After more than 30 years AUSPACK has re-branded the event as APPEX and extended the scope of the event to include food processing solutions, as well as packaging.
The event is set to take place at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from March 12 to 15, 2024, with the tag line reflecting the aim of the event, “Sustainability, Efficiency, and Automation for Australian Manufacturers”.
A secondary tag line also showcases the importance of APPEX to the food and beverage manufacturing industry, touting the ‘largest processing and packaging expo in Australia’’.
“This will be the largest B2B trade show for our industry ever to be held in Australia with the widest range of working machinery on the floor,” said Mark Dingley, APPMA chair.
“It is a showcase of the total processing and packaging sector with a focus on the latest technology and
best practice.
“And it is an unprecedented opportunity for knowledge exchange delivered by industry, for industry.”
The exhibition is set to be divided in four zones to help visitors better navigate the large and exciting event space.
The four zones will be materials and packaging, packaging machinery, IT & services, and processing and
packaging machinery.
APPEX is already expected to attract more than 12,000 visitors across the four-day event, which is also set to not only be the largest expo of its type in Australia, but the largest display of working machinery, uniting all sectors across the processing and packaging industry.
The aim of the expo, among other things, is to bring the wider industry together under one roof, at an event already 50 per cent larger than what AUSPACK had been.
The 50 per cent increase in size of the expo also justifies the re-branding to include processing in the traditionally packaging focused event.
The latest equipment, technologies, and innovations from over 350 exhibitors will be on display at APPEX 2024. Some key exhibitors include SMC, Rockwell Automation, Multivac, Columbit, Food Processing Equipment, Visy, and Ulma Packaging.
Beckhoff will also be present at the event and has made it known the company will be launching a new range at APPEX, TwinCAT and TwinCAT 3.
“In 1986, we produced our first PC-based controller system and in 1996, the first commercial version of TwinCAT was launched,” said Supriya Suhale, category manager – Connectivity for Beckhoff Automation.
“Looking back, it’s unbelievable to think about how instrumental this innovation was in shaping the industry that we know today.
“It is an integrated development environment used to transform almost any PC-based system into a real-time control solution with multiple PLC, NC, CNC and robotic runtime systems.”
There will also be a string of industry focused events and workshops within the expo which will help showcase sectors even further, such as the Meat Industry Day.
Meat Industry Day will be held on Wednesday, March 13, and is in partnership with the Australian Meat Industry Council AMIC, Australian Meat Processor Corporation AMPC, Meat & Livestock Australia MLA.
The day will deliver tailored educational content, showcase new processing and packaging technology and developments, all while presenting an opportunity for the two industries to connect, develop and do business.
Meat Industry Day will finish with an exclusive industry networking event.
There will also be food and beverage focused sessions as part of the Food Industry Solution Series, and presentations from Robotics Australia, a partner of APPEX 2024, which will explore the role and future of robotics in processing and packaging.
As with AUSPACK, attendees can also expect a plethora of live demonstrations throughout each of the four days. This is a huge focus for organisers as APPEX.
APPEX also provides an amazing networking opportunity for all in the industry who choose to attend.
The show floor will include networking hubs and restaurants where visitors can enjoy a meal and drink with opportunities to host clients or have meetings with new potential clients.
The APPMA Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner will be held during APPEX 2024 on Wednesday, March 13, in the Melbourne Room at the MCEC.
Attendees of the gala dinner can expect to enjoy a three-course dinner paired with a celebration of the industry’s achievements and entertainment with host Tim Campbell returning as MC again.
Some of the Awards categories include the Customer Systems Integration Award, the Emerging Leader Award, the Packaging Design Innovation Award, the Sustainability Excellence Award, and the Australian Machinery Manufacturer Award.
The awards provide an opportunity for the packaging and processing industries to celebrate their wins and achievements while fostering innovation and collaboration.
Some of the awards are also being sponsored by key event partners.
Experts in food manufacturing equipment, Heat & Control, are sponsoring the emerging Leader Award. While Nord Drivesystems, experts in innovative drive solutions, will be sponsoring the Australian Machinery Manufacturer Award – SME
“For manufacturers looking for new machinery, automation and technology to improve their production lines this show is by far the largest event ever held in Australia,” said Dingley.
APPMA CEO, Michael Moran, said the event was an exciting platform.
“The program provides an exciting springboard for companies to receive industry wide acknowledgement, validation and recognition of their leadership, innovations, and achievements in the areas of machinery, packaging design, digital integration, sustainability and next gen personnel development,” he said.