Two weeks back, the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) announced its new joint venture with Messe Frankfurt, Inc to co-produce PROCESS EXPO. Soon after, I received a message from one of our long-time members who asked how this announcement was different from the one in May where we announced that MFI would take over show management.

Frankly, I was a little surprised at this confusion, but it made me realize that sometimes when you are in it, it is hard to tell the forest from the trees. For this reason, at the recent FPSA Fall Board meeting, we discussed this development and how it fundamentally would change PROCESS EXPO moving forward. In fact, members of FPSA’s leadership, which has worked for quite some time on creating this partnership, were adamant about the positive impact it will have on the show.

Gil Williams, Chairman of FIT, Inc shared, “This joint venture is a big deal. By joining forces with one of the largest trade show organizers in the world, we expect to see immediate dividends on the PROCESS EXPO show floor in terms of new buyers from around the world, as well as new exhibitors and technologies for our customers to experience. This move puts PROCESS EXPO on the world stage and on the path to being the must-attend event that we envisioned back when we launched it.”

This message was echoed by FPSA Past Chairman, Jarrod McCarroll. “I have personally participated in Messe Frankfurt shows for nearly 20 years and have always been impressed with the operations or more importantly, the results. Aligning FPSA with Messe Frankfurt delivers a tremendous amount of trade show expertise that will immediately benefit all PROCESS EXPO exhibitors, as well as our customers who will have access to more manufacturing solutions on the trade show floor. This partnership solidifies PROCESS EXPO’s position as THE food technology event for the Americas.”

Brian Perkins, Chair of the FPSA Show Committee was especially enthusiastic given his role in the Association and the multiple meetings he has attended with FPSA and MFI staff. “We are very excited about this joint venture partnership with Messe Frankfurt as this expands PROCESS EXPO’s reach into new markets and greatly enhances the promotional resources at our disposal. As partners in this event, we have much more firepower to highlight the latest innovations in food processing and packaging technology and respond to the needs of our industry.”

This sentiment was shared by all members of the FPSA Board of Directors who voted unanimously to approve the joint venture as it would undoubtably strengthen the event and provide additional resources to provide cutting edge activities such as the PROCESS EXPO Production Lines and Innovations Showcase.

Additionally, FPSA Treasurer, Bob Campbell saw this as a win, not just for FPSA and its exhibitors but also for the industry overall. “The joint venture agreement with Messe Frankfurt and FPSA represents an investment on the part of both organizations in building the premier trade show event of the Americas for the food and beverage industry. This presents tremendous opportunity to leverage the strengths of both groups as we create a platform to unite buyers and sellers to address common challenges and launch new opportunities for all.”

And finally, Assistant Treasurer, Erik Brainard, was quick to point out that this partnership would boast benefits for participants across the entire spectrum of the food industry. “This partnership with Messe Frankfurt is sure to pack a punch for PROCESS EXPO. Our new joint venture partner not only has offices in over 30 countries, but they produce some of the world’s most important food processing trade shows, including events catering to key segments of the industry such as meat, bakery, and ingredients. This will help us not just in those segments but across the entire horizontal spectrum of the food and beverage industry as it raises PROCESS EXPO’s profile as the top resources for food industry solutions.”

In short, FPSA is excited about this next step in the evolution of the MFI partnership because it goes far beyond just managing PROCESS EXPO. We now have a partner who is invested in helping us to achieve our goal of creating THE food technology event of the Americas, a partner that has the resources and expertise to help us make it happen, and leadership that understands this market and what your customers are looking for.

No confusion there. It is a big deal!

Andy Drennan
SVP, Food Processing Suppliers Association