Article taken from ItalyPackaging - 26 November 2024

The protocol focussing on the liquid food & beverage market was signed at SIMEI 2024

The strategic agreement between UIV (Unione Italiana Vini) and Ipack Ima was signed on the occasion of SIMEI 2024, the international wine-making and bottling machine and equipment exhibition, giving life to Bevertech, a new vertical trade fair for the Liquid Food & beverage sector. The co-organisation brings together Ipack Ima and SIMEI, the world's leading event for machines and products for oenology, spirits, oil and beer. A partnership that strengthens Ipack Ima's position as a reference point for packaging, processing and new materials technologies regarding a diverse range of products that includes beverages, drinking milk, soft drinks, mineral waters, beer, functional & energy drinks, juices, baby drinks and baby foods, as well as soups, dressings and sauces. The partnership thus marks the union between two industry excellences strengthened in the integrated approach to a global market like F&B. Among the advantages, the consolidation of the network that favours the meeting of supply and demand, the growth of development opportunities for companies and the promotion of best practices in the sector at an international level.

A constantly evolving strategic plan

With this new partnership, Ipack Ima continues to implement the Strategic internationalisation and specialisation plan in vertical business communities, which aims to offer an excellent, integrated and international exhibition proposal aimed at global markets.

A market that continues to grow

Proof of the potential shown by the sector is the data, which globally points to a high average annual growth rate in production and technologies. Beverage and liquid food production, in fact, is expected to reach a value of over 1,600 billion euros by the end of 2024, with a growth forecast of + 4.7%. In the lead, the USA with 218.9 billion, followed by Germany with 53.3 billion, France with 46.2 billion and Italy with 40.9 billion. A look at packaging machinery reveals a sector worth 14.9 billion with an average annual growth of +2.9. As for the segment of processing and preparation machines, on the other hand, the value expressed at the end of 2024, stands at 23 billion, with an average growth estimate of +5.5%. (source: Ucima/MECS)

Over to the key players

"Verticality and innovation of our products on the Ipack Ima integrated platform, this is the action we are implementing. This year, we have strengthened collaborations and activated new strategic alliances, in full compliance with our strategic plan and the new agreement is testimony to this. Valerio Soli, President of Ipack Ima asserted - Our goal is to become an ecosystem of specialised and complementary fairs capable of promoting cross-industry opportunities that play the role of business accelerators".

"Verticality and specialisation – the CEO of Unione Italiana Vini Servizi, Paolo Castelletti, said - increasingly represent the future of international trade fairs, to the benefit of companies. The Beverage industry is a natural fit in Italy and cannot leave out the wine sector that is strongly represented in a leading trade fair such as SIMEI. We are very confident in this partnership that will facilitate new developments and opportunities for a growing fair like ours".