” said Jim Pittas, senior vice president, PMMI. “In a time when stagnating on innovation is bad for business, professionals across a wide range of industries attend PACK EXPO and Pharma EXPO because they know these shows provide the platform for new technologies.” The shows offer several guide post destinations, such as The Materials & Containers Pavilion, The Processing Zone, The Reusable Packaging Pavilion, The Food Safety Summit Resource Center and a total of four Innovation Stages offering free on-floor educational sessions, to help attendees find the new solutions and insights they need with greater efficiency. The latest addition to the long list of convenience-enhancing features is the NextGen Networking Fair, taking place in the Education & Workforce Development Pavilion (North Hall, Mezzanine) on Nov. 6 from 3–5 p.m. The event aims to connect both supplier companies and consumer goods manufacturers with student talent. In addition to increasing participation and an expanding list of show features, PACK EXPO International and Pharma EXPO 2016, produced in partnership with the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering, ISPE, also boast the […]