Foodex will take place at the NEC, Birmingham over three action-packed days from March 25-27 2012, and Andrew Reed, md of Events and Exhibitions at William Reed Business Media said: “Over the past four years we have invested to add new production sectors to Foodex.” Current sectors are meat, dairy, fresh, beverage and seafood.
“By adding bakery, we have rounded out our food sector portfolio. More ambitiously, by adding logistics and ingredients we are penetrating into the heartland of food manufacture,” he added.
The changes will strengthen Foodex’s position as the 'must-attend' event for everyone involved in food manufacturing.
Reed said:“It is clear to us that the same buying teams are often responsible for the purchase of production equipment, logistics services and ingredients, and that they are looking for a single show that will allow them to cover all areas of interest simultaneously.
“Equally, we are seeing increased interest among those buyers in new food ingredient innovations.
“As companies strive to understand how these innovations can be used to add value to their products, their manufacturing specialists are keen to understand how they can be incorporated into their production processes and to establish reliable supplies.”
Intelligence building
As Foodex’s media partner, Food Manufacture magazine has noted industry concerns relating to the EU Nutrition and Health Claims and Novel Foods Regulations, as well as a growing interest in ‘clean label’, ‘natural’ ingredients more acceptable to consumers.
New legislation, coupled with consumer pressure, is causing manufacturers to think hard about what goes into food, making the search for competitive advantage a tough game played for high stakes.
The show will include intelligence-building programmes based around each of its sectors, including the new additions, while exhibitors and related industry associations will assist in developing and presenting content.
A refocused education and networking programme will also allow attendees to gain the maximum benefit from their visit, while exhibitors can expect to see a greater number of visitors across the revised three-day format.
Foodex will be supported by an international marketing and media relations campaign, aimed at drawing the world’s attention to best practice food manufacturing within the UK.
For more information about exhibiting at Foodex contact Daren Rose-Neale, event director, on 01293 610355 or email daren.rose-neale@wrbm.com