PPMA 2024: annual trade show is rapidly approaching
Hall 5 at the NEC will once again be filled with excitement and anticipation, providing visitors to the annual PPMA Show with a perfect platform to network with well-known exhibitors and learn about their latest state-of-the-art technologies and solutions.
For over 35 years the annual PPMA Show has been a highlight of the processing and packaging industry’s calendar.
This event, between 24-26 September at the NEC in Birmingham, is renowned for bringing together thousands of visitors and exhibitors from the FMCG sector.
Owned and organised by Automate UK, the PPMA Show brings together the very best suppliers of processing and packaging machinery, robotics and industrial vision systems with the capability to deliver significant benefits to a wide range of businesses. These include cost reductions, increased efficiency, quality improvements, and reduced downtime and turnaround, all of which can deliver a healthy return on the investment in these technologies.
The show provides visitors and opportunity to experience a complete production line with every aspect of it being represented, from labelling, filling and packaging to processing, robotics, automation and industrial vision systems.
Visitors will be able to see the latest innovations from an impressive line-up of over 350 exhibitors, comprising over 1,500 brands. These exhibiting companies will be showcasing their latest cutting-edge solutions for the full spectrum of the manufacturing industry, including food and beverages, pet care, microbrewers and distillers.
The show floor is expected to be vibrant with live demonstrations and product launches, along with experts on hand to help the visitors find the right solutions for their needs. It is anticipated that the show will deliver impressive results with many business transactions taking place during the three-day show.
Aaron Moore, asset maintenance manager, Nestle, described the 2023 PPMA Show as “fantastic” with lots of suppliers that the company works with in attendance, as well as plenty of innovative solutions, and lot of lessons to take home.
Exhibitor spotlight
Reiser (D110) has been a leading supplier of processing and packaging equipment for the meat, food, pet food, bakery, and cheese industries for over 60 years. From single machines to complete process-to-packaging production lines, their solutions combine specialised equipment, custom engineering, and in-depth expertise to meet customer challenges.
Videojet (E30) is one of the world-leading manufacturers of coding and marking systems. The company’s portfolio includes its full end-to-end suite of primary, secondary and tertiary equipment, including printing date or batch codes onto a food package and labelling full traceability information on a pallet.
ULMA (B20) provides the most extensive selection of packaging machinery and applications on the market. ULMA’s product range also includes fully automated solutions encompassing crate/case loading, product handling, pick and place, palletising, end-of-line, and comprehensive turnkey project management.
Ishida (B50) is a world leader in the design, manufacture and installation of end-to-end weighing, packing and safety solutions for the food industry. The company helps manufacturers increase automation and compliance, reduce cost and downtime, increase operational efficiencies and brand protection, and maximise profits.
The comprehensive exhibitor listing is available online to help visitors plan their visit: https://www.ppmashow.co.uk/exhibitors-2024#/exhibitors/
One of the show highlights is its informative and inspiring expert talks, which provide visitors with a wealth of knowledge to take with them to consider how they can apply this to improve their businesses. This year’s keynote speakers are:
Jessica Sansom, Huel: The manifestations of climate change – rising to the challenge and adapting to a new normal
The food industry is responsible for more than a quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Without significant change in this industry, it will be impossible to limit global warming to under 2 degrees.
134 countries at COP 28 signed a declaration on sustainable food systems, meaning that they must now include food in their national climate action plans, including a commitment to shift from higher greenhouse gas-emitting practices to more sustainable production and consumption approaches.
Jessica’s presentation explores what needs to happen in the processing equipment and packaging machinery sector in order to meet those targets.
Stefan Casey, Nestlé: The digital transformation of FMCG industry: How digital technology is bringing both challenges and opportunities in packaging across the whole value chain
Stefan’s talk will focus on affordable personalisation and customisation in packaging design through to production. His presentation will cover points such as the needs for more flexible packaging production solutions, cost effective solutions by optimising end-to-end from design through to manufacturing, and quality control and safety.
Visitors will also have an opportunity to hear from leading industry speakers including Matt Androsiuk – Cobots and Machinery Safety Ltd, Dr Martin Kidman – SICK UK Ltd, Adam Dickins – AD Frameworks Ltd, and Chris Whyborn – Thornton Tomasetti. The seminars provide a wealth of valuable insights covering a wide range of topics, such as industry standards, CE and UKCA marking, automation to reduce carbon footprint, and many more inspiring subjects.
In addition to the seminars UK Automation Forum will be hosting a panel discussion on ‘What would make UK food businesses adopt more robots?’. The panel is hosted and facilitated by Gail Hunt from Automate UK, who will be joined by industry experts including Mike Loughran – Rockwell Automation, Chris Rooum – MTC – Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Mike Wilson – Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Prof Phil Webb – Cranfield University, and Oliver Selby – FANUC UK. The discussion will focus on the positive impact that adopting automation can have on the sector as well as sharing advice and learnings that can help to deliver successful outcomes.
App experience
To ensure that visitors have a standout show experience, one of the new features at this year’s show is the free PPMA Show app. This will allow visitors to plan their day, have easy access to their entry ticket and discover all aspects of the show, from exhibitors and products through to a complete list of seminars and speakers.
Scott McKenna, chief operating officer at Automate UK, said the team has been working hard to ensure that the PPMA Show continues to live up to its reputation as the UK’s largest event showcasing innovative technology from the processing and packaging industry.
“Our aim is to ensure that the show continues to evolve and as such we’ll be introducing new features to enhance the show experience for both visitors and exhibitors,” McKenna added.
