NorthAmerica's only all-encompassing food and beverage processing trade show is back in the Windy City. An estimated 7,000 attendees and 400 exhibitors from every sector of the food and beverage industry will flock to Chicago’s McCormick Place March 26-28 for ProFood Tech, the biennial event that will give food and beverage processing professionals an exclusive, up-close look into the latest industry innovations, technologies and trends.
“The success of the inaugural ProFood Tech 2017 confirmed our belief that the industry craved an all-inclusive, one-stop shop for their food and beverage processing needs,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, one of the producers of the event. “The comprehensive nature of ProFood Tech allows senior management and even C-suite level processing professionals to find real value in one event, under one roof.” PMMI is producing the event in partnership with the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and Koelnmesse, an international leader in organizing food and beverage trade shows, such as Anuga.
On the agenda
Engineers, plant managers, package designers, quality control personnel, supply chain managers, and other food and beverage processing professionals can look forward to seeing in-booth demonstrations from top suppliers showcasing their equipment and services. For example, VAC-U-MAX will be on hand to demonstrate its vacuum conveying and bulk material handling systems. Inspection equipment suppliers like Anritsu Infivis will not only have their machines on display, but will also help attendees figure out the best equipment for contaminant and quality inspection. And Stellar and other design and engineering firms will share their advice on the best ways to tackle renovation or construction of plants.
After casing the show floor, attendees should check out the ProFood Tech Knowledge Hub, free educational sessions produced by IDFA. The sessions will be available at three separate venues or “zones” on the show floor. The IMPACT Zone will cover topics such as food recalls, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence through case studies and interactive discussions, where participants will share their experiences and successes. The DISRUPTION Zone will teach attendees how to implement disruptive technologies to meet consumer demands in areas such as food waste and e-commerce. The INNOVATION Zone will feature breakthrough technologies, ideas and formulations from industry trailblazers — designed to identify solutions to the most pressing challenges manufacturers face.
