Dan GalbraithJames Pahssen (right), design engineering specialist for 3M, shows the company’s new AccuGlide Taping Head NPH to Cecil Poag, branch manager for Crown Packaging Group, Evansville, Ind. CHICAGO — Pack Expo International 2012 enjoyed success at McCormick Place on Oct. 28-31, although Hurricane Sandy made it difficult for many on the East Coast to return to their home offices. Many show-goers and exhibitors said their return flights had been cancelled, creating a logistical nightmare.
“I just got back. I’ve been stranded since the storm. Amazing lines at the gas stations on the way from the airport,”
Ron Margulis, managing director of Ram Communications, Cranford, N.J., said in an Nov. 2 e-mail.
Margulis does public relations and consulting work for CHEP USA and IFCO.
“Glad to report that things are OK here in N.J. — we have power and Internet.”
Exhibitors also expressed some disappointment in show attendance on opening day, which they chalked up to showgoers coming in late and some being more focused on the Chicago Bears and other NFL games going on that day.
The show had been sold out since July, featuring more than 1.1 million net square feet of space and 1,900 exhibitors, both figures up substantially from last year’s show in Las Vegas (600,000 square feet and 1,600 exhibitors), according to Reston, Va.-based Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, which organizes the event.
This year’s figures also represented a 6% increase in floor space and 8% rise in exhibitors from Pack Expo International 2010.
Pack Expo 2012 boasted 45,338 attendees, a 3% increase over the 2010 event. International attendance was up 8% over 2010, PMMI said. It was the largest Pack Expo International show since 2006.
Next year’s show is scheduled for Sept. 23-25 in Las Vegas, and the 2014 international show is set for Nov. 2-5 in Chicago.
Comments (0) Leave a comment