FDBusiness.com

Foodex 2016, the UK’s premier trade event for the food and drink processing, packaging, ingredients and logistics industries, returns to the NEC in Birmingham from 18-20 April 2016 with an action packed feature programme. Visitors will have the opportunity to join lively debates, plenary sessions and interactive masterclasses while seeing who’s crowned the winner in a number of highly regarded industry competitions.

The show will play host to the Great New Idea competition. Exhibitors will be asked to submit a new product/idea that has been launched within the sector in the last six months for the opportunity to win the Best New Idea Award, which will be presented live at the show. The award will be voted for by visitors leading up to the show online, with the finalists taking to the stage to present their innovations to judges and an audience before the winner is announced.

Exhibitors who have entered for the Great New Idea competition include Zenith Contract Services with its seamless flooring; Mono Equipment with its Universal Confectionery Depositor; J&N Food Equipment with its food processing equipment; IC Lighting with its Foodspace LED Tube; and AIB International with its Baking Process Kill Step Calculators.

Foodex will also once again play host to the National Meat Products and Premier Young Butcher competitions in conjunction with the National Federation of Meat & Food Traders (NFMFT). Sponsored by AHDB Beef & Lamb, AHDB Pork, Cambrian Training, Institute of Meat, Quality Meat Scotland, RAPS (UK), Weddel Swift and the Worshipful Company of Butchers, the Premier Young Butcher 2016 competition will welcome butchery apprentices from across the UKto compete by producing and displaying innovative Ready to Eat, Stuffed Roast, Seam Butchery, Barbecue and Kitchen Ready products.

The National Meat Product Competition 2016 will also return for the sixth consecutive event for its biggest and best instalment yet. It will feature 20 categories and will see, for the first, time the inclusion of charcuterie in addition to the standard favourites of sausages, bacon, burgers, ready meals and pies. The competition, open to all independent butchers, farm shops and food processors, provides entrants with a significant opportunity to showcase their products and reap the rewards of local publicity to stimulate sales from customers both old and new. On the third and final day, visitors can take part in the Forklift Operator of the Year competition, in association with RTITB.

In addition to the industry respected competitions, visitors will have access to a rich programme of content both at Foodex as well as co-located shows Food & Drink Expo, Farm Shop & Deli Show and the National Convenience Show. With over 100 sessions and 250 speakers confirmed, visitors can hear from the industry’s leading experts on a wide range of topics including food and drink fraud, protecting supply chains and opportunities and threats in exporting.

Highlighting one of the biggest, ongoing issues facing the industry, the skills gap will be addressed at the Foodex Future Skills Summit. A number of leading experts will gather to address the challenges facing the industry and what can be done to encourage fresh talent to climb the ranks. Key spokespersons will join the panel consisting of Jon Poole, CEO of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and representatives from the National Skills Academy with further keynote speakers to be announced soon.

With an exciting range of competitions and seminars taking place at the shows, visitors will also be invited to join the Food Storage & Distribution Federation, on Tuesday 19 March from 9 am until the show doors open at 10.30 am, to hear more about the federation’s initiatives and key events that are in place for 2016. From specialist seminars and vocational training to member networking events and government lobbying, the federation will showcase its hard work to educate and support its members and the wider temperature-controlled food storage and distribution industry across all areas of the business.

Visitors will also be able to explore a number of the latest innovations from Denmark. Foodex will welcome, for the first time, the likes of Cabinplant, who create tailor-made weighing and packaging solutions for the food industry and Jimco, who specialise in air and water purification, to the Pavilion of Denmark. There will be seven Danish companies in total exhibiting at Foodex 2016.

Dan Dixon, Event Director, says: “This year’s show has a fantastic programme with a whole host of new and returning features. At Foodex 2016, there truly is something for everybody. I’m thoroughly looking forward to hearing from the likes of the Food & Drink Federation and viewing the latest innovations from the competition entrants.”

To vote, visit: http://www.foodex.co.uk/products/category-a-great-new-idea.

Foodex 2016 is co-located with the Farm Shop & Deli Show, National Convenience Show and Food & Drink Expo. To register for free, receiving entry to all co-located shows, visit: www.foodex.co.uk.