With the appointment of its advisory board, preparations for drinktec 2017 have now begun.
Krones AG chairman Volker Kronseder has been confirmed as president of the advisory board – which represents the interests of the companies exhibiting at drinktec.
The dates for the next edition of the ‘World´s Leading Trade Fair for the Beverage and Liquid Food Industry’ are 11 to 15 September 2017, in Munich, Germany.
Traditionally, the managing director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association is also the president of the drinktec advisory board. Choosing Volker Kronseder for this post was therefore a formality. “drinktec is very dear to my heart,” explained the boss of Krones. “Its international scope, the whole atmosphere and the enthusiasm it generates – it is simply unique.”
In its review of drinktec 2013, the board members all drew positive conclusions. They were all agreed that the last drinktec had been a great success. In particular they praised the international character of the event and its outstanding role as an ideas platform and innovations driver. Volker Kronseder pointed out that many of the innovations presented at drinktec 2013 were now reaching the market.
According to Beatrix Fraese of the VDMA, drinktec will continue to have an effect for a long time and in 2015, too, it will have a positive influence on business for the German machinery and plant manufacturers.
drinktec 2013 attracted 66,886 visitors, of which 62% were from outside Germany – that´s a rise of 14%.
Looking ahead, Petra Westphal, exhibition group director with responsibility for the show, set out the strategies and goals of drinktec 2017. Once again, she reported, a range of measures would be used to reach out to drinktec´s different target groups.
As regards further growth, the drinktec team sees potential in particular in the areas of milk/liquid food and wine. And because marketing executives, too, are becoming an increasingly important group at drinktec, the aim is to further expand the ‘Innovation Flow Lounge’ concept that was successfully introduced at drinktec 2013. In visitor communication, there would be stronger emphasis on the use of social media.
Beatrix Fraese reported in the meeting on the current economic situation in the engineering sector. The segment that is relevant to drinktec, namely food processing and packaging machinery, saw growth of 4% in 2014, with production volumes rising to €13bn. Strong domestic demand played a large part in this. For 2015 the machinery manufacturers are upbeat, because demand from other EU countries is rising again, the economy in China is also picking up and the industrial policies in the US are creating a favourable climate for investment.
As well as for drinktec 2017, preparations are also underway for the drinktec offshoots outside Germany, all of which are taking place in 2016: drink technology India (provisionally 28-30 April), food & drink technology Africa (14-16 September) and China Brew and China Beverage (13-16 October).
With a view to drinktec 2017 and the upcoming events abroad, the team behind drinktec has been reorganised. Dr Reinhard Pfeiffer, managing director of Messe München, retains overall responsibility for drinktec, while Georg Moller becomes director of business unit IV, the division which includes drinktec. He takes over from Monika Dech, who is being promoted to the executive management board of Messe München as of 1 January 2015. Christina Maier, previously exhibition manager in the drinktec team, has been appointed deputy exhibition director. And as of 1 January 2015, exhibition manager Markus Kosak becomes exhibition director for the drinktec shows outside Germany. Benjamin Büttner, an assistant in the press team, is now PR manager for the drinktec shows abroad as well as continuing to support Johannes Manger, who is in charge of media communications for drinktec.
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