PACK EXPO Las Vegas brought together 50,000 specialists and showcased technologies 30 years ahead

PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025 took place in Las Vegas last week, organized by PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. The forum traditionally brings together equipment manufacturers, component suppliers, and representatives of enterprises where packaging and processing determine production cost and output consistency.

The scale of the event this year was record-breaking in total participants and in exhibition space. The organizers emphasized that it is not only a showcase of new products, but also a snapshot of technological approaches that manufacturers build into the designs of lines and plants.

Such events are beneficial for the Las Vegas economy, which has been hit hard by the development of the online casino segment. If earlier the main sources of tax revenue were gambling, now the city has to look for other financial sources. Online casinos have completely seized the initiative in gambling, including because they can offer non-traditional entertainment formats.

This is also confirmed by data from the site about the game Monopoly Big Baller, which indicate growing player interest in the new mechanic from Evolution Gaming. For land-based casinos, this is not great news, so Las Vegas is gradually reshaping its model. The main goal of the changes is to make gambling no longer play such an important role in the city’s economy. Holding a variety of exhibition events is part of the plan.

Attendance and audience breakdown on site

According to PMMI, more than 30,000 people visited the exhibition, and another around 20,000 were exhibitor representatives. In total, approximately 50,000 industry professionals were on site, making the event one of the most notable in terms of concentration of expertise in the packaging and processing segment.

This statistic is both strong and vulnerable to direct comparisons with other forums. The overall figure combines different roles and participation formats, and the on-site attendance figure is not always equal to the number of unique visitors, since some teams work at booths in shifts and return on different days.

A million square feet of exhibits and more than 2,300 companies

More than 2,300 companies took part in the exhibits, and the total exhibition area reached 1,000,000 net sq ft. PMMI calls it the largest show floor in the expo’s 30-year history, which raises the stakes for participants who need not to get lost in the crowd in a crowded competitive landscape.

The very nature of the display is well described by the logic of a production line. In one pavilion, solutions for contamination and defect control sit side by side; in another, robots for palletizing and kitting dominate; and nearby, conveyors, marking and coding, and software control systems are demonstrated, which are often implemented as a package.

Technologies designed for the long term

PMMI President and CEO Jim Pittas linked the results of the exhibition to the industry’s long-term trajectory. He noted that the presented technologies go beyond current manufacturing needs and are becoming a tool for growth and improved efficiency.

“The technologies shown do not just meet the needs of today’s users; they drive growth, efficiency, and innovation that will define packaging and processing over the next 30 years.”

Such wording inevitably sounds like a marketing bar that is hard to verify immediately. At the same time, the direction is fairly clear through specific solution categories, where progress is measured by practical metrics such as reducing product recall risk, increasing OEE, and cutting unplanned downtime.

Quality control and product safety on the line

The inspection and contamination detection segment was one of the most concrete. Eriez presented new and updated solutions for inspection and magnetic separation, emphasizing live demonstrations and consultations with specialists on practical processing applications.

Eriez focused on two areas:

• PrecisionGuard X8 Metal Detector with increased sensitivity for detecting ferromagnetic, non-ferrous, and stainless steel metal contaminants in challenging applications
• SenseGuard X ray Inspection Systems with high image resolution and adaptive software for finding foreign objects and product anomalies affecting safety and brand reputation

A similar need, but with an emphasis on hygienic food production environments, is addressed by the Icon X Ray system from Fortress Technology. It was shown as equipment for the final stage of the line, where washdown and sanitation and reliable rejection are especially important when the product is already close to shipment.

Among the claimed features of Icon X Ray:

• a design intended for easy washdown and sanitation procedures
• integration with the Fortress Raptor checkweighing module within the same footprint
• options for internal inspection cameras and an integrated automatic reject mechanism, which is important when there is limited floor space on the shop floor

Marking, non-contact measurement, and AI tools for the shop floor

In the product identification and tracking area, Matthews Marking Systems presented its own Axian Inkjet technology, referred to as XIJ. The company positions it as an approach to high-speed, high-precision marking for the CPG and FMCG segments, where code readability and print stability often become subject to audits by retailers and regulators.

In the MPERIA Axian XIJ AX1000 Series line, the emphasis is on combining the properties of Continuous Inkjet and Thermal Inkjet in a single platform, as well as on a closed design without solvent evaporation and emissions. In practice, this usually means more predictable operation and fewer constraints on where the equipment can be installed next to other line modules.

Encoder Products Company showcased LP1 Accu LaserPro, a non-contact encoder for measuring speed and distance in packaging, labeling, material handling, and industrial automation. Unlike wheel and shaft encoders, the system uses laser optics, reducing wear and dependence on surface quality; absolute encoders with an IO-Link interface were also mentioned.

The show’s digital layer was complemented by QAD Redzone with Champion AI, a suite of features to support production teams. An approach is stated in which AI provides forecasts and recommendations, and also performs some actions as an agentic AI, saving employees time in routine scenarios, including creating maintenance requests and documenting incidents and near-misses.