drinktec is the most important event for the beverage and liquid food industry. In September 2017, it will be launched with the largest participation in its 60-year history.
Manufacturers and suppliers from all over the world, including global corporations as well as medium-sized companies, will meet producers and retailers of all sizes for beverages and liquid food. Around 1,600 exhibitors will be taking part in the trade fair from 11 to 15 September. World's leading trade fair drinktec in Munich, where it has been held since 1951 and every four years since 1985. From family-run companies to global players, drinktec 2017 will showcase all the big names. The exhibitors cover the entire process chain: from production, filling and packaging to the marketing of beverages and liquid food. Important exhibition areas at drinktec include process technology, containers and packaging, filling and packaging technology, process automation and PET technology.
[infotext]Important topics of the drinktec 2017, which run like a common thread through almost all exhibition areas: Energy and resource efficiency, water and energy management, hygiene and product safety, process optimisation and flexibility[/infotext].drinktec is regarded as the Innovation show. The latest solutions, including entire systems, will be presented for the first time in Munich. The trade fair is known for its sometimes spectacular stand presentations. No effort is too great for the exhibitors to put themselves in the limelight in front of a global audience. For example, complete filling and packaging lines in all performance ranges will be set up, bottles will run past the assembly line and innovative PET bottles will be produced live during the five days of the trade fair.
For the first time, SIMEI, organised by the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), will be an integral part of drinktec and will occupy its own exhibition area in Halls C2 and C3. The range of products and technologies on offer at drinktec is thus completed by all areas of wine technology.
This is where the future is made.
As long as matter cannot be transported via the Internet, there will be bottling and packaging plants - this remark by the former CEO of Krones AG, Hans-Jürgen Thaus, is of course still true. Nevertheless, the Digitisation has long since changed both plant engineering and the entire brewing and beverage production industry. The key difference of Industry 4.0 is the consistent use of internet technologies for communication between people, machines and products. In a „Smart Factory“ the machines and systems independently provide information on all important process and system statuses. At the same time, they communicate with each other and intervene in production processes to correct and optimise them. Or to put it more simply: the raw material knows what it wants to become. The machines know what they can do and when they have free capacity and offer their services independently. Such an intelligent factory masters complex processes perfectly, is resistant to downtime and can react flexibly to changes in the production process at any time.
„Solutions for the further digitalisation of production will therefore certainly be a key topic at drinktec, precisely because optimised production processes and a maximum of Efficiency in energy and raw materials are at the centre of Industry 4.0,“ says Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association. Some ideas have already become reality.
The global thirst for beer is currently waning somewhat. For the first time, breweries worldwide had to accept a decline in two consecutive years, by 0.5 per cent in 2014 and 1.5 per cent in 2015. Difficult macroeconomic conditions are likely to have been the main reason for this. In addition, the global beer market is now highly consolidated. The five largest brewery groups account for just over half of total beer sales. This makes it all the more important for each individual brewery to be able to produce efficiently and flexibly. This requires the right technology, energy-saving brewing processes and continuous investment in operations. For the Brewing industry drinktec 2017 offers everything you need to produce and market beer. Hobby brewers and craft brewers will find customised solutions at drinktec, as will family businesses and large breweries. In total, around 80 per cent of drinktec exhibitors offer solutions and technology for the brewing world.
Milk is discovering its many facets. Mixed milk drinks already generate annual retail sales of around 100 billion euros on the global market, which is roughly the same as the international market for standard dairy products. The market for mixed milk drinks is growing rapidly, particularly outside Europe. The market experts will be looking at this. After all, drinktec is now also a key event for the Dairy industry the world's leading trade fair.
Attractive supporting programme
The Specialist accompanying programme drinktec sheds light on the future of the industry, addresses hot topics and offers exhibitors and visitors a lot of added value free of charge and right in the centre of the trade fair action. This includes the „Innovation Flow Lounge“: Launched with great success at drinktec 2013, it is a unique dialogue and discussion platform in this form, especially for visitors from the sales and marketing sector. The Special Area „New Beverage Concepts“ and the „Innovation Flow Lounge“ will share a joint communication and bar area in Hall B1. Beverage manufacturers will discuss future topics of the industry in the areas of product innovation, packaging and marketing.
For the fifth time, the drinktec Forum in Hall A2 is an integral and important part of the supporting programme. Independent experts from research and practice will provide answers and present pioneering ideas and practical solutions on the umbrella topics of process technology and safe beverages, Industry 4.0 and batch size 1. The last day of the forum is dedicated to the topic of milk.
The specialised conference Petnology Europe takes place parallel to drinktec in the neighbouring ICM and focuses its topics on the entire PET value chain. PET innovations and developments will be presented and discussed in depth. More than 30 international speakers from the ranks of suppliers and end users will give presentations on topics such as: Saving material and energy, sustainability; barrier technologies, improving shelf life; design, technology and convenience for bottles and closures; decoration of bottles and closures, direct printing and recycling technology.
