Taking place Sept. 11-15, 2017, at Germany’s Messe München exhibition center and the adjacent ICM Internationales Congress Center München, drinktec will bring together companies large and small and attract visitors from all business areas.

The range of products and services at the show will match target groups — and vice versa. The trade visitors come from all parts of the production chain and from all areas of the beverage and liquid food industry.

Among the visitors, the largest proportion continues to be made up of professionals from manufacturing and production, closely followed by managers and chief executive officers, which shows how important drinktec is for decision-makers, the organization says.

Marketing specialists also have discovered the attraction of drinktec and come to find out about the latest developments and trends. In 2013, no less than 12,000 attendees were from sales and marketing, and 3,300 of them were pure marketing experts, Messe München says.

Additionally, drinktec reaches all sizes of companies, a reflection of the exhibitor side.

The show’s roots in the brewing industry also can be seen through the visitor structure. The proportion of visitors from brewing remains consistent at approximately 44 percent, the organization says.

Additionally, the percentage of visitors from the areas of milk and liquid dairy products has exponentially grown at 18 percent (milk) and 13 percent (liquid food), it adds. Now almost one-in-three visitors come from this area of business.

In the area of fruit juice, mineral water and soft drinks, the show has recorded strong growth. Most visitors come from the soft drinks segment, it adds.

For 2017, the organizers anticipate growth potential particularly in the areas of milk/liquid food and wine.

Ultimately, the shifts in the visitor structure reflect the changing demand pattern in the world market. Mineral water and soft drinks in ever-new mixtures and variants, as well as milk-based beverages and fruit juice, are showing strong growth, particularly in emerging markets with high pent-up demand.

The entire process chain

At drinktec, representatives from the entire process chain will be on hand to inform attendees about the latest developments in their industries that can aid beverage manufacturers. These include the following:

• Process technology: More sophisticated products and higher quality standards make it essential to use process-optimized technology. At drinktec, the exhibitors will showcase process technology for specific products and for multiple products. The theme of sustainability also will play an important role.
• Containers and packing materials: Packaging sells products, especially in regards to beverages, packaging experts note. The more brand-oriented and target-group-oriented the packaging is, the better the chances of a product´s success. All of the innovations, new ideas and technologies can be experienced at drinktec.
• Filling and packaging technology: The requirements placed on filling and packaging systems today are very diverse and sophisticated, suppliers note. More and more products must be filled at faster speeds, and it all has to be done more cleanly. At drinktec, solutions that address on-trend filling and packaging processes, e.g., aseptic, will be on hand.
• Raw materials and ingredients: Products only are as good as the raw materials and additives used to make them, ingredient suppliers note. This section at drinktec will, therefore, be very extensive and the ranges on display will be of the highest quality, it says. At the Special Area New Beverage Concepts, new sweetening, coloring and aroma strategies will be presented and explained by their manufacturers.
• Process automation: Modern product management systems guide, visualize, monitor and control all the stages of production. Digital systems increasingly are being used, so plenty of information on this technology will be available at drinktec, it says.
• Energy systems: A beverage cannot be produced without water. At the upcoming drinktec, water processing and management will be a central theme, it says.
• PETpoint: Worldwide PET is the preferred form of packaging, especially for soft drinks, the organizers state. New developments in PET will be presented at PETpoint, a special section of the exhibition dedicated to PET technology.
• Marketing: drinktec is not just a technology forum; it also is a marketing platform. What happens at the point of sale? How can you influence the purchasing behavior of customers? Sales and marketing professionals, product and brand managers, agencies, buyers, designers, and engineering bureaus will discuss these and other questions in the Innovation Flow Lounge. Exhibitors also will present their solutions for restaurant and catering supplies and mobile equipment.

Solutions catalog

In addition to the traditional division of the ranges on display according to product (e.g., pumps or filters), visitors also will be able to search by solution. For example, efficient and sustainable water management.

In drinktec’s online catalog and in the “matchmaking” tool, visitors currently can search according to solution categories.

This solutions-oriented approach will help in areas that have become more complex, it says. New functions will help sustainability managers, safety managers and managing directors find solutions in this regard by offering more than strictly technical product details, the organization says.

It also is optimizing the “matchmaking” service for exhibitors and visitors. This allows drinktec to be even more targeted and effective, it adds. BI