Celebrating Innovation: Technology Excellence Awards at PACK EXPO International 2026

The Technology Excellence Awards spotlight the breakthrough innovations shaping the future of packaging and processing. Open exclusively to exhibitors at PACK EXPO International 2026, this program invites companies to showcase cutting-edge products and technologies that have not yet been introduced at a previous PACK EXPO event.

This is your opportunity to stand out. Submit your innovation for a chance to gain high-impact visibility, industry recognition, and meaningful engagement with decision-makers across the show floor.

The Technology Excellence Awards application is now open! Log into the Exhibitor Resource Center and click on the Technology Excellence Awards tile to purchase your category access code and apply.

Questions? Contact Kendall Schulte at [email protected]

Contest Rules & Procedures

Submissions will be accepted through Thursday, June 18.
Only exhibitors that have reserved booth space at the show with their accounts in good standing are eligible to enter.
To qualify for entry, the product must not have been shown at a previous PACK EXPO trade show.
After a product has been judged, that same product cannot be entered again unless it has undergone a significant update or revision that dramatically enhances its functionality.
Each entry must be accompanied by a non-refundable $100 entry fee.
Exhibitors may enter a single product in up to no more than two categories.
Entrants must select a category for each product submission.
On the entry form, exhibitors will be asked to describe their technology, submit a photo, and state why their entry deserves to be selected (limit 250 words).
Submissions will be reviewed by a set of highly established panelists from leading industry associations and publications, to be announced July 20.

Award Categories

Food/Beverage

Breakthrough technologies transforming how food and beverage products are processed and packaged, enhancing safety, freshness, quality, and consumer experience. Innovations in this category typically address challenges such as shelf stability (e.g., retort, cold chain), contamination prevention, regulatory compliance, and convenience for consumption. Solutions often integrate material science, package design, plus packaging/processing operations advancements to improve product quality, extend shelf life, enable new formats, or enhance usability all while maintaining strict food-grade standards.

General Packaging & Processing

Innovative solutions that elevate packaging/processing operations across industries through smarter automation, greater efficiency, operator simplification, and flexibility. This category is characterized by technologies that optimize production operations with machinery advancements, robotics, materials, and integrated systems, that enable companies to increase throughput, reduce downtime, enhance precision, and add flexibility (e.g., handling multiple materials or formats). These solutions empower manufacturers to boost productivity, adapt faster, and unlock new levels of performance.

Sustainability

Forward-thinking technologies driving meaningful environmental impact including reducing waste and emissions, addressing government requirements, enabling circular packaging solutions. This includes technologies that significantly reduce material usage, eliminate harmful substances, improve recyclability or compostability, enable circular systems, or lower carbon and resource consumption across the lifecycle. Entries in this category often pair sustainability with performance, demonstrating that environmental benefits can be achieved without compromising functionality, scalability, or economic viability.

Finalist Selection & Industry Exposure

Three finalists will be selected in each category and featured in an extensive promotional campaign leading up to and during the show. Finalists will benefit from increased visibility through:

Industry Press Coverage
Social Media Promotion
Featured Recognition in the Show Daily
Inclusion Across Official PACK EXPO International Marketing Channels
On-Site Attendee Engagement Opportunities

Attendees will have the opportunity to visit finalist booths, experience the technologies firsthand, and vote for their favorite innovations. Voting opens October 12 and remains open on-site through Tuesday, October 20 at 12 PM.

Category winners will be announced Tuesday afternoon during the show via a press release and will receive additional recognition through Show Daily coverage, the PACK EXPO International website, and social media channels.

Showcase Your Innovation Beyond the Show Floor

To further amplify finalist visibility, PMMI will produce a featured video series highlighting finalist innovations in each category. These videos will be shared across premier industry media channels and promotional platforms to help expand awareness before and during the event.
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Finalists will be invited to submit a short video showcasing their technology and the impact it delivers to the industry. This added exposure helps drive attendee interest, booth traffic, and voting engagement throughout PACK EXPO International 2026.