CHICAGO – PROCESS EXPO officials welcomed German visitors from Messe Frankfurt at a reception at the PROCESS EXPO Beer Garden at the end of the show Sept. 20. Messe Frankfurt, the owner of the world famous IFFA tradeshow held in Frankfurt, Germany, every three years, announced a partnership with the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) during the 2016 IFFA show. Part of the multi-year agreement includes promoting FPSA’s PROCESS EXPO globally and jointly supporting IFFA as well as Messe Frankfurt’s other successful food-focused events that it hosts all over the world.

 FPSA Chairman Tom Kittle and Messe Frankfurt Vice President Ruth Lorenz welcomed guests to the reception and toasted the partnership between the two trade shows. The IFFA reception at the Beer Garden after Day 2 of the show gave attendees an opportunity to hear more about the trade show in Germany – the next one of which is scheduled for May 4-9, 2019 – as well as to network with other international PROCESS EXPO visitors. Guests were entertained by a Bavarian Oompha band during the event.

Members of FPSA met with IFFA officials during their visit to PROCESS EXPO in 2015. The discussion to start a partnership began then and continued, and was officially announced, the following year at IFFA 2016.

“The endorsement and promotion of each other’s shows will increase the international reach, enhance brand awareness of both events and greatly benefit attendees and exhibitors,” Kittle told MEAT+POULTRY during a previous interview. “Cross-promotional campaigns will ensure an increase in international attendee registration. Meanwhile, we will both be gaining name recognition and more visibility with each other’s attendees and exhibitors.”

“Our strategic marketing alliance will benefit the entire sector,” said Wolfgang Marzin, CEO of Messe Frankfurt, in a previous interview with MEAT+POULTRY. “In addition to a number of coordinated marketing measures, we are also considering joint activities in other countries to promote the dynamic development of food technology worldwide. For us, the leading trade fair for the US sector, PROCESS EXPO, is the perfect platform from which to intensify the exchange of information and ideas with important North American markets and customers.”

In 2016, IFFA featured a record number of 1,027 exhibiting companies from around 50 countries. The US is among the show’s Top 10 exhibitor countries. In 2015, approximately 15 percent of PROCESS EXPO attendees were international.

“We aim to bring additional attendees and exhibitors to PROCESS EXPO and at the same time we hope to raise the number of exhibitors and visitors at IFFA from the US in the future,” Marzin said.

PROCESS EXPO visitors can learn more about the IFFA show at the Messe Frankfurt booth, No. 4601.