Two industry tradeshows recently wrapped up with higher attendance numbers over previous events. Despite opening its doors at Chicago’s McCormick Place the day before Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, the biennial PACK EXPO International still pulled in 45,300 people from Oct. 26-31. Similarly, more than 22,000 people packed the aisles of the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 2012 SGIA Expo on Oct. 18-20.
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| Roland drew attendees to its booth at the SGIA Expo in Las Vegas with the new SOLJET Pro 4 XR-640 wide-format inkjet printer/cutter.
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Before the storm struck, attendance for PACK EXPO was tracking even higher, with pre-registration up nearly 10 percent. It was the largest PACK EXPO since 2006, with a 3-percent increase in attendance over the 2010 event. Much of the increase came from international attendance, which was up 53 percent, compared with the 2010 show. PACK EXPO International also covered 1.1 million net square feet of space with 1,965 exhibitors, an increase of over 6 percent for space and 7 percent for exhibiting companies.
More than 500 exhibitors showcased the latest imaging technologies at the SGIA Expo. The largest annual exposition for the imaging industry featured a broad range of imaging technology, networking opportunities and top-rated seminars to give attendees the tools to move their businesses forward.
The Expo included six Expert Advice Zones, which offered live demonstrations and presentations with industry experts. A keynote breakfast featured Todd Cohen, who spoke to a packed room about innovative sales strategies. In addition, the SGIA Printed Electronics and Membrane Switch Symposium joined the Expo for the first time, giving attendees the best of both worlds. Imaging professionals also had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with industry-leading manufacturers and suppliers who took up 230,000-plus square feet of show floor space, where a wide range of products and services were on display. Garment decorators explored the Golden Image Gallery where they were able to see samples of contemporary garment decoration.
For more information on both tradeshows, visit www.packexpo.com or www.sgia.org.
