Pack Expo International 2012: The Latest in Packaging Brought to the Spotlight

The Pack Expo International 2012 was held in Chicago last October 28 to 31 in a four-day record-breaking event. The event was hailed as the largest packaging and processing trade show in the world for 2012, thanks to the myriads of packaging and processing professionals that made it to the exhibit.

The exhibit covered an area greater than 1.1 million net square feet as up to 1,965 companies agreed to join. This was more than 6% higher in terms of space occupancy and up to 7% higher in terms of the number of exhibiting companies compared to the Pack Expo International 2010. These companies provided innovative packaging and processing solutions for every market, such as automotive, food and beverage, chemical and industrial, cosmetics and toiletries, dairy, electronics, fruits and vegetables, hardware and tools, meat and poultry, seafood, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, household products, toys, crafts, and many others. The exhibit included on-site demonstrations and product launches, with promises of new possibilities, improved security, higher cost savings, and sustainability.

The McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois was packed full of exhibitors and attendees, which also broke records. Pre-registration alone recorded a 10% increase compared to the last Expo. The final attendance numbers, however, was not as high as expected due to the unprecedented East Coast storm that hit during the scheduled dates. Despite this unexpected hindrance, up to 45,300 attendees still came, which recorded a final 3% increase over the 2010 attendance. The increase is attributed to the 8% increase in the number of attendees from abroad.

Despite the effects of the storm, the Pack Expo organizers still concluded their largest exhibit since 2006, and according to Charles Yuska, the president and CEO of Pack Expo, the exhibits who signed up for the event were very pleased with the leads that they received.

Those who missed the event can check out some of the exhibits presented during the expo on YouTube where some of the companies themselves have uploaded video presentations of their packaging products and demonstrations during the event.

Looking Forward to Pack Expo 2013

Now, the noise in the packaging industry has not died down, and the same exhibitors who were at the Pack Expo International 2012 are again aiming for yet another exhibit: the Pack Expo Las Vegas, which the organizers have announced will be held on September 23 to 25 in 2013. Preliminary updates state that there will be almost 560,000 net square feet of exhibit space in the Las Vegas event, which means the 2013 event is expected to be over 20% larger in terms of space occupancy compared to the 2011 event. Reservations for booth space have began, and Pack Expo organizers are quite confident that next year’s event in Las Vegas will be their largest yet.

There is another implication of this continuous increase in terms of size and attendance in one of the most important exhibiting bodies in the packaging industry. These positive developments, such as the growth in the number of exhibitors, all point to the fact that the whole packaging business is really on the rise. Every year, more and more companies are attending the events to showcase their latest packaging technologies. And every year, attendees from all over the world come to the exhibits with the intention of seeking potential packaging technologies that might be of use to their respective businesses.  This is also a good time to check out what's the latest trend in the packaging industry particularly in taping machines, case sealers and other packaging machines that can boost a business.

QR Codes in Your Product Packaging – Maximizing the Magic of Interactive Packaging

QR codes or Quick Response codes have been in use since 1994 when they were first developed. Now, Nielsen has revealed that 31 percent of mobile users have a smartphone that can read QR codes and that this number is continuously growing. In fact, based on market estimates, this percentage is expected to grow by a third over the next two years.

The market has responded eagerly to this development. The ability to push quite a lot of information – any kind of information, in fact - by adding a small, simple code that is basically free to generate is like a Pandora’s box of benefits to marketers.  You can now incorporate this outside the box just like a label.  Once the box passes through the taping machine, these codes will eventually be visible to the eyes of the consumer.  This will create a lot of open doors for marketing.  

In other words, it’s too good a technology to pass up. As a business, you should start creating QR codes of your own, and one of the best places to put them on is your product packaging.

How Creative Can You Get?

The best thing with these codes is that they are highly versatile, thus allowing marketers to use them flexibly. The possibilities are just endless, and you can match them even with your most specific marketing needs. So if you’re thinking of using QR codes in your product packaging, don’t just use them to give your customers a link to your website. Although effective and useful, this is actually the most old-fashioned way of using these codes.

Here are some more creative suggestions to help you get started.

