Dominate the Floor at McCormick Place
IN THIS GUIDE:
- What’s New at Pack Expo 2026
- Make the Booth Work for Your Goals
- Design for Success
- Speak to Your Audience
- Extend Your Exhibit Beyond the Booth Walls
- 5 Pack Expo Mistakes to Avoid
- Post-Show Follow-Up Plan
- Why Choose Apogee
- Are You Ready for Pack Expo?
Pack Expo International 2026 by the Numbers:
- 48,000+ attendees expected at McCormick Place
- 2,600+ exhibitors competing for attention
- 1.3+ million square feet of exhibit space
- 81% of attendees have buying authority
- Average attendee visits 26+ booths during the show
With this level of competition, a well-planned booth strategy isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Chicago is Calling. Are You Ready?
Your pre-Pack Expo to-do list is a long one. It’s a big event in Chicago this year, and your team needs to be well prepared to make it pay off for your sales and revenue goals. Before you pack up your trade show display gear, ship off your supplies and board a plane to Chicago, you should consider some key things to ensure that you’re ready.
It’s wise to invest the time necessary to evaluate your trade show booth. Even if your display is relatively new—but especially if you’ve been toting it around for a few years—asking a few questions about the booth, its various elements, and how it serves your interests (or doesn’t) can help you make sure you’re getting a solid return on your trade show investment. If you’re not sure, you might need to make a few adjustments.
Here’s a pre-show checklist you can use to gauge the show readiness of your booth and determine if some changes are in order. After running through the items, you can be more confident that your booth is good to go.
What’s New at Pack Expo 2026
The packaging and processing industry is evolving fast. Here’s what exhibitors need to know:
Sustainability Takes Center Stage
Expect to see eco-friendly booth materials and messaging around sustainable packaging solutions. Consider how your booth design reflects your commitment to environmental responsibility.
Automation & Smart Manufacturing
With Industry 4.0 dominating conversations, your booth should showcase how your solutions integrate with automated systems. Interactive demos of smart technology will draw crowds.
Hybrid Engagement Strategies
Post-pandemic, many exhibitors are extending their reach with virtual components—live-streamed demos, QR code activations, and digital follow-up campaigns that keep the conversation going long after the show ends.
Data-Driven Lead Qualification
The days of collecting business cards in a fishbowl are over. Top exhibitors are using badge scanners, CRM integrations, and real-time lead scoring to maximize ROI.
Make the Booth Work for Your Goals
Your company and its reasons for exhibiting change over time—either to a small degree, or on a big scale. As a result, it’s essential to ensure your display is aligned with who you are now and what you have to offer the manufacturing industry. Therefore, gather your team together and ask these questions to determine if your Pack Expo booth fits your company and its goals right now.
Specifically, what are you looking to achieve at this show? While you might not check off all the boxes, make sure the ones that are important to you are marked off.
☐ Introducing new products
☐ Boosting awareness of existing lines
☐ Strengthening relationships with existing customers
☐ Connecting with prospects
☐ Generating leads
☐ Expanding brand exposure
☐ Hunting for emerging trends
☐ Increasing press coverage
Once you’ve identified your goals, the design and features of your booth should support them. For example, if you’re looking to showcase products, then consider a custom exhibit booth tailored toward giving those products a spotlight. On the other hand, if you seek to engage current customers and prospects, consider adding technology features like interactive displays.
Design for Success
Pack Expo presents a unique challenge because many exhibits feature machinery, equipment, and operating demos. While these elements serve to engage your audience, careful design planning is essential for optimizing traffic flow, lead qualification, and in-person demo or meeting opportunities. Moreover, the look and feel of an exhibit booth are more than just superficial considerations. In fact, the first impression attendees get of your event displays can make the difference between convincing them to enter your space and engage with your company, or walking on by.
As you plan your booth design, look for these elements. Again, you might not mark off all of them, but make sure you’re hitting the ones that matter most to your company:
☐ Eye-catching, stand-out colors and consistent branding
☐ The latest technology that showcases your offerings
☐ Engaging, clear graphics that identify you, what you do, and your unique benefit
☐ Impactful, eye-friendly lighting that focuses on the important areas of your space
☐ Backlighting key elements
☐ Prominent logos and product information
☐ Dynamic video presentations
☐ Welcoming reception area
☐ Meeting areas that meet new safety protocols
Booth Size Strategy by Goal
| Booth Size (ft) | Strategy |
| 10×10/20 | Focus on one hero product + interactive demo. Use vertical space with hanging signs. |
| 20×20 | Create distinct zones: product showcase, demo area, meeting space. Add a reception counter. |
| 20×30 + | Incorporate theater-style seating for presentations, multiple demo stations, and a hospitality lounge. |
Pro tip: McCormick Place has high ceilings—consider a two-story exhibit to maximize visibility.
Speak to Your Audience
Too often, booth planning puts a laser focus on the exhibiting company. However, this approach fails to consider who you are actually exhibiting for. If your Pack Expo plans keep the customer in mind, in turn you are far more likely to draw attendees in and engage them. Therefore, look at your booth through their eyes to determine if it truly speaks to them
Check for these elements:
☐ Places for both product display as well as customer engagement
☐ Data and lead collection mechanisms
☐ A clear call-to-action or next step for visitors
☐ Promotional items
☐ Takeaway information
“Apogee didn’t just build us a booth—they helped us rethink our entire Pack Expo strategy. The result? 3x more qualified conversations than the previous year.”
