The upcoming EATS (Equipment, Automation, and Technology Show) for Food & Beverage event started life in 2010 as Process Expo. While the newly retitled expo will offer some of the same opportunities to check out processing equipment, network with industry peers, and dive into educational sessions, the people behind the show also promise a range of upgrades beyond the refreshed name.

EATS is scheduled to land October 28-30 in Chicago, at the city’s McCormick Place. Jointly owned by the Food Production Suppliers Association (FPSA) and Messe Frankfurt, the event is designed to offer an extensive resource for snack producers, bakers, and other food and beverage industry professionals to explore recent innovations, and to check out opportunities for collaboration.

“By combining up-close experiences with focused content, EATS equips professionals with the tools to refine their processes and drive growth,” explains Chris Lyons, president and CEO of FPSA. "Our goal is that every attendee learns or experiences something that they can take back to their company and have a measurable impact."

According to producers, EATS is North America’s only show representing the entire food and beverage industry. The event brings together eight different sectors (including bakery, confectionery, prepared foods, and others) and enables manufacturers, suppliers, processors, and other stakeholders to get up close advanced processing technologies, network with other industry members, and take part in a broad range of educational programming.

“Industry professionals have the opportunity to explore the latest technologies that can enhance their operations,” states Constantin von Vieregge, president of Messe Frankfurt. “Our partnerships with leading experts such as drinktec and IFFA further ensure that attendees gain access to world-class expertise and solutions that address today’s challenges.”

Talking tech
The EATS exhibit floor is set to feature hundreds of companies showcasing their latest equipment, software, and other offerings for companies in various food and beverage sectors. The solutions on display fall into a number of vital categories of interest to operators in the field:

• Chemical processing equipment: including emulsifiers and accessories, extractors, maturing equipment, and other tech
• Environmental equipment and waste: water and wastewater treatment, chemical storage, product recovery, and more
• Facilities management: computer systems, maintenance and repair products, pest control, and other areas
• Food and beverage preparation: cleaning and washing gear, peelers, separators, sorters/graders, and more
• Heat processing equipment: baking systems, cooking equipment, fryers, heat exchangers, and other gear
• Industry services: construction and design/build services, architects, engineers, appraisers, and more
• Ingredients: flavors and flavor enhancers, grains, fats and oils, nuts, flour, and others
• Laboratory testing and quality control: lab equipment and suppliers, checkweighers, inspection equipment, and more
• Material handling and distribution: conveyors, crates, dry-ingredient handling, feeders, pallets/palletizing systems, and others
• Mechanical processing equipment: coating equipment, corers, blending gear, extruders, and more
• Packaging equipment and accessories: carton formers, fillers, films, labeling gear, pouches, and other gear
• Processing parts and accessories: drives/motors, cable, flow meters, valves, pumps, and more
• Safety and PPE: protective apparel, flooring, workwear, and more
• Sanitation supplies and equipment: boot washers, cleaning/sanitizing technologies, ozone, washers, and other items
• Software solutions: enterprise resource planning (ERP), overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), quality management software (QMS) and others
• Sterilization and preservation: chillers, freezers, coolers, high-pressure processing equipment, and more.

Watch and learn
The EATS agenda features a range of chances for attendees to learn from leaders in the field, in both classroom-like settings and during demos that mirror real-world manufacturing environments. One of the demos is a bakery production line, showing off an integrated system that manufactures pastries. Taking place on several days and times throughout the show in booth 5700, the demo involves the technological contributions of several companies:

• CMC America
• Formust Fuji
• Fritsch/Multivac
• Handtmann
• Revent Inc.

In addition to the pastry demo, equipment setups also will be demonstration a line producing pepperoni, and another making fresh pet food.

New to the EATS program is EATS Kitchen, an immersive area designed to give attendees ideas on how to incorporate innovative ideas into products from ideation to finished packaged products. The specialized area is situated in booth 3748.

“EATS Kitchen captures the essence of what makes this show so valuable-up-close learning, production insight, and real-time inspiration,” notes Sarah Hatcher, group show director for EATS. “From concept to execution, this area brings together the art and science of food production in one dynamic space.”

Sessions on the EATS Kitchen schedule include presentations led by celebrity chefs Rick Bayless and Jeff Mauro, butchering demonstrations, and more.

Educational opportunities
Other EATS learning sessions also are situated adjacent to the exhibit floor, a move intended to enable attendees to get back to the exhibits and other action right after presentations wrap up. These events, according to show organizers, are aimed at giving participants useful insights into the latest trends, challenges facing the industry, and other important areas.

Session highlights include:

• Market Trends & Consumer Behavior (October 28, 2:00 p.m.): led by Nikola Vajda, Global Consulting
• Sweet Success: Scaling from Kitchen to Commercial Baking at Scale (October 28, 22:30 p.m.): presented by Teresa Ging, Sugar Bliss
• Stretching the Life of Existing Equipment (October 28, 4:00 p.m.): led by Jack Grote, Grote Co.
• Expert Insights for Overcoming Bakery Sector Sanitation Challenges (October 29, 11:30 a.m.): presented by Erik Kurdelak, Commercial Maintenance Services
• Adding Food-handling Robotics to a Bakery Line (October 29, 3:00 p.m.): led by Rya Park, SPI Automation
• Utilizing Training for Smarter Operations and New Revenue Pathways (October 29, 4:00 p.m.): presented by Mike Burica, WorkForge; Dave Gregory, Weber Inc.
• Sanitary Conveyors: Critical to Food Safety (October 30, 2:30 p.m.): presented by Barry Whitman, Grote Co.

More food for thought
The Innovation Awards is a program created to recognize achievements in the fields of research, new products, and technologies of particular usefulness to the food and beverage field. The recognition seeks to honor the minds behind cutting-edge develoments that show creative thinking and promote ways to further the industry as a whole. Categorie include:

• Best New Product
• Best New Technology for Sustainability
• Best New Technology for Automation.

Then, one of the events taking place during EATS, the FPSA Womens Alliance Breakfast, combines the opportunity to network with a chance to recognize the contributions of innovative, hardworking members of the industry. Scheduled October 29 at 8:30 a.m. in room S401, the event invites anyone registered for EATS (signup is required) to attend to celebrate the achievements of women. In addition, individuals who have made positive contributions to the field will be recognized with the Red Circle Honors.

EATS show organizers also plan to continue the Process Expo tradition of giving back to the community. Through the Defeat Hunger campaign, which benefits the Greater Chicago Food Depository, FPSA and supporters have given up to 1.6 million meals to people in the area dealing with food insecurity.

For more information about EATS 2025 or to register, visit the show website. SF&WB