• Use QR codes to store discounts, freebies, and prizes as a way of giving back to customers who support your products.
• Use QR codes to store instructions manuals; as an additional incentive, you’ll be helping save paper too.
•  Use QR codes to give your customers directions to your stores or to your service centers.

How the Big Brands Are Doing It

Before QR codes found their way to the market, the story all began in Japan. These small but powerful codes were developed by Denso-Wave, a Japanese automotive components manufacturer, who used it for distribution purposes.

The rest of Japan, however, quickly caught on, and before long, marketers were showing the codes on TV to allow viewers to link to company websites. Soon, McDonald’s in Japan began putting the nutritional information of their bestselling burgers in QR codes.

Eventually, renowned company Marks & Spencer adopted the technology in the UK. M&S was more creative; they placed the codes on their juice packaging and filled it with jokes and other information about their products.

Since then, a lot of other companies have taken up the technology, with Pepsi even launching an entire ad campaign to publicize the appearance of QR codes on its Pepsi Max packs. In Pepsi’s case, the QR codes contained video clips and free mobile games.

Some Last-Minute Reminders

Before you start printing QR codes in your product packaging, beware of these pitfalls:

• Linking to websites that are not mobile optimized. Most consumers scan QR codes with their mobile phones and access the content directly on the same device. If your code is linked to a website that is not optimized for mobile viewing, it will just frustrate your customers.
• Using codes that are only readable by certain devices. Many QR codes these days can only be scanned by iPhones or BlackBerry devices. Unfortunately, the Android and Windows smartphone markets are also growing, so make sure to create a more versatile code if you don’t want to make your customers feel alienated.

This smart guide to using QR codes in your product packaging is enough to get you started. As you go along, you’ll certainly learn how to be more flexible and creative with these codes.

Turning Pouches into Profits – How to Use Packaging to Drive More Sales

If you’re in the retail business, you are probably already aware of the importance of packaging. But according to a recent research, the role of packaging in driving retail sales is becoming more and more important. In fact, in the process of choosing between two closely similar retail products, consumers are more likely to use packaging as the ultimate differentiator. No wonder businesses, from big brands to small retailers, are now focusing their attention on developing innovative packaging solutions and are investing on automated packaging systems such as taping machines and carton sealers.

Well, if you’re wondering where exactly to focus and what to prioritize as you try to update your product packaging, let’s narrow it down to the three most important:

Your product packaging is an ad. Use it like one.

Don’t let your ads tell one story and your product another. This helps create a unified image of your brand in your consumers’ minds.

Packaging is often associated with boxes, yes, but it doesn’t mean you have to stay within them. Why not go out of the box in terms of the shape, color, or graphics of your product packaging? It will certainly add a unique appeal to your products and make it easier for consumers to reach for them on the shelf.

According to research, it takes consumers less than five seconds to make a purchase decision once they arrive in the right section of a retail aisle. This means that the more attractive your packaging is, the greater its chance of winning consumers over in those few precious seconds.

Just to give you an idea of how important those few seconds are, a packaging technology provider has reportedly developed a coating that can actually deliver a certain scent when a consumer handles the package. It makes you wonder how the supermarket will smell like by the time in case this new technology catches on.

People are extremely busy these days. Convenience is key.

These days, packaging should not only be attractive; the fast-paced lifestyle of today also calls for packaging that is also convenient. This is especially important for food products, which should be convenient enough to allow customers to eat the food in a hurry. This has been the focus of food packaging for quite some time now, hence the rise of microwavable containers and resealable packs.

Some small details can also make a huge difference, like easy-open features and ergonomic packs that are easier to carry. Easier to dispense pouches are now also preferable over bulky boxes. These are just some ideas you should certainly look into when choosing the right packaging for your products.

Going green goes a long way.

Your environmental responsibility can attract a lot of customers these days. You may think that your decision to incorporate greener packaging options in your business will only give you peace of mind but won’t help bring more profit, but you’re wrong.

More and more people are now becoming attracted to all things eco-friendly, and interest in them is ever growing. Consumers now feel more assured in choosing a brand that are aware of their social responsibility, and it’s also good publicity to be in good terms with environmental activists.

