30 Years of PACK EXPO: What’s New in Las Vegas 2025

In this episode, we’re joined by Laura Thompson, PMMI’s VP of Trade Show, to get the inside scoop on what’s ahead at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025. This year marks the show’s 30th anniversary and its first time passing one million net square feet. Laura walks us through what to expect, from bigger pavilions and guided tours to the newest breakthroughs in automation, robotics, and AI.

Sean Riley: Hi, and welcome to unPACKed with PMMI. I’m your host, Sean Riley. We are entering the home stretch with PACK EXPO Las Vegas right around the corner. So, it only makes sense to bring back Laura Thompson, PMMI’s VP of Trade Shows to get the inside scoop at what’s ahead for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025. This year marks the shows 30th year, and its first time hitting one million net square feet. Laura walks us through what to expect, from bigger pavilions and guided tours, to the newest breakthroughs in automation, robotics, and AI. Let’s have a listen.

So with all the fancy introductions out of the way, welcome back to the podcast, Laura.

Laura Thompson: Thanks, Sean. Good to see you again.

Sean Riley: Oh, the pleasure is all mine. So we've been hitting PACK EXPO Las Vegas pretty hard on the podcast the last few episodes, so it only makes sense to go right to the top and check in with the VP of trade show to see what's the latest and greatest around this year's event. So I guess what's new, what's different, what's standing out about PACK EXPO Las Vegas this year?

Laura Thompson: The biggest news, Sean, is we are celebrating 30 years this show-

Sean Riley: Nice.

Laura Thompson: ... and with that is our first show over 1 million net square feet.

Sean Riley: Wow.

Laura Thompson: So a huge milestone for us. We are very excited. I think back to my first PACK EXPO Las Vegas, which is actually just shy of those 30 years, and seeing the growth of that show has been amazing. It started as a regional event, and now, it truly is the meeting place for the whole industry.

Sean Riley: Absolutely.

Laura Thompson: We cover 40 vertical markets with the solutions that we have. We have all of the specialized pavilions from the processing zone, which has grown tremendously over the years, to serve food and beverage processing. We also have the logistics pavilion, which came about as with kind of the growth in e-commerce, and a lot of new developments over the years to really, as the show's grown, make sure that the attendees coming to the show can easily navigate and find what they need.

Sean Riley: Yeah, it's interesting you just mentioned the pavilions, and the first thing I was thinking when you mentioned the processing zone, you and I have both been around long enough where it was just a packaging show. Processing was a whole separate idea before it got enveloped into this whole PACK EXPO world.

Laura Thompson: Yeah, and now the processing zone is now almost double the size of what it was when it started, so it's been a great opportunity too for those coming to the show that they can find everything. You can find not only what you need to process what you're making, you can find the machinery as well as materials. I didn't mention the containers and materials, which has also shown tremendous growth with all of the new materials on the market, especially with the sustainability focus. That is also a great opportunity for attendees to find new and different ways to package their products.

Sean Riley: So it really has grown along with the industry. We went from just packaging to, it is packaging and processing, it is logistics, it is the entire supply chain, so that is kind of interesting how it's mirrored over those 30 years, the growth of the industry. Yeah, that's cool. So going into the show, what kind of technologies or topics or trends are poking their head out as the things that are catching buzz this year?

Laura Thompson: Obviously, sustainability always is big. We have our sustainability stage where attendees can attend sessions, focused not only just on materials, but how you can make any part of your operation sustainable. It is such a broad definition when we say sustainability. I think if you ask anyone, they all have a different opinion on it-

Sean Riley: They're going to give you a different answer.

Laura Thompson: ... but the sessions really are a good mix from materials to machinery to ways to use less water, et cetera. So that's a great place to go. We also have new tours. We have a sustainability tour that our PMMI Media Group is putting on where folks who are interested can have a guided tour of some key exhibitors providing sustainable solutions. There's also just more of a general tour as well, so anybody interested in those tours, they can go to the website to check those out. Of course, automation, AI, robotics, as you've said, we grow with the industry. So whatever trends are out there, you're going to see the latest and greatest from the exhibitors presenting that. In addition to, of course, all the machinery and materials on the show floor, we have over 100 sessions on the stages located throughout the show floor. We have not only our innovation stages, which is where our exhibitors put on presentations about their latest innovations, we have a processing zone stage with solutions dedicated to processing as well as our Industry Speaks Stage. We are fortunate to partner with over 30 industry associations.

Sean Riley: Wow.

Laura Thompson: And every year, this grows. That really shows the importance of PACK EXPO of bringing the industry together. And a few years back, we looked at all the expertise represented from these groups and thought, "Hey, this is a great opportunity to share and educate with our audience working together with these partners." So the Industry Speaks Stage features some of these association leaders speaking specifically about their markets that they represent. They can get a little bit more into the minutia as the subject matter experts. So all this available on the website. What we do like to do though is we know that everybody's time is busy. It's a big show. These are all located, as I said, on the show floor, so it's very easy for attendees to pop in, get a quick update information, and then get on their way to visit the booth that they need to visit.

