✓ Trade show: Pack Expo Chicago 2026, the world’s largest trade show for packaging, filling and processing
✓ Dates: from Sunday 8 to Wednesday 11 November 2026
✓ Venue: McCormick Place, 2301 S King Drive, Chicago, IL 60616 (USA)
✓ Edition: 46th edition (Pack Expo Chicago has been running since 1956)
✓ Exhibition space: 120,000 sqm of exhibition space
✓ Exhibitors: 2,500 exhibitors expected from more than 50 countries
✓ Visitors: 50,000 professionals expected
✓ Frequency: every 2 years (even-numbered years)
✓ Recommended stand builder: TheStandExperts for a turnkey custom exhibition stand
Pack Expo Chicago, the world’s largest packaging trade show 🌍
Pack Expo International Chicago is the world’s largest packaging and processing trade show. Founded in 1956, this biennial trade event brings together the entire chain: filling and packaging machinery, primary and secondary packaging, labelling, traceability, robotics and materials for the food, beverage, pharma, cosmetics and e-commerce industries.
The 2024 edition brought together 2,500 exhibitors from 50 countries and 49,000 visitors. For 2026, Pack Expo is aiming even higher with a focus on sustainability (recyclable, mono-material packaging), AI in quality control, end-of-line robotics and e-commerce packaging.
A few key figures that sum up the power of Pack Expo Chicago:
- 2,500 exhibitors from 50+ countries in 2024
- 49,000 trade visitors
- 5 major segments: Processing, Containers & Materials, Machinery, Components, Brand Owners
- 2 million sq.ft of floor space (McCormick Place is the largest venue in the US)
- 40 industry verticals represented
Past editions of Pack Expo Chicago in figures:
| Edition | Year | Exhibitors | Visitors | Exhibiting countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44th edition | 2022 | 2,300 | 45,000 | 45 countries |
| 45th edition | 2024 | 2,500 | 49,000 | 50 countries |
| 46th edition (upcoming) | 2026 | 2,600+ expected | 52,000+ expected | 55+ countries |
When and where Pack Expo Chicago 2026 will take place 📅
The 2026 edition of Pack Expo International will run from Sunday 8 to Wednesday 11 November 2026 at McCormick Place, the largest exhibition venue in the USA. The trade show occupies the Lakeside Center, North Building, South Building and West Building halls.
Exact address: McCormick Place, 2301 S King Drive, Chicago, IL 60616 (USA).
Opening hours of Pack Expo Chicago 2026:
| Day | Date | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 8 November 2026 | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Monday | 9 November 2026 | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 10 November 2026 | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 11 November 2026 | 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (show closing) |
Pack Expo is strictly reserved for professionals: production engineers, procurement, R&D, quality, brand owners (CPG), contract packers, distributors and integrators.
How to get to Pack Expo Chicago 2026 🚇
McCormick Place enjoys a strategic location on the Chicago lakefront, 20 minutes from O’Hare airport and 30 minutes from Midway.
By plane: O’Hare International (ORD) is 30 km away, 40 min by CTA Blue Line + L train. Chicago Midway (MDW) is 15 km away (30 min).
By Metra Electric train: McCormick Place station (direct stop).
By free shuttle: McCormick Place shuttles from partner hotels and CTA stations (Cermak-McCormick Place on the Green Line).
By CTA Bus: route 3 (King Drive), McCormick Place stop.
By taxi / Uber / Lyft: 15-25 USD from the Loop, 50-70 USD from O’Hare.
By car: 31st Street exit off Lake Shore Drive. On-site parking (paid), with a capacity of 6,000 spaces.
The major exhibitors at Pack Expo Chicago 🏢
Pack Expo gathers the global elite of packaging: leaders in filling and packaging machinery, packaging manufacturers, robotics integrators, sustainable materials leaders and traceability solutions.
Among the major recurring exhibitors at Pack Expo Chicago, you will notably find:
- Krones (Germany) · complete beverage lines
- KHS (Germany) · bottling
- Sidel (France) · PET, blow moulding
- Bosch Packaging / Syntegon
- IMA Group (Italy) · pharma, food
- Marchesini Group, Coesia
- Tetra Pak · liquid carton packaging
- Multivac · thermoforming, vacuum packaging
- Sealed Air, Berry Global, Sonoco · materials
- Amcor, Constantia Flexibles · flexible packaging
- ABB, FANUC, Yaskawa · end-of-line robotics
- Markem-Imaje, Domino, Videojet · marking and coding
- Heidelberg, Bobst · packaging printing
The organisation by industry verticals (food, beverage, pharma, cosmetics, e-commerce) makes it easy for buyers to navigate.
