Food and beverage manufacturing innovation was showcased at foodpro 2026 in Melbourne, with the four-day event bringing together more than 10,000 visitors and 519 exhibitors across processing, packaging, ingredients, digital manufacturing and sustainability.
Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26–29 July, the event attracted 10,468 visitors, according to organiser Diversified Australia. The organiser said one in five attendees returned across multiple days to explore the exhibition and engage with suppliers.
Exhibitors included Tetra Pak, GEA Australia, MULTIVAC Australia, TOMRA Food and Thermo Fisher Scientific, alongside more than 400 other suppliers representing areas of the food and beverage value chain.
Diversified Australia said the event provided an opportunity for manufacturers, processors, packaging specialists and research and development teams to examine technologies and solutions across the sector.
“This year’s growth reflects the appetite for innovation across Australian food and beverage manufacturing, and the trust the industry continues to place in foodpro,” said Louise Brooks, Event Director at foodpro.
“The scale of the show, and the quality of the conversations happening on the floor, tell us this is more than an event — it’s a platform the industry relies on to move forward together,” Brooks said.
The event’s Innovation Stage featured presentations across the four days covering automation, robotics, predictive maintenance, sustainable packaging, food safety, traceability, alternative proteins and the use of artificial intelligence for quality inspection.
Sessions also addressed digital manufacturing, IoT-enabled monitoring, export opportunities and regulatory issues affecting Australian food and beverage manufacturers.
Foodpro 2026 also included the AIFST26 Conference, Australasian Institute of Packaging training and seminars, the PIDA Awards Gala Dinner and an Industry Connect Evening.
Diversified Australia used the event to launch FoodTech Sydney 2027, which is scheduled to take place at ICC Sydney on 17–18 August 2027. The organiser said the new event attracted early interest from exhibitors and visitors at foodpro.
Diversified Australia said preparations would now begin for the next stages of the event program, including following up on connections made during foodpro 2026 and sharing key takeaways from the exhibition.
