Exhibitors from all over the world are getting ready for drinktec 2005, and organizers of the event say the show is on course to set new records. The show, which will be held Sept. 12-17 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany, is expected to attract more than 1,400 exhibitors, 10 percent more than the show four years ago. It will boast 136,000 square metres of exhibition space, making it the largest drinktec event in Munich, and 80,000 visitors from more than 130 countries are expected to attend.

Nearly half of the exhibitors, representing 52 countries, will come from outside Germany this year, and 30 percent of the exhibitors will be at drinktec for the first time. In addition, several new countries are making their debut at drinktec 2005, including  Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Latvia, Luxembourg, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. Organizers credit the extended range of this year’s program to the increased interest in the show. In addition to the latest technology for manufacturing, filling, packaging and distributing beverages of all kinds, the show now also includes liquid foods in its portfolio, as well as a focus on wine, sparkling wine and spirits technology.

To complement the activity on the exhibit floor, drinktec will offer a lineup of educational programs and accompanying events. Organizers have divided the forums by day and topic, including Market Development topics on Sept. 12, Product Development and Engineering topics on Sept. 13, Brewing and Liquid Food topics on Sept. 14, Brewing and Logistics topics on Sept. 15, and Technologies, Logistics and Marketing topics on Sept. 16 (see box for details).

In addition, the show will feature a number of symposia and panel discussions. The European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG) will host a symposium on Sept. 14 designed to help attendees save money on production costs. The group estimates that 25 percent of production costs in the food industry could be saved by using machinery and plants designed and built to hygienic engineering standards instead of traditional designs. The group will outline its recommendations and discuss the latest developments in the field.

For those in the fruit juice, flavored water and dairy industries, drinktec will include the Aseptic Filling Conference. The discussion will include ideas for more sophisticated container-filling lines and the latest developments in the technology.

“A World of Variety” — Innovations and Trends in the Sector of Non-Alcoholic Beverages will cover the many beverage choices beverage consumers have today. The European Non Alcoholic Beverages Association and the International Council of Beverages Associations will host this joint conference, which will include top-level speakers from the industry such as Dominique Reiniche, President of The Coca-Cola Co. European Union Group, as well as from the political world. The discussion will include examples of good practice, the attacks being made on the industry, and a responsible approach to the issue of obesity, physical activity and nutrition.

Germany’s Agricultural Association (DLG — Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft) will present its Best of the Best award at drinktec 2005. This award is presented to a company that has consistently performed well at DLG quality competitions over the years, and is given in the categories of beer, water, fruit drinks and spirits to reward the efforts of companies that continuously seek quality improvements.

Drinktec’s Wine Panel Discussion: Closures for Wine Bottles — Cork or Glass? will attempt to settle this hotly contested question in wine packaging. The centuries-old use of cork stoppers has come under criticism for its potential to negatively affect the flavor of the wine. A panel of experts in the field will discuss the question, and attendees will have the chance to find out firsthand about the qualities of the various closures, from both technical and marketing aspects, and to talk directly with experts in the field.

For the first time, the Brewing Industry International Awards will be held in conjunction with drinktec. Brewers from all over the world will compete for 81 medals in 27 classes of beer, and nine of the beers will go home with the title of Champion Beer. This is the first time in its 119-year history that this traditional competition will be held outside Great Britain, and attendees will be able to observe the judges, which include only active commercial brewers, as they evaluate the competing products.

The PET World Congress will also be held in association with the show, from Sept. 11-13. The congress features an international program on the subject of PET, including experts from all areas of the PET industry who will talk about current developments in marketing strategies, the requirements of global retail chains, and the design and selection of the right PET bottle for hot-fill and aseptically filled drinks. Other themes include the latest technology for manufacturing preforms and PET bottles in one and two-station processes, innovations in filling technology and secondary packaging, as well as disposal and recycling procedures.

Monday, Sept. 12, 2005

“Market Development”

- Wine panel discussion: Closures for wine bottles - cork or glass?  

- Sustainability marketing in food and beverage industries: growth strategies in mature markets

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005 

“Engineering”

- Declining sizes of order produced on high-performance filling lines: aspects, consequences and requirements

- Plug and acquire — the new Weihenstephan Standards for data acquisition in bottling plants

- It is making the difference — product development in beverage industries

- Human Resources — Success factor in the highly automated beverage production world

“Product Development”

- Sensory science: a must for creative companies in the beverage industry

- The value of sensory analysis to understand consumer preferences in beverages

- Functional beverages in China

- Indian Alcoholic Beverage Market

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005

“Liquid Food”

- Functional milk drinks — options and limitations

- Development of juice drinks with probiotics

- U.S. innovations in milk-based beverages

- Platform for pre-competitive research in dairy R&D

“Brewing”

- Russia special: Innovations in brewing technology

- Modern quality standards in brewing and the beverage industry

- From speedboats to beer

- An innovative mashing technology — experiences from practice

Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005

“Logistics”

- Beverage logistics — optimisation potential on the basis of international standards

- RFID in the focus of logistics processes - claims and reality

- The role of shopping portals and eSourcing in the supplier industry — four years later...

“Brewing”

- Grolsch — The New Brewery in The Netherlands

- The influence of hop varieties on the character of beer

- Hop substances showing a health-promoting potential

- Yeast technology and beer quality

- Current developments in the filtration sector

Friday, Sept. 16, 2005

“Logistics/Marketing”

- Discussion on robotics

- Technical state of the utilizations of beveragecartons

- 50 plus — growth market of the future

- Packaging and aging

“Technologies”

- Pulsed electric fields — a mild preservation technology

- Plasma technology — a promising innovative method for sterilizing packaging materials

- High pressure treatment — a chance for PET-pasteurization

- Functional drinks