As consumers steer toward convenient, eco-friendly and dynamic packaging, change is the main constant throughout the massive industry. The market size of the packaging and labeling services industry alone, as measured by revenue, is worth $10.5 billion.

Packaging conferences and tradeshows help packaging professionals sort through emerging trends and identify critical concerns to address. This Feb. 11-13, packaging engineers, manufacturers and executives, will convene at the Anaheim Convention Center for WestPack 2020, the West Coast’s largest packaging event.

Packaging brands will highlight the latest technological advances and solutions in packaging for several industries including pharmaceuticals, cannabis, pet food, among many more. This year marks an exciting milestone for WestPack, as the event will run adjacent to the first-ever Cannabis Packaging Summit. The one-and-a-half-day summit will explore packaging challenges and opportunities facing cannabis manufacturers and how the suppliers of packaging solutions can begin to approach this booming consumer market with greater insight and understanding.

Steve Everly, WestPack brand director, itemizes multiple benefits of attending these upcoming events.

What can attendees look forward to seeing at the show?

Everly: As sustainable and ethical business practices increasingly fuel consumer spending habits and investors’ decisions, significant competitive advantage is available to businesses that invest in sustainability and social impact efforts. WestPack is set to feature the top businesses that are producing convenient, eco-friendly and dynamic packaging on the market today. The show floor will host more than 250 packaging brands highlighting their latest technologies and packaging solutions.

What are the industry trends and main focus areas and topics that will be discussed?

Everly: Beyond the sheer number of suppliers showcasing everything from custom-designed packaging equipment, full packaging lines, opportunities for automation efficiencies and sustainable packaging materials, WestPack is bringing attendees expert education and interactive activities designed to kick-start new projects.

The conference portion of WestPack will offer networking events specific to packaging, as well as a number of presentations and panel discussions in the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Summit and Tech Theater where industry leaders will discuss a range of hot topics affecting smart factory floor adoption—such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and more.

Top sessions include:

• How to Apply Cobots in Packaging Applications

• Critical Material Performance Considerations for Successful Development, Design and Validation of Medical Device Packaging: A Global Perspective

• Packaging Trends Leading to Increased 483's

• The Economics of Flexible Packaging

This year, WestPack will run alongside the inaugural Cannabis Packaging Summit. Tell us more about that.

Everly: The global packaging market for cannabis products is expected to surpass $20 billion by 2025. As the industry welcomes a growing number of players, there is an urgent need for innovation and regulation within the market.

The Cannabis Packaging Summit, taking place on the third floor of the Anaheim Convention Center, will convene legislative, regulatory, educational, technology and industry leaders Feb. 11 and 12 for a first of its kind event focused exclusively on cannabis packaging.  

The sold-out show floor will host more than 50 companies exhibiting innovative cannabis packaging products, as well as educational and networking sessions with engineers, brand managers and other key decision-makers.

Andrew Kline, director of public policy for the National Cannabis Industry Assn. (NCIA)

Additionally, Andrew Kline, director of public policy for the National Cannabis Industry Assn. (NCIA), will present the keynote address, “De-scheduling Cannabis: The Road Ahead,” in which he will summarize the industry’s legislative efforts on Capitol Hill, detail the NCIA’s work developing public policy on environmental sustainability and other concerns facing the cannabis sector.

Register to attend WestPack 2020 today.