Australia’s largest food manufacturing event foodpro 2023 finished as a huge success on Wednesday, showcasing more than 400 of the country’s top food manufacturing companies.
The B2B event, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 23 to 26 July, convened a strong traffic of industry representatives, including top CEOs, business owners, general managers, and directors.
The meat and seafood sector formed the largest part of the show’s population, with visitors’ areas of interest comprising plant equipment, ingredients, food science and technology, processing and packaging, packaging materials, logistics and handling, information technology and digital factories, and government and business services.
“This year’s theme was Invest with the Best and we were thrilled foodpro attracted so many industry professionals with real buying power who came to see trusted suppliers, and seek out new equipment, innovations and products to create efficiencies to remain at the forefront,” said Felicity Parker, foodpro’s event and product manager.
Foodpro runs every three years but was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“It was the first time we’d exhibited in Melbourne for nine years and industry was more than ready to welcome us back. We were also the first Australian event in the international calendar to showcase the latest developments in food manufacturing from overseas as well as locally,” Parker said.
Foodpro 2023 also marked the first time the Victorian government served as the event’s principal partner. The event was officially opened on the second day by MP Bronwyn Halfpenny, Parliamentary Secretary for Jobs, attending on behalf of Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll.
“The Victorian Government has established food as one of the key five areas that is vitally important to Victoria. We understand that isn’t easy for businesses small and large in this area, so we are pleased to partner this event to help put Victoria on the map for the food and beverage industry,” Halfpenny said.
Foodpro also featured new initiatives, including The Sensory Experience, which highlighted exhibitors unveiling new tastes, flavours, colours and experiences, and the Sustainability Spotlight showcasing suppliers leading the easy in mindful manufacturing.
The expo will be back in 2026.