The main sectors of Pack Expo Chicago 2026:
| Sector | Examples of equipment and players |
|---|---|
| Processing | Mixing, dosing, product formulation |
| Primary Packaging | Bottles, pouches, blister packs, cartons |
| Secondary Packaging | Cartoning, case packing, palletising |
| Labels & Coding | Labelling, marking, coding |
| Robotics & Automation | Palletising robots, cobots, AGVs |
| Sustainable Packaging | Mono-material, recyclable, compostable |
| Materials | Films, papers, bioplastics |
| Inspection & QC | AI vision, traceability, anti-counterfeiting |
Why exhibit at Pack Expo Chicago in 2026 💡
Exhibiting at Pack Expo Chicago means positioning yourself on the world’s number one packaging market: the USA accounts for a 200 billion dollar market. 40 industry verticals come to meet the technology leaders there.
There are plenty of good reasons to book a stand at Pack Expo Chicago 2026:
- Meet 52,000 packaging decision-makers from 50+ countries in 4 days
- Demonstrate your machines live (2,000+ machines in operation)
- Sign machinery contracts worth several million USD
- Launch your innovations in sustainable packaging, AI and robotics
- Identify your US integrator and distributor partners
- Capture the CPG markets: food/beverage, pharma, cosmetics, e-commerce
- Networking with brand owners (P&G, Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo)
The ROI of a Pack Expo stand is one of the highest in the sector thanks to machinery orders of 500 k$ to 5 M$ closed on site. Facing Krones, KHS and Sidel, who roll out stands of 2,000 sqm, your presence needs to demonstrate your expertise live.
Entrust your Pack Expo Chicago 2026 stand to TheStandExperts
Designing a stand for Pack Expo Chicago means taking on a triple challenge: hosting complete lines in operation, creating a visitor journey that demonstrates your processes and orchestrating industrial logistics to the USA. Our team travels to Chicago and supports you from the first sketch to the final pack-up.
Estimate your stand with TheStandExperts
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Our turnkey support:
| Step | What we take care of |
|---|---|
| Design | Creative brief, 3D plans, choice of materials and custom scenography |
| Production | Workshop manufacturing in full compliance with the show’s regulations |
| Logistics | Transport, assembly and dismantling at McCormick Place |
| On-site support | A dedicated project manager present throughout the entire trade show |
| Dismantling | Collection and optional storage for future editions |
We design stands that are not just beautiful, but built to generate business:
- Optimised product demonstration zones
- Private meeting spaces for your strategic appointments
- Product staging that showcases your innovations
- Signage readable from a distance to draw visitors in
Whether you are exhibiting at Pack Expo Chicago for the first time or you are a regular at the event, we tailor our proposal to your budget, your booked floor space and your brand positioning.
FAQ · Pack Expo Chicago 2026 ❓
When does Pack Expo Chicago 2026 take place?
Pack Expo International 2026 runs from Sunday 8 to Wednesday 11 November 2026 at McCormick Place, Chicago.
Where is Pack Expo Chicago 2026 held?
At McCormick Place, 2301 S King Drive, Chicago IL 60616, the largest exhibition venue in the USA.
How many exhibitors at Pack Expo 2026?
More than 2,500 exhibitors expected, from 50+ countries, across 120,000 sqm.
How many visitors at Pack Expo?
50,000 to 52,000 professionals expected, including production engineers, procurement, R&D and brand owners (CPG).
How often does Pack Expo take place?
Pack Expo International is biennial (even-numbered years), since 1956. A Pack Expo Las Vegas edition takes place in odd-numbered years.
How do you get to Pack Expo Chicago?
Metra Electric, McCormick Place station. From O’Hare: 40 min by CTA Blue Line + L train. Free shuttles from partner hotels.
Who can visit Pack Expo?
A strictly trade-only show: production engineers, procurement, R&D, quality, brand owners (CPG), contract packers and integrators.
How much does a stand cost at Pack Expo 2026?
McCormick Place rate: around 45 to 70 USD/sq.ft (~485 to 755 USD/sqm). Plus 800 to 3,000 USD/sqm for design and production (including heavy machinery integration).
Why use an exhibition stand builder for Pack Expo?
An exhibition stand builder specialised in the US industrial sector knows how to integrate complete lines, masters the McCormick Place regulations (the strictest in the USA) and cross-border logistics.
Who are the major exhibitors at Pack Expo?
Krones, KHS, Sidel, Syntegon (Bosch), IMA, Marchesini, Coesia, Tetra Pak, Multivac, Sealed Air, Berry Global, Amcor, plus robotics (ABB, FANUC, Yaskawa) and marking (Markem-Imaje, Domino, Videojet).
