Upcoming food and beverage innovation events 2018-19

The upcoming events for innovators in the food and beverage space contain a few gems, scattered across the globe. Some of the themes this year include innovative food substitutes, sustainable food production, health regulations, latest technologies and consumer trends. Here’s a small selection for you to tuck into.

Posted November 20, 2018

Future Food Tech

21-22 March 2019, San Francisco

This two-day summit is hailed as the most international gathering of business leaders, VC investors and good-tech pioneers to transform food innovation and investment. By 2024, the world population will reach 8 billion. One of the key challenges is being able to feed the world’s population in a sustainable and healthy way. Consumers are also demanding more nutritious, personalised and traceable food, so the industry needs to keep up with the latest trends and technologies.

Some of the key themes include:

• Innovative ingredients, additives, functional foods
• Human health and nutrition
• Personalised nutrition
• Alternative proteins
• Food traceability and fraud prevention
• Corporate venturing in food

Rethink Agri-Food Innovation Week

27-29 November 2018, Singapore

Singapore’s first “Rethink Agri-Food Innovation Week” will focus on the role of technology in building a sustainable and efficient agri-food supply that can deliver nutritious food in today’s fast-changing consumer market. Food brands, ingredients manufacturers, agribusinesses, equipment manufacturers and investors will congregate to share innovation strategies and experiences from all over the world. There will be round table discussions, panel debates and case studies to help you maximise insight and share knowledge.

11^th Annual American Food Innovate Summit

4-5 February 2019, Chicago

Innovative foodies, comprising over 30 senior innovators, developers, food scientists, marketers and researchers, will share ground-breaking case studies to help you improve the success rates of your product launches. You can gain inspiration from the latest technologies, ingredients and strategies, to get ahead of consumer trends and discover alternatives disrupting the food industry—such as plant-based and allergen-free food.

Some of the key speakers include:

• Tammy Butterworth, Global R&D Manager at PepsiCo
• Andria Long, VP of Innovation and Consumer Insights at Johnsonville Sausage
• Brigette Wolf, Senior Director, Global Platform Innovation (Biscuits, gum and candy) at Mondelez International

3^rd Global Dairy Innovation Congress MENA 2019

28-29 January 2019, Dubai (UAE)

Got milk? If so, this event is (touted as) the only one to provide deep insight into the market opportunities in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries. It also explores dairy product demands and preferences, channel and trade strategies, and emerging farming and processing technologies. The 2019 edition promises to unpack the latest MENA requirements for dairy products (across quality and nutrition), as well as automated milk production techniques that can withstand harsh desert environments. Finally, there’ll be a showcase of innovative dairy products. Presentations will cover topics including:

• Advanced Dairy Processing Measures to Ensure Continuous Competitive Advantage
• Unveiling New Dairy Regulations and Growth Potentials in UAE
• Explore MENA Requirements for Dairy Products: From Quality to Nutrition
• New Packaging Solutions to Boost Dairy Products Availability in MENA

Attending organisations include Arla, Ecolab and Danone, among others.

Gulfood

17-21 February 2019, Dubai

Dubbed “the world’s largest annual food and beverages trade show”, this event covers sectors including fats and oils, meat and poultry, beverages, and health, wellness and free-from, among others. In 2018, the 23^rd edition of the 5-day conference hosted 97,000 attendees from 185 countries. Regional trends—across the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Australasia, North America and Latin America—were discussed, and attendees got to learn about key facets of the industry, including:

• Concepts and innovations that determine the market leaders
• Latest trends in consumer behaviour
• Challenges prevalent in the global food industry and how to overcome them
• New commercial opportunities and how to exploit them

Full details of the 2019 event are yet to be released but you can bookmark the website for easy reference.

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