Director of Marketing, Fortune 500 Packaging Company
Extend Your Exhibit Beyond the Booth Walls
Your Pack Expo booth undoubtedly represents a tremendous opportunity to engage with prospects and create a positive brand experience. The exhibit itself might physically take up only a few hundred square feet.
However, you can significantly expand its impact through strategic content. For this reason, we recommend layering in these activities to maximize your success
Develop Video Content – A quality video can get your value props to event attendees quickly and set you apart from the brand at the booth next to you.
Host an In-Show Seminar – Live interviews and panel discussions with experts or stakeholders are a great way to drive traffic to your booth.
Leverage Social Media – Everything you do for and at the show should be considered for social media. Consider spending time in the months leading up to your event to engage audiences and “prime the pump” for exhibit traffic.
Stay Connected Through Blogging – You should be maintaining an active presence on your company’s blog, even during the show. Incorporate daily updates with images, testimonials, appreciation for partners and share stories of conversations throughout Pack Expo.
Get Your Team Comfortable with The Art of Questioning – Rapport can be built within minutes of meeting a prospect by asking just a few open-ended questions (versus those that result in one-word answers.) Develop a list of industry and brand-appropriate questions that your sales team can leverage to provide you with information on your prospects and what they want.
5 Pack Expo Mistakes That Cost Exhibitors Leads (And How to Avoid Them)
❄️ Underestimating Chicago Weather in October
The Problem: October in Chicago can range from 40-60°F with unpredictable conditions.
The Solution: Plan for cooler temps. Ensure outdoor demo equipment works in various conditions. Have backup plans for weather-dependent demonstrations.
📦 Shipping Late to McCormick Place
The Problem: McCormick Place has strict receiving deadlines and charges premium fees for late arrivals.
The Solution: Review the show’s shipping guidelines 60 days out. Ship materials early to avoid rush fees and ensure everything arrives on time.
📱 Booth Staff Sitting or Looking at Phones
The Problem: Disengaged staff signal to attendees that you’re not interested in connecting.
The Solution: Pre-show training and rotating schedules keep your team engaged, alert, and approachable throughout all show hours.
📅 No Pre-Show Outreach
The Problem: Attendees plan their show schedule weeks in advance. If they don’t know you’re exhibiting, they won’t visit.
The Solution: Start promoting your booth location 60 days out via email campaigns, LinkedIn posts, and direct outreach to key accounts.
🔍 Forgetting to Capture Leads from Day 1
The Problem: Technical issues with badge scanners or CRM systems waste valuable Day 1 traffic.
The Solution: Test your lead capture technology before the show floor opens. Have backup systems (paper forms, mobile apps) ready to go.
Want a complete pre-show checklist? Contact our Pack Expo specialists →
Don’t Let Your Leads Go Cold: The Post-Pack Expo Plan
The show doesn’t just end when you leave McCormick Place. Top exhibitors follow this timeline:
24 Hours:
- Send personalized emails to VIP prospects met at the booth
- Post show highlights and thank-yous on LinkedIn
- Debrief with your team while conversations are fresh
1 Week:
- Qualify and score all leads captured
- Schedule follow-up calls with hot prospects
- Send recap video or whitepaper to all booth visitors
- Share internally: what worked, what didn’t
30 Days:
- Analyze ROI metrics (cost per lead, conversion rate, pipeline value)
- Document lessons learned for the next show
- Continue nurturing warm leads through your sales funnel
Need help with post-show follow-up strategy? Apogee offers consultation services to maximize your Pack Expo ROI long after the show ends. Learn more →
Why Pack Expo Exhibitors Choose Apogee
For over 35 years, Apogee Exhibits has helped manufacturers, packaging companies, and processing equipment suppliers dominate the show floor at Pack Expo.
What sets us apart:
✓ 35+ Years of Experience – Since 1991, we’ve helped exhibitors across industries maximize ROI
✓ Full-Service Support – From concept to installation to tear-down, we handle everything
✓ ROI-Focused Design – Every element is engineered to drive engagement and capture leads
✓ Industry Versatility – We design for manufacturing, packaging, technology, and more
✓ Turnkey Solutions – Graphics, A/V, demos, promotional items, and more under one roof
Ready to Make Pack Expo 2026 Your Most Successful Show Yet?
You’ve got the checklist. You know what’s new. You understand the mistakes to avoid.
Now it’s time to put it all into action.
Regardless of whether you’re designing your first Pack Expo booth or refining a strategy that’s worked for years, Apogee Exhibits is ready to help. In fact, we bring 35+ years of trade show expertise to your project. Consequently, we ensure you stand out on the competitive McCormick Place show floor.
Let’s Talk About Your Pack Expo Strategy
Our team specializes in creating booth experiences that don’t just look good—they generate leads, start conversations, and deliver measurable ROI.
Schedule a free consultation:
- Call: (315) 986-4600
- Email: Request a consultation →
No pressure. No obligation. Just expert guidance from people who’ve been doing this since 1991.
Together, we’ll make Pack Expo 2026 your best event yet.
BRAND EXPERIENCES. ELEVATED.
Apogee Exhibits | Custom Trade Show Displays & Exhibit Design Celebrating 35 Years of Excellence | 1991-2026
