DRINKTEC CONSOLIDATES ITS POSITION AS THE WORLD’S ECONOMIC SUMMIT FOR THE BEVERAGE AND LIQUID FOOD INDUSTRY

International, innovative and with a line-up of attendees at the highest level. These were the attributes of the drinktec International Trade Fair, the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry, which took place from September 12 to 16, 2022 at the Munich Exhibition Center. A total of 1,002 exhibitors from 55 countries and almost 50,000 visitors from 169 different countries attended the last edition, which was a great success in terms of participation and attendees.

Drinktec 2022 had an international participation of 65 percent among exhibitors and more than 70 percent among visitors, consolidating its status as the world’s leading trade fair in its sector. Reinhard Pfeiffer, CEO of Messe München, said in this regard that “drinktec shows that global trade fairs are possible in Europe. The majority of visitors came from abroad and almost 40 percent of them from outside Europe, such as Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Japan or India. It is significant that the third largest visitor country after Germany and Italy was the United States.”. Volker Kronseder, chairman of drinktec’s Advisory Board, added: “When you walk through the halls, you see a lot of new and future developments, you can finally see people from different nations communicating with each other personally again. The innovation density is extremely high again this year.”

For his part, Roland Folz, Group President, Pentair Industrial Solutions: “It was great to be back at drinktec to meet, socialize and forge new partnerships while personally nurturing existing ones.”

Monica Gimre, CEO and president of Sidel, also noted that “Once again this year, drinktec offered Sidel the opportunity to meet customers who thought it was great to reconnect with all their stakeholders in one place. We designed an experience at our booth that successfully welcomed customers back after the pandemic and provided them with a collaborative environment where they can meet again.”

Thomas Ricker, Head of Sales, Krones AG, also stated that “the whole world of the beverage and liquid food industry is finally meeting again this year and there is a great atmosphere. On the other hand, there are many challenges in the world: the current political situation, the economic situation and, above all, the question of a sustainable future.”

Kai Schneiderwind, Senior Vice President, Process Automation Solution, Siemens AG: “We are very satisfied with our participation at drinktec. We were able to have many conversations about our innovations with our customers and received valuable feedback on smart technologies for the beverage industry that are accelerating the digital transformation. For us and our customers, drinktec will continue to be the industry’s leading trade fair for innovative solutions for sustainable production in 2025.”

For his part, Richard Clemens, managing director of VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery, remarked: “The industry has been looking forward to drinktec. The atmosphere is excellent. The exhibitors are enthusiastic about the internationality and the high quality of the visitors.” . A conclusion in which Florian Schneider, Commercial Director of ZIEMANN HOLVRIEKA, fully agrees: “drinktec is back, and with it our customers and interested parties from all over the world. Although the number seems to be lower overall than in the past. But the quality is high, drinktec proves once again that it is the most important international platform.”

At drinktec, exhibitors registered a total of more than 700 new products and solutions in the digital offerings ‘Innovation Guide’ and ‘Solutions Guide’. Johannes T. Grobe, Managing Director Sales & Service of the KHS Group, emphasized why drinktec is the place for premieres: “As the most important source of innovation and inspiration, drinktec enjoys a high status in the industry. It offers the perfect opportunity to meet our customers and partners on the international stage. During the trade fair days, we were able to hold numerous discussions about new investments.”

Marcus Ley, vice president of Global Accounts for Ecolab, added: “drinktec is the leading marketplace where global industry experts and decision makers come together to identify cutting-edge innovations and technologies to advance their businesses. Once again, we were able to connect with high-profile visitors from the senior management level to advance our business objectives. Another unforgettable show!” And Reinhard Streit, Vice President and General Manager Food & Beverage Europe at CCL Label, sums it up: “I’ll keep it short: drinktec is the best global platform if you are active in the beverage industry.”

Crown also presented its latest decorative techniques, including tactile finishes and thermochromic ink. Veronique Curulla, director of marketing and business development for Crown EMEA, highlighted that “decoration is key. This is one way our customers can differentiate their brands and stand out on the shelf. We have a different range of finishes, for example, we can add a gloss varnish to give the can a shiny look or change the texture with inks that give a tactile feel.”

For its part, Ardagh Metal Packaging presented its customizable technology, Highend. Johanna Gasson, the company’s communications manager, indicated that “brands can integrate the beverage into the can design and make it flow seamlessly using Highend technology.”

Drinktec is also the authoritative networking platform for the beverage and liquid food industry for visitors, as confirmed by Gary Guo, vice president, Global Supply Chain, Coca Cola Company: “Together with our global bottling partners, we use drinktec to explore the latest developments and technologies in areas such as supply chain, manufacturing, digital transformation and sustainability, and to look for opportunities to transform our business.”

Petra Westphal, director of drinktec, concluded by noting that the preparations for this year’s event were “quite a roller coaster. The effects of the pandemic and geopolitical tensions have created volatile framework conditions and ambiguities. And then comes the first day of the fair. After five years, the world gathers here in Munich. The joy of seeing each other again is indescribable. At all the booths, current challenges will be intensively discussed and solutions pointed out; this is where the future of the industry is being shaped.”. The next drinktec will be held in autumn 2025.