Sean Riley: So with all the fancy introductions out of the way, welcome to the podcast, Laura.
Laura Thompson: Thanks, Sean. It's great to talk to you again.
Sean Riley: So we have an event coming up, this little show that we like to call a PACK EXPO International, that is actually, it's always huge, but from what I've heard, there's rumors that it's tracking to be the largest ever. Is that true?
Laura Thompson: That is a correct statement, Sean. It is going to be our biggest show ever. We have just crossed over 2,600 exhibiting companies, and we will be covering over 1.3 million net square feet of exhibit space.
Sean Riley: Wow. So I guess with that in mind, you talk about the show every day, so I guess what's new this year? What can we look forward to that we haven't seen before at PACK EXPO International?
Laura Thompson: Number one, lots of new exhibiting companies are going to be there. I also would love to highlight our new sustainability exhibit. We have the Sustainability Central area, which has a ton of education on sustainability as well as some special displays. We have some schools participating. We have Virginia Tech, Clemson University, and University of Florida really showing all the different aspects of sustainability and what brands can do to reach their sustainability goals.
Sean Riley: So it's everywhere, but why the focus on sustainability? Why did we decide to make a move and have a whole area dedicated just to sustainability?
Laura Thompson: We have previously had a sustainability track on some of our innovation stages, and we found there was always tremendous interest in those, and so it was really driven by the attendees. Clearly, there was an interest in learning more, and so we thought, why not create a dedicated space where we could dedicate content all show days specifically targeted for sustainability? We have a lot of focus groups throughout the year with the attendees. It's come up a lot. It's very hard to define exactly what sustainability is, right? And so it's looking at where each company is coming from. We're learning, some of the presentations are talking about success stories from actual brands and how they've managed to make their products and packages more sustainable. So we're excited about that because to hear directly from people who have implemented these things, it's a great learning opportunity for other folks regardless of where they are on their sustainability journey.
Sean Riley: Yeah. And that's the thing with sustainability we've been talking about, especially with packaging and processing for years, it seems like it's been almost decades, and I think it finally seems like it's happening now. People need to see examples or hear examples of people that have actually had success with it, and that makes the Sustainability Central just a perfect place to make sure that attendees stop at.
Laura Thompson: Absolutely. And if they don't have time to visit and listen to the education sessions, we do have our Sustainability Solutions Finder online where people can search, and they can find solutions and they can plan to visit those exhibitors with those solutions at the show, which is a great place to go. Also, exhibitors with those sustainable solutions will have PACK EXPO green icons in their booths to help easily identify them.
Sean Riley: Perfect. So Emerging Brands isn't new, but Emerging Brands Central is new, correct?
Laura Thompson: Yes. Thank you for bringing that up. That's another area we're excited about. Emerging Brands Stage is another place where we can provide targeted content to those who are relatively new to the industry. They're looking to scale up their operations and just learn more about what options are out there for them. It's a great chance they're going to have expert advisors in the Emerging Brands Stage that can help people, where they can have conversations. I understand that you're walking into a show with 2,600 companies, and sometimes you just need a place to start. So this gives a great chance for you to learn again from some experts in the industry, some people who may have gone through some of this themselves, as well as speak to some experts to get some guidance to help you navigate the show and find what you need.
Sean Riley: And I think attendees sometimes might not realize that yes, all the biggies, the big companies are there, but a lot of attendees are smaller upstarts or people going to a packaging show for the first time that are looking for material, looking for machinery, and really do need a first place to start because it makes your head spin.
Laura Thompson: It does, and we do our best to provide resources to help people narrow down and make a plan before they get to the show. That's really one of the biggest recommendations I can tell people is with the size of the show, to just walk in the door and just start walking up and down each aisle, it's not necessarily the best way to approach it, I would say.
Sean Riley: You're not even going to get to everything if you tried that.
Laura Thompson: Yeah, wear very comfortable shoes and plan to walk a lot. But we have a mobile app and a My Show Planner online where people can search. They can search by keyword, product category, and they can make a plan actually before they get to the show. And even before the show, we have an Ask the Experts program. People can go to packexpointernational.com and submit information about their upcoming projects and what they're looking for and set up a one-on-one consultation prior to the show. And we've gotten great feedback on this. These expert advisors are people who have been in the industry a long time, and they can really help you find and identify the companies that you should visit that make what you need to accomplish your goals at the show. So if you're not quite sure where to start, it's completely free. I highly recommend people look into utilizing that program.
Sean Riley: Interesting. I knew that we've had those on site, but I didn't know that we now offer that beforehand as well.
Laura Thompson: We do, yes. We offer that beforehand, and then at the show, there's the folks in the Emerging Brands area, but we also have an Attendee Solutions Center located outside the North Hall where we will have Ask the Experts. And then we also have an Ask the Experts station in Lakeside Upper. Feel free, if you're at the show, to stop by those locations as well, and they're happy to help guide you and make your plan for the day.