Fortunately for entrepreneurs, the packaging industry itself is rising up to the challenge of meeting the growing demand for innovative packaging technologies. This means that you now have plenty of options to choose from, which will make it easier for you to present your products to the market in the most attractive, most convenient, and greenest ways possible. 

Five Packaging Options For Exporting Your Product

The United States is the largest trading nation around the globe.  This is also the reason why non-Americans were lured to work in this nation to fulfill their vision of the American Dream.  Although affected by the recent Housing bubble which had a huge impact in the lives of the people, US still remains a world leader in terms of exporting.  Even though fuel is the number one product that the US exports to other countries, there is still a need for quality packaging for other products that are imported by other countries from the US such as meat, fruits, medicines and clothes.  This is where taping machines and case erectors come into place.  A quality case erector, carton sealers and taping machine will definitely make your production line more efficient.

Packaging is very important in the export industry.  Its role is to hold, secure and to preserve a particular product.  This is the most important stage after manufacturing a product.  Aside from protecting and securing the product until it reaches the end consumer, it also aids in saving money and adding profits.  Packaging adds character to the product; hence choosing the right type of packaging is very crucial to your business. There are different types of packaging for different variety of product.  Below is a list of packaging types:

1.     Loose/Unpacked – this type of packaging is usually used for large items such as heavy vehicles.  An extra protective material (dunnage) is used to protect these vehicles from damages caused by transporting and other elements.

2.     Drums – this is usually made out of steel, carbon steel or fiber is used for liquids or powders that needs to be kept dry for the duration of the shipment.

3.     Containers – these metal containers can withstand the weight of the cargo.  It is also used to secure goods from theft.

4.     Boxes or Crates – this is the most used type of packaging.  You would see these boxes often in shipping goods such as clothes, canned goods, gadgets and a lot more.  This type of packaging uses taping machines and box erectors for more economical operation.  These machines also help secure the products from any damage caused by moisture, dust, vibration and other elements.  Boxes and Crates are also stacked in pallets and shrink-wrapped to make it more stable.

5.     Pallets – made out of wood and usually used to stack boxes and crates.  Pallets make it easier for forklift operators to lift those boxes that are grouped together.  Loading, unloading and warehousing of these crates and boxes are now more efficient because of these pallets.

Choosing the right packaging for your products is not an easy task.  You should know what fits your requirements and what will protect your goods.  Be intentional.  Be creative.

Why You Should Invest in a Carton Sealer

Packaging is a key component of many businesses, especially if you are an e-commerce merchant. Presentation can oftentimes make or break your business reputation, so as an entrepreneur you have to put as much thought to packaging as you do your actual product. Here is where a carton sealer plays an important role. Carton sealers, also sometimes called case sealers or box tapers, are essentially machines that apply tape to the top and/or bottom of cardboard boxes. Thus, if your business requires packing products in a box, you need a carton sealer. There are several types available on the market, but they can be generally classified into two: manual and automatic. Depending on where you purchase it, a carton sealer can be quite an investment, and that is why some entrepreneurs are sceptical about buying one. However, keep in mind that successful businesses are all about good investments and a carton sealer is one.

If you are an entrepreneur who has yet to purchase a carton sealer for your business, here are a few reasons why you should:

Fully Automatic Random Highspeed Sidedrive (CSS)

1. A carton sealer eliminates the need to seal or tape boxes by hand. Manual sealing is a time consuming chore (notwithstanding the trial and error involved when sealing a carton by hand) and in business, time is money. Additionally, sealing or taping by hand can result in inconsistently packed boxes. Poorly presented boxes like those that often occur when you try sealing a carton by hand make your business look bad, and your product will look as if it were of low quality. You need to have a consistent and presentable look for your products and a carton sealer will help you effectively achieve this.

2. A carton sealer may initially cost you upwards of a few thousand dollars, but in the long run, it is bound to improve efficiency in your packaging line. It is a time saver, a money saver, and even a space saver.

3. A carton sealer can be customized to your unique business needs. Boxes come in different sizes and even shapes and a carton sealer can be adjusted to the particular specifications you need.

Once you are ready to purchase a carton sealer, make sure you do from a reliable carton sealer provider with a track record of excellence like Best Pack.