Looking Ahead to PRINTING United Expo 2025

By Linda Casey

The following article was originally published by Packaging Impressions. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, Packaging Impressions inBOX.

If 2025 is any indication of the economic conditions to unfold, one thing is certain: The most print service providers (PSPs) will be those that build agility into their business models. When PRINTING United Expo returns to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 22, the all-segment gathering will offer PSPs the opportunity to see innovations from and learn best practices across all printed products manufacturing segments that will unlock opportunities to rethink workflows, expand capabilities, and build new profit centers.

This year’s Expo builds on the momentum of 2024. If you weren’t in Las Vegas to experience the dynamic energy from the 24,969 registered attendees, 800 exhibitors, and industry thought leaders from 115 countries, you missed out on operation-changing innovations on the show floor and candid conversations in the educational sessions. These led to transformative business explorations into manufacturing automation, sustainability, market expansion, and more.

2024 Set the Stage

PRINTING United Expo 2024 also served as both a pulse check and a catalyst for the industry, with several themes evident across printing segments. Across the show floor, automation was no longer a buzzword. It was a baseline. Technologies such as AI-assisted job prep and robotics for material handling were positioned as must-haves for converters under pressure to do more with increasingly aggressive deadlines. Attendees gravitated toward solutions that could reduce touchpoints, compress turnaround times, and generally make production more responsive to customer demands.

Sustainability was also a headline theme — not in vague terms, but in very specific business contexts. From ink manufacturers touting low-VOC chemistries to printing press exhibitors showcasing waste-reduction features, sustainability in 2024 had matured. With extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation and retailer mandates accelerating globally, manufacturers came looking for solutions they could implement now — not ideas to consider later.

Of course, the role of printing innovation in the Expo cannot be overstated. Manufacturers of all types of printed products saw first-hand technologies that not only increased efficiencies for their current printing and converting workflows but also could help open new market opportunities. What especially stood out in 2024 was how many manufacturers in all segments were actively exploring expansion into adjacent areas, including package printers looking to expand services into point-of-purchase (PoP) displays, signage, promotional printing, and, yes, even commercial printing.

What’s New for 2025

PRINTING United Expo 2025 is poised to deliver even greater opportunities for PSPs ready to sharpen their competitive edge. While exhibition details are still being finalized, early signals from exhibitors point to an event that builds on last year’s momentum.

Automation and robotics are anticipated to be headline themes again in 2025. Solutions targeting labor efficiency, faster changeovers, and supply chain resilience are growing priorities as manufacturers are expected to continue to be impacted by economic uncertainties and skittish consumer behavior.

Perspectives From the Show Floor

To help PSPs navigate challenges, the 2025 Expo will deliver real-world insights that sharpen strategic planning. Among the questions to be tackled are: What solutions are resonating across production floors? How are packaging-focused companies positioning themselves to adapt and grow in today’s shifting market? What challenges do manufacturing’s most forward-thinking leaders see down the turnpike?

Looking back at the 2024 event in Las Vegas, we can already see some consistent themes answering these questions. Here’s a glimpse into some of the conversations Packaging Impressions editorial team had at the 2024 edition with some of the industry thought leaders.

Smarter Workflows

Packaging Impressions met with Tom Peire, CEO and founder of Four Pees — a PRINTING United Alliance member, who emphasized the ability to streamline workflows across systems as a necessity for manufacturers looking to deliver fast turnarounds, especially for short-run jobs.

Reducing Operational Costs

John Henze, VP of sales and marketing for Fiery, a PRINTING United Alliance member and part of Seiko Epson Corp., emphasized the importance of open collaboration to create production environments where speed, color fidelity, and automation are paramount.

Diversifying for Growth

Marc Malkin, PR manager at Roland DGA, a PRINTING United Alliance member, remarked on the long history of packaging converters also supplying brands with PoP displays and encouraged converters to think about leveraging PoP printing technologies such as wide-format UV printing-and-cutting systems to expand into more in-store brand experience markets such as signage.

Maximizing Usage of Materials

Paul Edwards, VP of INX Digital Division — a PRINTING United Alliance member, emphasized converters’ opportunity to support brands’ sustainability goals with on-demand printing of labels and packages and digital printing directly on objects.

Unlocking Premium Applications with Simplicity

Mark Pomerantz, who at the time was director of sales and marketing for Xeikon North America — a PRINTING United Alliance member, emphasized the accessibility of digital printing solutions that make adding high-value embellishments to labels less complex.

Registration Now Open

For PSPs of all specialties, the wide-angle exposure offered by the 2025 event will unlock opportunities to rethink workflow, expand capabilities, and build new profit centers. Specifically, and in the words of PRINTING United Alliance Group President of Media and Events Chris Curran: “This year in Orlando, attendees will find unmatched opportunities to explore net new revenue streams, diversify their services, and connect directly with experts shaping the future of printing and converting. From groundbreaking equipment launches to educational sessions focused on business expansion strategies, PRINTING United Expo offers all printers a clear roadmap to grow, innovate, and stay competitive in today’s fast-evolving marketplace.”

Simply put, Curran adds, “The Expo is the industry’s leading trade show in the Americas that brings the entire printing universe together — commercial, packaging, apparel, wide-format, industrial, and labels — all under one roof. PRINTING United Expo is the ultimate destination for label and package printers looking to take their business to the next level.”

Register now for PRINTING United Expo 2025, to be held Oct. 22-24 in Orlando, Florida, at printingunited.com.

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Linda Casey Author's page As editor-in-chief of Packaging Impressions — the leading publication and online content provider for the printed packaging markets — Linda Casey leverages her experience in the packaging, branding, marketing, and printing industries to deliver content that label and package printers can use to improve their businesses and operations.Prior to her role at Packaging Impressions, Casey was editor-in-chief of BXP: Brand Experience magazine, which celebrated brand design as a strategic business competence. Her body of work includes deep explorations into a range of branding, business, packaging, and printing topics.Casey’s other passion, communications, has landed her on the staffs of a multitude of print publications, including Package Design, Converting, Packaging Digest, Instant & Small Commercial Printer, High Volume Printing, BXP: Brand Experience magazine, and more. Casey started her career more than three decades ago as news director for WJAM, a youth-oriented music-and-news counterpart to WGCI and part of the Chicago-based station’s AM band presence.