Our team had two primary goals for Pack Expo 2023 in Las Vegas (one of North America’s largest packaging tradeshows): to engage and move business forward with customers and value chain partners, and to establish Dow as the recognized industry thought leader in sustainability. We worked with a minimal budget, no booth on the show floor, and no off-site events. We had a high–visibility sponsorship, main-stage presentations, a targeted email campaign, and an event “Splash Page” – a web-based resource containing numerous digital assets.
Dow was the “Official Sustainability Partner” of this Pack Expo event – the first ever sponsorship of its kind. Dow’s sponsorship included 350 large, custom-designed recycling bins promoting Dow’s sponsorship throughout the convention center, which helped divert more than 95 tons of recyclables from landfill. The visibility and awareness these afforded were vital in demonstrating Dow’s engagement with - and leadership within - the industry.
Our sponsorship provided us with a prime location in Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute’s (PMMI) Sustainability Central display. PMMI is the host of Pack Expo. This further advanced our position as an industry leader. In this space, we promoted our circularity initiatives, key products, and technologies.
Two stage presentations by Dow marketing leaders informed large, influential audiences of our commitments to transform the waste, close the loop, and collaborate on the important environmental issues facing the packaging industry. The standing-room-only talks created buzz across the value chain, with companies including major global brand owners.
To enable as many customer meetings as possible, we promoted pre-scheduling through pre-show invitation emails. The 4,095 email invitations we sent over four waves in advance of the event were beneficial in spreading awareness of our presence at the tradeshow. On site, we had five conference rooms and a dining area for formal and informal meetings. The meetings allowed us to communicate with key decision makers in the industry.
Aligning with the Vegas theme, custom-designed, branded poker chips and full playing card decks were distributed. Each deck included a card with a sustainability message, and each deck’s box had a QR Code linking to the event Splash Page. The poker chips also had a unique QR code linked to the Splash Page.
These items were designed specifically as takeaways to offer longer-term access to our digital resources. Analytics indicate that many of these QR codes are still being accessed long after the show closed.
Two display cases within the PMMI Showcase of Packaging Innovation highlighted this year’s top winners in the Packaging Innovation Awards presented by Dow, an opportunity that allowed us to increase our visibility and reinforce our commitment to sustainability through innovative packaging.
Nomination Title: Packaging Expo Las Vegas