Sean Riley: So many things that you just listed are giving me two thoughts. The first thing, the tours sound really cool. That's something that I hadn't really heard of before at shows. I don't know if it's common in trade shows, but what a great idea to be led around, especially when you've laid out how big it is. It's the biggest it's been, and that can be pretty daunting. I know you were saying when you first went. I remember going the first time, and it was half the size of what it is now, the show, and it was still overwhelming just because there's so much to take in. So I guess with that in mind, what kind of resources, say, I'm a first-time attendee or I haven't attended that many times, what kind of resources does PMMI and PACK EXPO put out there to make sure that the show's going to really deliver value for attendees?

Laura Thompson: I would say the key thing is to plan ahead. There are a number of resources that people can take advantage of well in advance of the show. One of my favorite programs that I think is underutilized is our PACK Match program. This is a free one-on-one consultation with an industry expert. It is free to registered attendees. You can fill out a form online and sign up, and they can talk through what you are looking to accomplish at the show and at least get you started, make some recommendations about maybe some specific machinery suppliers you should look at, materials, where to start. So it's a great way to talk through, especially those newer to the industry. I do know it can be intimidating, and you might even think some of these huge booths out there might not have a solution for your problem, but they just might. One thing that we do have on our show directory is an icon that notes if companies are emerging brands friendly, and so that's something that attendees can look for, especially those newer to the industry, starting to scale up their operations. That gives them a good starting point as they're looking to find suppliers. We also, for a first-time attendee, have our first-time attendee lounge. You're familiar with this, Sean-

Sean Riley: Yeah.

Laura Thompson: ... because we offer morning sessions every day with and we call them, I think, is it PACK EXPO 101, something-

Sean Riley: Yeah, something like that?

Laura Thompson: Yeah, where it's a very quick highlight reel where you go through, "Here's the key hotspots on the show floor." You highlight the pavilions, and you also show them how to use the online directory and the mobile app to help start the show. It's a great place for a first-time attendee to start. We have a ton of staff members in there that can answer questions and help people kickstart their day and hit the floor with a plan because you really do need to have a plan of who you're going to visit and how you're going to get to them just to make sure you're able to accomplish your goals when you get there.

Sean Riley: Yeah, it's interesting. I've done the first-time attendees lounge for a while, and I guess I'm only surprised because I've done this for a while as you have, that people do come in sometimes and not have any sort of preparation, which is fine. We have the resources in-house to help with that, but even just listening to this and all the things that you've said are just reminders that getting all of this stuff in order ahead of time is just going to make it so much easier when you hit the show floor and not be intimidated because it's really not. It shouldn't be intimidating. It's a very welcoming place. The exhibitors want to talk to you. They want to showcase their machinery. Everybody's very proud of it, so it shouldn't be something that's intimidating. So I think that's something that people need to take in and consider, listeners to this, attendees, that it is, It's for everybody, and people are willing, especially PMMI, PACK EXPO, but the exhibitors themselves are willing to help people find their solutions. It might not even be the solution in a person's booth, but they might say, "This is actually what you're looking for." So that's just something that I've noticed when talking with first-time attendees.

Laura Thompson: Absolutely. And if you do happen to get on site and you're not quite sure, in addition to the first-timers lounge, we have attendee solutions center, where we have our experts actually on hand, so they can also help you with your searches on site should you need assistance or guidance on where to go. But pre-show, you can go to the website, packexpolasvegas.com, or you can download the mobile app, which is going live at the beginning of September. You make your list of exhibitors that you need to visit, and new for the mobile app this year is it's going to offer turn-by-turn directions.

Sean Riley: Wow.

Laura Thompson: So you'll be able to have in the palm of your hand a true guide of where you need to go. And we're adding in not only the show floor, but how do I get to the shuttle bus? How do I get to the-

Sean Riley: That's nice. I'm going to use that.

Laura Thompson: ... closest concession stand? We've heard the attendees, understanding that it's not only the booth sometimes. It's really trying to make it easier to navigate the multiple halls of the show, but we do want to help. I think, like you said, Sean, our exhibitors are awesome. They are incredibly helpful, very passionate about the industry ,and happy to answer questions they have. Our staff is always available throughout all the buildings as well to help get people where they need to go.

Sean Riley: Yeah. How about beyond the show floor? Are there any other opportunities, things to enhance the attendee experience?

