Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the July/August 2015 issue of Food Manufacturing
In advance of PROCESS EXPO, Food Manufacturing corresponded with David Seckman, President and CEO of FPSA, Producer of PROCESS EXPO, to learn about what attendees can expect to see at this year’s show.
FM: Can you give us an overview of what to expect at PROCESS EXPO 2015?
DS: This year will be the largest PROCESS EXPO to date. We have more than 1,000 companies that will be featuring the newest technology throughout the whole show floor. This makes our show the best place for food and beverage manufacturing professionals to find the most innovative processing and packaging machinery across the whole line. Together with International Dairy Show and InterBev Process, the shows will exceed 300,000 net square feet and feature equipment across all links in the supply chain and in every food and beverage vertical industry.
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FM: What educational content be available for attendees?
DS: This year’s PROCESS EXPO University will feature more than 35 hours of educational sessions put on by academics at fifteen of North America’s leading universities, addressing critical topics across all segments of the food and beverage industry. These educational sessions take place on the trade show floor and are free of charge for all registered attendees including attendees of our co-located shows the International Dairy Show, and InterBev Process.
FM: How can attendees participate in the Defeat Hunger campaign?
DS: The Defeat Hunger campaign was launched with a donation of $75,000 by the FPSA Foundation, and will include a wide variety of partners such as FPSA members, local food processors, PROCESS EXPO exhibitors and the Greater Chicago Food Depository with the goal of addressing food insecurity in Greater Cook County. Our goal this year is to surpass 300,000 meals and to continue raising awareness of this critical issue. We encourage everyone who is attending the show to make a donation, whether it’s bringing a can to the show or giving money through our website. To participate in the campaign, attendees can visit www.fpsa.org and click on the Defeat Hunger button.
FM: As a partner with Messe Dusseldorf, producer of Interpack, how will the SAVE FOOD program be promoted at PROCESS EXPO?
DS: PROCESS EXPO partners with Messe Dusseldorf and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FOA) of the United Nations to implement and promote the Save Food initiative, which fights global food loss. Our shared goal is to limit food waste globally and use that excess to defeat hunger worldwide. We believe that US food processing and packaging companies can play influential roles in this campaign by identifying and improving efficiencies in the food supply chain and communicating the value of saving food to the consumer. The SAVE FOOD exhibit will be located at the entrance to the east hall during PROCESS EXPO. The interactive display focuses on the issue of food waste and presents solutions for consideration. Photos, graphics and videos educate visitors about global food waste in an engaging way. In the best practice area, businesses and organizations present innovative approaches to solving the problems of food loss.