SDI JUL09.qxd - Soft Drinks International

34 EXHIBITION PREVIEW
Soft Drinks International – JULY 2009
drinktec 2009
technology for beverages and
liquid food
Every four years,
the global
beverage
community
comes together
for one very
special event,
drinktec, Munich.
The entire repertoire of beverage and liquid
food technology will be on show at drinktec
2009 – on 132,000 square metres of exhibition
space. Around 1500 exhibitors from approximately
70 countries are expected to take part in
this, the world´s biggest get-together for the sector,
between 14th and 19th September 2009 in
Munich. They will be meeting up with an
expected 70,000 trade visitors from over 160
countries.
In Munich the trade visitors will be able to find
out all about the latest technologies in the manufacture,
bottling, packaging and distribution of
beverages and liquid food of all kinds, including
all the associated raw materials and ingredients.
A particular attraction at drinktec is the live
demonstration of machinery and systems in
action put on by the exhibiting companies. The
exhibitors put a lot of effort into setting up this
machinery, even going so far as to display integrated
systems, so that trade visitors can see the
entire process chain.
drinktec is a driver of innovation in the sector.
On show in the exhibition halls at Munich are the
results of years of research and development by
the industry – companies use drinktec as the platform
at which to launch their new products and
ideas. The sections covered by the fair tie in precisely
with the needs of the target groups – and
vice versa.
Accompanying programme
drinktec is not just a technology showcase, it is
also a forum for science and research. A wideranging
programme of accompanying events is
being organised.
At the heart of the programme are two forums,
© Messe München
centrally located and open to all. There independent
experts from all over the world will be
giving lectures on current themes in technology,
products, logistics, marketing and energy.
Simultaneous interpreting of all lectures is provided
for German and English.
The theme of PET is rounded off with a world
congress, which takes place in 2009 for the third
time. This event brings together beginners and
experts, covering all relevant issues in technology
and marketing.
Publishers confructa medien, in cooperation
with drinktec, will be organising the
‘International Fruit World’ Congress (IFW) which
focuses on the themes of liquid fruit and fruit processing.
In cooperation with publishers Dr Harnisch
Verlag, drinktec is putting on a forum on innovative
sweetening concepts. Leading manufacturers
of all kinds of sweetening agents, in particular
sugar, sugar substitutes and sweeteners, will be
putting on presentations.
Good packaging is half the battle
This year, for the first time, plastic is the main
form of packaging for beverages with a third of the
market share worldwide, just ahead of glass and
well ahead of cans. Almost all types of packaging
are represented at drinktec, the fair where manufacturers
display their capability and packaging
innovations.
In the plastics segment, PET containers are the
top favourite in the one-way container bottling
sector. According to estimates by the market
research company Euromonitor, in 2009 the number
of PET containers produced will rise to 350
billion per annum, which makes it all the more
important to produce PET containers as economically
as possible. A significant trend in PET bottles
is weight reduction, which saves material. A
range of exhibitors at drinktec, producers of preforms
and machine manufacturers, are addressing
the issue of lightweighting. Reducing the material
used, in particular the carrying ring, can result in
considerable cost savings when purchasing materials.
And PET containers are continually increasing
in size. Large-volume PET bottles are in
demand in South, Central and North America in
particular, as the market for soft drinks there is for
3 litre containers or bigger. In parallel with this,
© Messe München