Laura Thompson: Of course, networking. We have a ton of it. My favorite event is the PACK gives BACK event. It's sponsored by Rockwell. It benefits the Education Foundation, and we started this last year, and we're continuing with it this year where we have a private performance of Cirque du Soleil. So it's a fun opportunity the night before the show if you come in early or if you're an exhibitor and you want to entertain your customers, get a leg up on making those connections before the show starts. People can buy tickets. People can even buy them in a pack of 10 if you want to bring a group to the show. I do recommend anybody interested in buying those to get those quickly and soon because they do tend to sell out. It's a great event for a great cause and a good way to kick off the show. We also have our Packaging and Processing Women's Leadership Network Breakfast, and that takes place Tuesday morning during the show. That event is something that... PPWLN didn't even exist when we first started to Las Vegas. And again, the growth that we've seen with that is turned into just an awesome meeting place for people in the industry to make connections, and it's another one of my favorite events. The Young Professionals Networking Reception that's sponsored by Beckhoff Automation, that's taking place on Monday of the show. It's at The Cove Bar & Arcade. It looks like it's really fun, and it has a lot of activities to force a little bit of that engagement. We know if you're newer to the industry, it can be a little awkward walking into a new place, so it's easy, hopefully, to make those connections as you're engaging in some of these different activities at that event. And then, during the show, Vision 2030 sessions will take place. This is put on by our business intelligence department. If attendees or exhibitors are able to attend this, it's a really great open forum for discussion, and both suppliers and end users are invited to attend this. Information is located on the website about this. You do have to pre-register to attend, but it's always a really good engaging conversation. Jorge Izquierdo who leads it up always picks kind of key industry topics, and those are also on the website for each session, so people can look at it and determine which of them may speak to them as they're planning their time at the show.

Sean Riley: Yeah, I've sat in on some of those 2030, and they're very unique in that it's an opportunity for the customer and the supplier to get together and hash out larger industry-wide type issues, find solutions to each other's challenges. That's rare to get that sort of opportunity, so it's a real cool thing to have at the show. And then, we take data from that and create reports and stuff, so that's really cool. The networking that you've all rattled off, and it's definitely Monday night for the Young Professionals Network. I don't think they're going to let me in, but I wish I could go.

Laura Thompson: I've given up, Sean. Go ahead and try and see-

Sean Riley: See what happens? All right. I guess to put a button on this, as you said, it's been 30 years. So I guess if there was one thing, you're in charge of trade show, what's the one thing you wish people out there knew more about PACK EXPO Las Vegas?

Laura Thompson: Oh, gosh. One thing, Sean? I just went through even just a fraction of the things happening at the show. For me, it's truly the depth and breadth of the show and the options available. It truly is all facets of the industry, everything from processing, packaging to materials, and it really is solutions for all markets. If you're looking for anything, you will find it at the show. Anything for the packaging and processing industry, obviously. I don't know why I felt like I needed to clarify that.

Sean Riley: Yeah. It's probably-

Laura Thompson: But yeah, it's great, and it's the latest and greatest. I'm always amazed seeing all of the new machinery that comes to the show, the automation, the robotics, the speed that some of this stuff works. I'm not in the plants every day to see this stuff in action. So to me, who's just on the outside looking in at some of these developments, it's so noticeable year over year the changes that are happening in the industry and the trends. And one thing, speaking of the trends and the latest and greatest, I neglected to mention the Technology Excellence Awards.

Sean Riley: Yes.

Laura Thompson: So we do have those at the show every year. The voting will open a week prior to the show, and we'll send out announcements on it. I highly recommend anybody attending the show go visit these exhibitors. There's some really cool stuff that's being highlighted as part of the awards program this year, and attendees can vote. And we announce the winners of the Technology Excellence Awards Tuesday afternoon of the show. And then, one more thing, I also forgot to mention is our student activities. We do a ton of stuff. PMMI is very focused on developing the future of the industry. We work very closely with schools. We have an education pavilion. We also have the Amazing Packaging Race that takes place Wednesday, the last day of the show. It's really fun. It's great to see the passion and the students running around, just trying to solve challenges. The education team always likes to surprise my show team sometimes with some of those student challenges. So randomly, people will start walking up to us and asking us strange questions. But in general, it's really great, and we like to take any opportunity that we can to introduce these students to the industry. PACK EXPO, we say, is the best classroom, so any chance we can get to get in front of the future workforce is something that we want to do.

Sean Riley: And it's important because we didn't really touch on the workforce because I feel like every podcast has to touch on the workforce. So it's very important that we did drive home that we are working with the next generation to get people in and realize what a great career this can be in the packaging and processing industry. And the only other thing I wanted to add to what you said is they can vote for the Technology Excellence Awards online and the app. I think we have covered it all, and I know the show is coming up fast. You're crazy busy. So we really appreciate you carving some time out for us to come on here and help our attendees out with what to expect at PACK EXPO Las Vegas. So thanks a lot, Laura.

Laura Thompson: Thank you, Sean.

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