The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) will be introducing several new show features at this year’s PROCESS EXPO.

First, the Food Safety Program offers daily sessions led by experts from the Food Safety Summit. The sessions, held alongside the full PROCESS EXPO education program are designed to educate processors on how to keep plants and brand reputations safe.

Another new addition to the 2017 show is the on-floor production line demonstrations. Throughout the show, attendees can see demonstrations of three full deli, sausage and bakery production lines. These new innovative displays will help processors make more informed purchasing decisions. View the schematics on the interactive map.

PROCESS EXPO’s new “Feeding the Hopper” presentations, at Booth 3816, are 20-minute presentations and discussions on industry news and trends. For a list of “Feeding the Hopper” presentations, click here.

The Virtual Reality Showroom – held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Booths 3422 and 3425 on Sept. 19 and 20 – will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to experience exhibitors’ equipment in a virtual reality environment.

“We expect that the VR Showroom will be one of the highlights of this year’s show,” said Tom Kittle, FPSA chairman and president of Handtmann Inc. and Handtmann Canada Ltd. “Attendees will get the chance to safely stick their hands into the virtual equipment and get a better idea of how it works than ever before. They’ll get to play with the equipment as well as the finished products that the virtual equipment is making. This innovative technology will truly give our customers a new way to look at our equipment.”

Participating exhibitors in the VR Showroom include: Admix, Avure Technologies, Fornisud, GROTE Company, Mettler-Toledo, Pick Heaters, Risco USA Corporation and SPX Flow.
In addition to new places to learn during the four-day show, there will be ample opportunities to network at various new gatherings during PROCESS EXPO.

The newly created FPSA Women’s Council is open to all women in food and beverage, regardless of age or position within their company. All women involved in food and beverage processing are invited to network during meet-ups and at a special breakfast during the show on Thursday, Sept. 21, as well as through the online LinkedIn group. Visit fpsa.org for more information about the program and to join the group.

FPSA is also inviting industry professionals under the age of 35 to join a newly formed Young Professionals Group (YPG). The YPG will design programs for development and networking for young professionals within FPSA, as well as helping FPSA develop programs and events to keep PROCESS EXPO fresh and exciting! Read more about the group, and connect on LinkedIn.

PROCESS EXPO’s new Refresh and Recharge Lounges are located at designated areas on the show floor. In addition to being a location to connect with colleague, and recharge devices, the R&R Lounges will host 30-minute niche meet-ups for groups including young professionals, women’s leadership, international guests and first-timers. Check the schedule for all the meet up groups and join in.

Another great place to meet and unwind is the new Beer Garden and Chicago Food Sampler. The Beer Garden will be open from 3:00-5:00 p.m. after the first three days of the show. In addition, during the day, attendees can come by to sample delicious Chicago treats including food from Garrett’s Popcorn, Chicago Dogs and Italian Beef, and Lou Mainati’s (Chicago Pizza). There will also be an ice cream social in the Dairy Zone on Dairy Day.

“Between the VR Showroom, our live production lines and demonstration, the HACCP and Preventive Controls Certification course, the Executive Forum, PROCESS EXPO University, the Processor Spotlight Series, our Feed the Hopper sessions and a variety of other networking opportunities, we have filled the week with meaningful activities that address issues within the food processing industry and created new opportunities to identify manufacturing solutions,” said David Seckman, president and CEO of FPSA.