Converters Expo South 2027: a guide to the Charlotte converting expo

Independent guide. Converters Expo South is organised by BNP Media (Packaging Strategies and PFFC). We are not the organiser, its agent or a media partner. Every fact below is from the organiser's own website, read on 21 October 2026, unless we name another source.

Converters Expo South 2027 at a glance

• Date: Thursday 25 February 2027, one day
• Venue: Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 (expo hall: Richardson Ballroom)
• Expo hours: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm; registration opens at 8:00 am
• Exhibitors: 80+, per the organiser
• Who it is for: converters of paper, film, plastics and nonwovens, their buyers and their suppliers, mainly from the US Southeast
• Booth: 10 x 10 ft, $1,950 (standard rate since 1 October 2026)
• Passes: Buyer from $65, Supplier from $130, until 15 January 2027
• Organiser: BNP Media Packaging Group, produced by Packaging Strategies

What Converters Expo South is

Converting is the step that turns big rolls of paper, film, foil or nonwoven fabric into something a factory can use. That means printing, coating, laminating, slitting, cutting, folding and turning the web into labels, pouches, bags, wipes or cartons.

Converters Expo South puts those converters in one room with the people who buy from them and the people who sell to them. The organiser describes it as the meeting point for the Southeast US converting region. It is small and fast. With one day and 80+ exhibitors, you can walk the whole floor and still have time for meetings.

Who exhibits

The organiser lists these kinds of exhibitors:

1. Rewinding and sheeting. Slitter rewinders and sheeters that cut wide rolls into narrow rolls or sheets.
2. Folding and finishing. Folding, gluing and finishing for cartons and paper products.
3. Packaging, warehousing, shipping and logistics. From end-of-line packing to storage and freight.
4. Coating, laminating and adhesives. The layers that give a film its barrier, seal and strength.
5. Flexographic printing and inks. Presses, plates, anilox rolls and inks for printing on film and paper.
6. Equipment and engineering. Converting machines and the engineers who build or adapt them.
7. Automation and handling. Roll handling, robots and conveyors.
8. Testing and product development. Labs and prototyping for new materials and packs.

The 2027 exhibitor list was not published when we checked on 21 October 2026. The organiser's floor plan showed booth numbers only. We will add names once the organiser lists them.

If you run food packing lines, this is where the film and cartons your machines use are made and printed. Our pages on form fill seal machines, wrapping machines, cartoning machines and case packers show which machines run on those materials.

Who attends, and why

The organiser says visitors come looking for:

• Contract manufacturers for production, converting processes and new products
• Partners that add value to a manufacturing process
• Printing, packaging and testing services
• New equipment, line parts and expansion ideas
• Converters who can make a new product, for product developers
• A converting step to outsource, for buyers who do not want to do it in-house
• Education and networking with peers

In plain terms: brand owners and manufacturers come to find someone who can print, laminate or convert for them. Converters come to find machines, materials and services.

Booth and pass prices

Booth prices for 2027

All booths are 10 ft wide and 10 ft deep. Prices as published by the organiser on 21 October 2026:

• Standard rate: $1,950. Applies from 1 October 2026.
• Early bird rate: $1,750. Ended on 30 September 2026.
• Renewal rate: $1,650. For 2026 exhibitors only, ended on 31 July 2026.
• Company listing upgrade: $350. Additional standard listing: $250.

A booth includes an 8 ft back drape and 3 ft side drape, one 6 ft skirted table, two chairs, a 7 x 44 in sign, two passes, and a standard listing on the show website and mobile app.

Payment terms matter. If full payment has not arrived by 18 December 2026, the organiser says an exhibitor may not be listed in on-site materials and may lose its space. There are no refunds. Booths are assigned by seniority and by the order applications arrive.

Visitor pass prices

Passes get dearer in two steps. The cheapest window closes on 15 January 2027.

Converters Expo South or Converters Expo in Green Bay?

BNP Media runs two converting shows with nearly the same name. A search for "converters expo" shows both, so check which one you mean before you book.

• Converters Expo South: one day, 25 February 2027, Charlotte Convention Center, North Carolina. 80+ exhibitors. Southeast US focus.
• Converters Expo: two days, 18-19 May 2027, Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin. The organiser lists 150+ exhibitors on two floors.

Green Bay is the larger show, by the organiser's own counts. Charlotte is one day and aimed at the Southeast, so it is quicker and cheaper to cover in full.

How to plan one day at the show

Before the show

1. Book your pass before 15 January 2027. That is when the cheapest rates end. Check which pass you qualify for: Buyer or Supplier.
2. Check the exhibitor list once the organiser publishes it. Mark the companies you must see.
3. Set meetings two to three weeks ahead. With six hours of floor time, walk-ins alone will not fill your day.
4. Book a hotel early. The organiser lists a group rate of $219 a night at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Uptown, bookable until 24 January 2027. Charlotte Douglas International Airport serves the city.

On the day

• Arrive for 8:00 am registration so you are on the floor when it opens at 9:30 am.
• Use the quiet morning for meetings. The organiser's agenda has a keynote at 11:00 am, a networking lunch at noon and a happy hour from 2:00 pm, all on the expo floor.
• Ask every stand the same questions: materials and structures, minimum order, lead time, samples, test reports and food-contact paperwork.

After the show

• Follow up within a week with your notes and a sample request.
• Run samples on your own line before you place an order.

For packaging suppliers outside the US

With one day and a single 10 x 10 ft booth size, costs are easy to plan. That makes it a fair first test of the US Southeast for a converter or a film, pouch or label maker. The booth gives you a table, two chairs, a sign, two passes and a listing.

What decides whether it pays off is the work done before the day:

• Bring what a US buyer asks for first: your material structures, food-contact compliance papers, test reports, capacity and lead time to the US.
• Plan freight early. The organiser's exhibitor set-up page covers shipping, loading dock and freight access, pre-show storage, electrical and lead retrieval.
• Write to buyers before the show and ask for a meeting at your booth.
• Pay in full before 18 December 2026, or risk losing your space.

Indian flexible packaging makers can read our sister site's guide on flexible packaging manufacturers in India, written for US buyers. Snack makers will find what a chips packet is made of on IndianPotato.com.

Need machines, not materials?

If the show has you planning a new packing line, you can ask for quotes from makers through our quote form. Equipment makers who want to reach food plants can see our advertising options.

Other shows on our events page

We list food processing and packaging shows on our events page, each checked against the organiser's own site. In India, Anuga FoodTec India covers processing and packaging technology in Mumbai.