On Chicago’s October show calendar: AME, PACK EXPO

The Association for Manufacturing Excellence conference will be held from Oct. 15-19 and the 2012 PACK EXPO will be held from Oct. 28-31 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill.

August 29, 2012

Two major trade events will be coming to the same place just two weeks apart, as Chicago will host both the annual conference for the Association for Manufacturing Excellence on Oct. 15-19 and the 2012 PACK EXPO on Oct. 28-31. Both events will be held at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

The 2012 theme for the AME Conference is "Build on Success to Reach New Heights," said event chairman Jerry Wright, "Fifty percent of organizations in the country are currently pursuing some level of lean. That’s a big audience that needs some help. For Chicago, what we’re saying is, ‘you’ve had some success — we want to build on that success to reach new heights.’" There will be six keynote speakers, 60 practitioner-to-practitioner presentations, 40 best practice plant tours, 40 workshops, five special interest sessions and a wide selection of companies offerings their services in the Learning Resource Center.

Among this year’s keynotes are:

  • Mike Abrashoff, former Navy commander and author of It’s Your Ship. Abrashoff took command of the worst performing ship in the Navy fleet and made it number one by changing his leadership style and the culture — not the crew.
  • Dr. Patricia Gabow, CEO of Denver Health, is nationally recognized for her work in increasing access to basic health care for all Coloradans. She has led the drive to convert Denver Health into an independent governmental authority.
  • Jason Jennings author of the new book, The Reinventors, who will reveal the secrets of leaders and organizations that have successfully reinvented and transformed themselves.
  • Capt. Mark Kelly, a U.S. astronaut, who made international headlines in January 2011, when his wife, former U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in an assassination attempt in Arizona. Kelly speaks about focusing on your mission while maintaining your love and devotion to family to provide a foundation for true success.

AME plant tours will include such familiar sites as S+C Electric, Acme Industries, Caterpillar Inc., Chicago Tribune and Tri-State Industries Inc.

For more information on the show and to register, go to www.amechicago.org.

When attendees come to the PACK EXPO International 2012 on Oct. 28-31 in Chicago, they will see new exhibit areas:

  • This year will mark the debut of the Beverage Lounge, which will join the Pharmaceutical, Confectionery and Baking-Snack Lounges, connecting industry professionals with their peers on the show floor. 
  • Attendees will see the return of several industry pavilions, including  the Processing Zone, the sold out Confectionery Pavilion – again sponsored by the National Confectioners Association, the Pharmaceutical Pavilion and the Reusable Packaging Pavilion. These locations will serve as central hubs for their respective industries at PACK EXPO International 2012.
  • An increased on site presence dedicated to PACK EXPO’s Connected Communities, the online platform that connects attendees with their industry peers online with industry news and trends targeted to Baking-Snack, Pharmaceutical and Confectionery industries.

The show registration fee is $30 online before Oct. 8. Registration after Oct. 8 is $60. For more information about the PACK EXPO International 2012, visit www.packexpo.com or contact expo@pmmi.org.