By Kadence Baker
In a previous blog, we wrote about Clemson packaging science (PKSC) students’ plans to attend and participate in this year’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas trade show. The international exhibition took place on September 23-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center where students set up an interactive ‘hunting lodge’ display. Elements of the booth were constructed out of corrugated fiberboard that were designed, printed and cut at the Sonoco Institute. Students palletized and shipped the disassembled display to Las Vegas ahead of the show and spent an entire weekend constructing the booth. The corrugated animals were so well-received throughout the show that guests asked to take them home at the end of day three!
PACK EXPO brings together industry professionals from across the entire packaging supply chain and students from all over the world. 
PKSC students engaged with attendees about Clemson’s interactive display and networked with hundreds of visitors that stopped by the booth.
Three interactive displays were incorporated into this year’s data-driven Clemson booth: an eye-tracking demo for consumer behavior research for packaging design and two student research experiments incorporating emotion-tracking technology.
In addition to showcasing their work, students got to explore the show itself and talk to various companies about their innovative packaging technologies. These companies even included some of the Sonoco Institute’s industry partners and donors, like Fujifilm and WestRock.
Students were encouraged to network with as many attendees as possible over the course of the three days. These experiences helped students gain a better understanding of the trends in the industry today. 
“I most enjoyed learning about the new applications of the sustainability and convenience trends in packaging,” commented Sarah Crysler, PKSC junior. “Although PACK EXPO featured companies that were more focused on machinery rather than consumer-driven design, it was interesting to gain an understanding of how the machinery side of things conveyed trends from the design aspect.”
Click here to learn more about how the Sonoco Institute works with students and industry at Clemson University.
