McCormick Place becomes food 'store'

Much like a supermarket, Chicago's McCormick Place will become the "store" for the food processing and packaging business this fall when the Worldwide Food Expo opens its doors October 30. Continuing until November 2, the show expects to offer nearly 1ꯠ exhibits. Now planned for every two years, the Food Expo combines separate exhibitions held in the past by the American Meat Institute, the Intl. Dairy Foods Assn., the Intl. Assn. of Food Industry Suppliers (formerly DFISA, the Dairy & Food Industries Supply Assn.) and the National Food Processors Assn. The combined exposition expects to attract some 35ꯠ food industry people. The exposition itself is open from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. from Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 30 through Nov. 1. On Sunday, the show hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration can be done via a 24-hour faxline (888/246-3277) or via the show's web site: www.worldwidefood.com. The dairy part of the program begins in the evening, Wednesday, Oct. 29, when the biennial awards for marketing are presented to dairies and suppliers. It's followed by a joint reception held by both dairy groups. Both events are to be held at McCormick Place. On Thursday morning, Oct. 30, legendary journalist Walter Cronkite kicks off the exposition with his overview of the changing global food industry. Held in McCormick Place's main ballroom, it culminates with the ribbon cutting for the show. On Friday morning at 9:45 a.m. will be an industry overview called "Dairy Speaks," a multimedia presentation of the $70-billion industry today and in the future. Throughout the show, however, a series of educational sessions are planned for Worldwide Food Expo attendees: 60 individual sessions among 13 conferences will cover diverse topics that range from plant design to government relations. Three of the individual sessions will focus on packaging for either beverages or dairy products, with one session examining dairy packaging in Europe. Mickey Kantor, former U.S. Commerce Secretary and U.S. Trade Representative, will headline the American Meat Institute's general session, Saturday, Nov. 1. He'll lead a discussion on Accessing the Global Marketplace. Immediately after, Grace Packaging president Gary Kaenzig will offer a perspective on Global opportunities for meat and poultry products. His multimedia presentation will suggest innovative retailing and marketing strategies in the U.S., Brazil, China, Poland, South Africa and a dozen other countries. On Sunday, at another joint session, Fran Tarkenton, former professional athlete and now a successful businessman, will deliver a motivational speech geared to reducing complacency in companies. During the exposition, the Food & Dairy Hall (McCormick Place North) will be the site of Food MegaTrends Technology Workshops in meeting rooms created on the exhibit floor. The early schedule of these sessions includes some exhibitor presentations that focus on packaging. This is sponsored by the AIFIS Foundation. Since the Worldwide Food Expo was selected to be part of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Buyer Program, the sponsors expect that some 5ꯠ show visitors will come from 100 overseas countries. After the show, the Intl. Dairy Federation is holding a symposium on the Codex Alimentarius and its effects on international trade in dairy products. To be held at the Palmer House Hotel, Nov. 3 to 4, the program will include discussions of packaging issues, especially label copy. A list of packaging-related companies that will be exhibiting at the Worldwide Food Expo follows, along with their booth numbers.