Sean Riley: Perfect. So you've done this for a little while.
Laura Thompson: Thanks, Sean.
Sean Riley: You've done a bunch of these shows, so there has to be something going into it that excites you every time. What are you most excited about for this PACK EXPO International?
Laura Thompson: I'm really excited about all of the student programs that we have going on at the show. PMMI has a really great education department that is looking at developing not only those up and coming, but also the current workforce. And you don't grow up and say, "I really want to be in the packaging industry." So many people don't. You said I've been doing this for a long time, before I started this, I had no idea everything that... Who does? And there's a ton of opportunities to get students involved, to learn about the industry and make connections. We have the PACK Challenge that's taking place, which is actually a student competition where kids are designing machines, which to me is so cool to see these kids do that.
Sean Riley: Absolutely.
Laura Thompson: And then we have the Future Innovators Robotic Showcase where they bring their robots that they've had in these competitions throughout the year. And there's also a new Girl Scout patch for sustainability, so we're going to have an event for Girl Scouts on site. There are so many cool programs and I love seeing that, and I love seeing the excitement of these kids when they come to the show for the first time and get to see all this and learn more about the industry. To me, I really enjoy seeing that. I think it's the future. And so it's really cool to see.
Sean Riley: And that's really cool because there's still this, I don't know, this belief or this vision of manufacturing and packaging and processing is dirty and dingy and in a factory and stuff like that. And it is so high-tech with the automation and the robotics and things like AI and all that, that it is, it must be exciting for the kids to come in and see all that in one place.
Laura Thompson: Absolutely.
Sean Riley: Yeah. So I guess you touched on it, but it's not going to hurt to reiterate it. What other things can attendees do to prepare for the show, whether it's their first time or they're a veteran that's done it a bunch of times?
Laura Thompson: I would say for sure download the mobile app before you get there. If you need the additional assistance, take advantage of the Ask the Experts program. You also can log into the My Show Planner online. If you download the app, they sync with each other, so you'll be able to have whatever plan you put together at your fingertips when you're at the show. And also reach out to exhibitors in advance. If you see exhibitors that you're interested in seeing, they want to hear from you and are happy to show you and meet with you on site. One of the best things about PACK EXPO is it is the one place you can see so much machinery operating in one place. And what you can accomplish in just these few days in Chicago is huge. You'll be able to see and touch and really truly understand the capabilities of this equipment and how it will help you with whatever it is you're looking to accomplish.
Sean Riley: Perfect. With such a big event, how about opportunities for attendees and or exhibitors to sort of network, to get out and talk to people besides just visiting in the booths?
Laura Thompson: Thanks for asking, Sean. There are so many different opportunities and targeted opportunities for people to meet others and network during the show. One of my favorite events is the Packaging Processing Women's Leadership Network.
Sean Riley: Of course.
Laura Thompson: They host, I like saying PPWLN, it rolls off the tongue a little bit easier.
Sean Riley: It's a lot easier.
Laura Thompson: But they host a breakfast event. They always have a great speaker, and it's a great opportunity for people to connect and learn. And that's on Tuesday morning of the show. We also have PACK Gives Back, which this year we have Nate Bargatze who is performing, and I will say, this event most likely will sell out. And so if you have any interest in attending, you can buy tickets. Tickets are only $95. They include food and drink and the performance, and they benefit the PMMI Foundation. And this is something that we've hosted every year, and it keeps getting bigger every year. A title sponsor for this is Rockwell Automation, and we're excited just to see the continued growth and to have an event that everybody can come together and support a great cause.
We also have our Young Professionals networking event. We have the Confectionary Industry Reception, and then we have a First Timers Lounge. This is something that I haven't mentioned yet, but it's a place where, again, if it's your first time at the show, it's a great place to start. We have sessions in the morning every day that kind of help everybody get started with their show. We're also having a breakfast for the first time this year, and it's a great chance for people to connect with other first timers who may be in the same industry or may be running into the same struggles that you might be running into with your operation. So this is just some of them. I do recommend people go to packexpointernational.com where you can see all of the different networking events, where you can search for exhibitors and also make sure you register for the show.
Sean Riley: Perfect. Yes, I actually didn't mention the First Timers Lounge. I will be there giving a presentation for the first timers so you can put a name to the face, and it always gets a good turnout and it's always very helpful to just give an overview of the show, but show them all the places they can go to that will give them help because there is so many places at PACK EXPO, but that's one of the things we do really well is offer opportunities to help steer attendees on the right path. So thank you for highlighting that as well. With that, I think we have covered about as much as we can, and you're a very busy lady who has a big trade show to put together, as we just discussed, being the Vice President of trade shows. So with that, I just want to say thank you very much for squeezing some time in for us at UnPACKed, and thanks again for coming on, Laura.
Laura Thompson: Thanks, Sean. See you in Chicago.
