drinktec 2025 in the starting blocks

Innovation and the future of the beverage and liquid food industry –that's what drinktec stands for. The new iteration of the world's leading trade fair drinktec will take place in Munich from 15th to 19th September 2025. With a complete portfolio of products and services ranging from raw materials and ingredients for all beverage sectors to process technology, filling and packaging technology and all related logistics topics, international visitors will once again be given a 360° view of the industry's future prospects. 

Many exhibitors are already in their starting blocks and eagerly awaiting future dialogue with customers and users from the production plants of the beverage and liquid food industry. The drinktec hall layout includes Halls A5 and A6, B4, B5 and B6 as well as the entire C block with Halls C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and C6. With all important entries being opened, visitors will have multiple access points to the exhibition.

Encouraging response from international suppliers 

As usual, the solutions and technologies of all international players will be bundled together in a coherent context for all visitors. There has already been strong interest from overseas exhibitors. "We are seeing a high level of registration. This means that companies that have not yet sent in their registration documents should act quickly. We expect to achieve high capacity utilisation for individual areas quite soon," emphasises Markus Kosak, Executive Director drinktec Cluster. As has been the case at drinktec for many years, the event concept once again includes an attractive supporting programme. In this way, drinktec emphasises its mission to be the orchestrating force behind the industry players and the industry's future scenarios.

Compared to the 2017 and 2022 events, drinktec 2025 will have a different hall structure. In the lead-up to drinktec 2025, IAA Mobility will be held on the Munich exhibition grounds from 9th to 14th September 2025. This will occupy part of the exhibition halls in the A and B Blocks from the West Entrance and will be dismantled starting on 14th September 2025. Rolf Keller, Managing Director of YONTEX and therefore in charge of managing drinktec activities, explains: "The event schedule at the Messe München exhibition centre is very tight. We can only guarantee the build-up times required for beverage machines if we realise the current hall layout for 2025. drinktec has a unique selling point for many exhibitors: it is the only location where they can present live demonstrations and exhibits being original and working machines. This guarantees visitors a clear insight into the technology and exhibitors the highest possible number of contacts." According to Keller, it is therefore in the direct interest of exhibitors to minimise planning and set-up times as much as possible.

Positive market development – beverage packaging machines

According to the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, the production of food processing and packaging machinery rose by 5 per cent to 16.5 billion euros in Germany during 2023. The country’s fifth-largest mechanical engineering sector thus reached a new record volume.

Production of packaging machinery rose by a total of 10 per cent to a commercial volume of just under 8 billion euros whereby the production of beverage packaging machines grew at an above-average rate, increasing by 18 per cent to 2.8 billion euros. The production of beverage manufacturing machinery fell by 6 per cent to 535 million euros in 2023, thus not reaching the record figure of 570 million euros set in 2022.

Positive developments in production and exports were not only recorded for German manufacturers in 2023: International foreign trade i.e. the sum of exports from around 50 industrialised countries rose by 9 per cent to over 27 billion euros for packaging machines alone, reports the VDMA. The industry association expects moderate growth during 2024 based on last year's high level.