It’s More than a Package was the theme of the 37th Pack-Jamboree (PackJam’24), hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Stout in April. PackJam’s success reflects the strong industry support for universities and the energy of our next generation of packaging professionals. It was truly a galvanizing event!
The overall numbers were impressive, with 150 students and 110 industry professionals in attendance.
There were 29 industry sponsors and 42 companies attending. Universities represented included…
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Michigan State University
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Toronto Metropolitan University
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University of Wisconsin-Stout
The Keynote, Session, and Student Design Competition details and Key Takeaways showcase our industry and the hard work of students who planned PackJam’24.
The KeyNote Panel on Innovation Through Collaboration kicked off PackJam ’24 and featured…
Key Takeaway: The role of social media to effectively boost collaboration and progress in careers.
For breakout sessions drilled down into the nuances of packaging…
1. Usability – Secrets to Consumer-Centric Innovation: Packaging Human Factors and Usability Engineering led by Chad Betlach principal packaging engineer at Boston Scientific.
Key Takeaway: How packaging goes beyond its core functions to create innovative consumer experiences; accessible design innovation methods.
2. Sustainability was covered in two sessions:
Inspiring Change Through Packaging was led by:
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Elaine Zimmerman, packaging engineer and life-cycle assessment subject matter expert at Pregis; and
Leveraging Life Cycle Assessments for Optimal Sustainable Packaging Design was led by:
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Sarah Webber, sustainable packaging engineer at Plastic Ingenuity;
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Zach Muscato, corporate sustainability manager for Plastic Ingenuity;
Key Takeaway: Students explored the critical role of sustainability in the packaging industry, learning how Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools informed environmentally conscious decisions and enabled alignment with organizational sustainability goals.
3. Innovation – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Packaging Innovation was led by Dr. Euihark Lee.
Key Takeaway: How to use numerical analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) to create more optimal packaging design.
4. Professional Development — The Real World: Tips for Success and Professional Growth in the Packaging Industry was led by:
Key Takeaway: The role of time management, how to effectively communicate with professionals, integrating passion, overcoming challenges, and expanding networks.
Student design competition: The 12 groups of 10-12 students from different universities competed in a timed obstacle course with their palletized package design. The teamwork skills of the students shone brightly.
Special credit goes to student leaders coordinating the event – Abby Dahlseng (now at Post), Greyson Hammer, Ethan Myers and Anna Kent (now at Boston Scientific) served as student leaders with committee members Makenna Lowell, Luke Janssen, Carolyn Britt, Lukas David, Trevor Zeyen and Griffin Reisman.
