Joe Angel — Executive Vice President of Industry Outreach for PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies), founder of Packaging World magazine, and a true legend in the packaging industry — joins Ed Marsh to unpack the full arc of B2B media, from bingo cards to AI.
Ed and Joe cover:
- Why PR and traditional media are becoming relevant again as SEO and organic search decline
- The early days of launching Packaging World in 1993–94, and how print media measured leads before the internet
- How the 2009 recession (not digital disruption) forced Summit Media to rethink its business — and led to the birth of digital lead-gen tools like landing pages
- Why PMMI ultimately acquired Summit Media Group in 2014, and what "always-on" content means for trade shows@james
- How manufacturers misuse (or underuse) verified audience data — and what smart companies do differently
- Blending print, digital, and events: the "Game Plan" personalized show-floor guide as a case study in integration
- Whether AI can replace editors — and the real risk Joe sees: losing decades of tacit engineering knowledge as experienced workers retire
- Why in-person relationships and trade shows still matter, even in an AI-driven world
- Joe's advice for treating marketing as an investment, not an expense
Whether you're in packaging, industrial manufacturing, or B2B marketing more broadly, this conversation is a masterclass in how media strategy has evolved — and where it's headed next.
Reach out to Joe directly via PMMI, or stop by the PMMI booth at the next PACK EXPO show.
Note: As of this interview early 2026, the verified audience for PMMI “verified” database has changed to now a152,00 - the result of advanced data-cleaning/sweeping technology. Still the largest and most comprehensive database in packaging and processing
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What is Industrial Growth Institute?
Ed Marsh is a founder, Army veteran, independent board director, manufacturing marketing expert, and industrial sales leader. He has marketed and sold millions of $ of B2B industrial manufacturing stuff worldwide. Each week on the Industrial Growth Institute, he chats with makers and thinkers, experts and specialists to gather innovative insights, recent trends, and tried & true best practices for B2B business growth. Each episode provides both actionable tips and theory, for everyone from owners and executive management through managers & directors to individual contributors - all in an enjoyable and energetic conversation format.