Manufacturers of baked goods and snacks won’t have to let it ride to bring their products to market. Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011, set for Sept. 26-28 in Las Vegas, NV, promises to connect them with total systems solutions to increase efficiency and sustainability.

Featuring more than 1,600 exhibitors under one roof at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 also offers targeted education tracks including operations, sustainability, workforce development, product safety, trends and innovation. Speakers from industry leaders such as General Mills and Kellogg’s will provide ideas and inspiration to help improve companies’ bottom lines.


New this year is the Baking and Snack Break, an industry-specific networking lounge on the show floor that will allow attendees to network with their peers and engage in further dialogue with suppliers. The lounge will also include an “Ask the Expert” feature where attendees can seek advice from industry specialists about baking- and snack-related challenges in packaging and processing. The Snack Food Association endorses the Baking and Snack Break, which is sponsored by Kliklok-Woodman, Yamato Corp. and BluePrint Automation.

Also new are pavilions focusing on food safety and processing. Featuring leading industry experts, the Food Safety Summit Resource Center will help processors respond to the many challenges they face on the job. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest food safety breakthroughs and gain valuable insight into potential solutions. The Processing Zone will feature technologies to enhance food safety, reduce waste, ensure product freshness and improve sustainability.

The Brand Zone, a sold-out pavilion, has been expanded this year to help baked goods and snack manufacturers discover the latest container and material innovations that respond to consumer demands for convenience, portion control, sustainability and more. Exhibits will include the latest advances in glass, plastic, metal and paperboard as well as decorating and labeling techniques. The Brand Zone is also home to The Showcase of Packaging Innovations, sponsored by The Dow Chemical Co., featuring award-winning packaging from around the world.

Pack Expo Las Vegas alternates years with Pack Expo, held at Chicago’s McCormick Place and next set for Oct. 28-31, 2012. The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) sponsors these events as well as Expo Pack México, a similar exposition held this past June in Mexico City, Mexico.

Exhibit passes purchased on or before Sept. 7 are $30 and increase to $60 thereafter. Education sessions and the keynote leadership lecture by Gen. Colin Powell are extra. For more information and to register, visitwww.packexpo.comor contact PMMI’s show department at (703) 243-8555 orexpo@pmmi.org.