Packaging industry intelligence from the floor up.
unPACKed with PMMI is a business-focused industry show anchored in packaging and processing. Sean Reilly speaks with manufacturers, marketers, trade specialists, and other industry voices about the problems shaping plants, booths, supply chains, and careers.
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unPACKed with PMMI covers packaging and processing as a live business environment. It is not just about machines. It is about the people, rules, markets, and events that decide which machines get bought, staffed, serviced, displayed, and justified. Sean Reilly’s interviews tend to begin with a practical industry tension. A small exhibitor needs quality leads without a massive booth. A manufacturer needs technical workers who understand mechatronics, PLCs, electricity, fluid power, mechanical systems, automation, and robotics. A CPG or brand owner needs to solve packaging challenges while navigating sustainability and EPR pressure. A company needs brand identity that still works when marketing channels and buyer expectations keep changing. The show has a strong PACK EXPO center of gravity, with live show-floor conversations and exhibitor editions that treat events as working marketplaces rather than photo opportunities. Recent episodes track cold chain demand tied to GLP-1 therapies, paperization, monomaterials, Sunrise 2027, 2D codes, traceability, consumer engagement, and AI used on data manufacturers already have. Trade policy also gets careful attention. A conversation on tariffs looks at IEPA, Section 232, importers, possible refunds, steel, aluminum, robotics, and the ways packaging and processing machinery can get pulled into broader national policy. Workforce episodes widen the frame. The show discusses women entering manufacturing through unexpected paths, the importance of early spatial and STEM play, the role of parents, teachers, and guidance counselors, and the need to make manufacturing more welcoming. Leadership conversations add another layer, especially around influence, status, bias, connection, and women working in male-dominated fields. The pacing is plainspoken and industry-literate. It favors examples, acronyms, and concrete business consequences over big thematic language. For packaging professionals, manufacturers, exhibitors, marketers, educators, and suppliers, unPACKed with PMMI works as a recurring briefing on what the industry is solving now and what is likely to matter next.
Made for: For packaging and processing professionals, manufacturers, suppliers, exhibitors, CPG teams, marketers, and workforce leaders who need usable context on industry change. It also fits listeners tracking PACK EXPO trends, automation, sustainability, trade policy, and manufacturing talent.
What sets it apart: The show pairs trade-show immediacy with practical business detail, moving between booth strategy, technical workforce needs, policy exposure, and packaging innovation. Its strength is connecting broad industry trends to the decisions companies make on floors, in classrooms, and at events.
We share the latest packaging and processing industry insights, research and innovations to help you advance your business. Search for unPACKed with PMMI en español, our new podcast created by and for the Latin American market!
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A grounded look at how people discover manufacturing and technical work.
The episode keeps its feet on the ground while showing how women often come into manufacturing by chance. Megan's path into industrial tech writing later in college gives the discussion a clear human center, and the broader point lands well: early exposure, curiosity, and room…
Manufacturing signals, translated into business consequences.
Machine shops, ownership, and industrial purpose.
Paper-sector news, straight from the mill floor.
Jake Hall, the Manufacturing Millennial, explains on UnPACKed with PMMI why automation can create careers rather than eliminate them.
On unPACKed with PMMI, Sean talks with Megan about how women often "accidentally fell into" manufacturing, from her own path in Milwaukee to Cara Branch founding Black Girls Do Engineer.
Chris Luki calls one-on-one text messages his favorite social network for turning digital audiences into real communities.
Industry experts discuss packaging trends including cold chain solutions, sustainability, 2D codes, connected packaging, and AI at PackExpo East 2026.
A packaging industry podcast discussing strategies for small to medium-sized exhibitors to succeed at Pack Expo.
Julie Parsons discusses how thoughtful brand strategy and early trade show planning create engaging, memorable experiences.
An interview with Charlotte Ashcraft of Just Born about packaging challenges, sustainability, and the value of trade shows like PackExpo East.
This episode features a keynote speaker discussing her book on women's leadership in male-dominated fields, with tools to build influence.
Host Sean Reilly interviews Laura Thompson about the upcoming PackExpo Las Vegas 2025, highlighting its 30th anniversary and record size.
Host Sean Reilly interviews Jake Hall about outdated views of manufacturing careers and how robotics and automation are reshaping the packaging and processing industry.
A packaging industry podcast episode offering trade show preparation advice from a veteran attendee.
An economist discusses current economic trends including tariffs and inflation, and explains why ITR Economics remains optimistic about future growth in the packaging and processing industry.
An interview with Joel Fisher from Amatek Mocon discussing how consumer demand drives sustainable packaging innovations like compostable papers and biofillers, and balancing sustainability with functionality and infrastructure.
This episode discusses trends in contract packaging and manufacturing, including the impact of e-commerce, automation, and sustainability.
This episode discusses generational differences in the workplace and how leaders can manage them, framed within the packaging and processing industry context.
Host Sean Reilly interviews Laura Thompson about the upcoming PackExpo International trade show, highlighting new features and attendee tips.
An interview discussing PMMI's white paper on AI technologies impacting the packaging and processing industry.
This episode explores how labor shortages and the e-commerce boom are driving warehouse automation, featuring insights from PMMI's industry report on automated tasks and future trends.
This episode discusses workforce availability and skills gaps in packaging and processing operations, exploring automation and training solutions.