Page 8 - Food&Drink magazine Feb-Mar 2023

EVENT UPDATE
The inaugural
thinkfood LIVE
event is on 26-
27 October at Carriageworks in Sydney. Designed to close the gap between NPD ideas and execution, trends, and future technologies, it
will be a valuable two days.
thinkfood, think LIVE
commercial insights, and ingredients trends, as well as future technologies, and design and creative sessions.
thinkfood LIVE will also host an exhibition with trusted suppliers, showcasing their NPD expertise in areas including ingredients
and flavours, creative services, packaging solutions, consumer research, food science, and technology.
The exhibition will offer opportunities for these suppliers to meet with R&D managers; NPD managers; technical buyers; brand managers; marketing managers; product managers and purchasing managers.
A range of branding and sponsorship options are available to reach this audience via the thinkfood LIVE event and online.
thinkfood LIVE is proudly supported by: Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology (AIFST); Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP); Investment NSW; Small Business Organisations Australia; Langdon Ingredients and PLAY Consumer-Led Innovation.
“The event will be made up of the specialist industry professionals responsible for specifying ingredients and services to support new product development,” said product manager Felicity Parker.
Meeting suppliers and exploring new ideas to keep products at the forefront of this competitive market, will give buyers the opportunity to be at the epicentre of an innovative product solution. ✷
ONE of Australia’s top innovation experts says there’s never been a more exciting time in the last 100 years for food manufacturers to innovate with new product development.
Speaking at the launch for thinkfood LIVE 2023 at Sydney’s Carriageworks, Becky Mead, managing director of consumer-led innovation group, PLAY, said post-pandemic there’s an even greater urgency to understand innovation strategies and trends from a consumer perspective.
thinkfood LIVE, will be held on 25-26 October this year at Carriageworks, Sydney.
It will connect food professionals with suppliers and service providers to kickstart their NPD journey or breathe new life into existing products.
“There’s a bit of a controversial theory that over a span of 100 years society’s pattern is circular,” Mead told the room.
“The four stages are growth, maturation, randomness, and rebirth following a crisis. We’re now at a solid stage four.”
UNDERSTANDING TRENDS
Given the fierce competition, Mead said it was vital to identify trends and understand target markets.
“Understanding how society
repeats patterns can help identify what trends to follow. Everyone needs to be keeping an eye on what’s happening in culture, the environment, policy, science and technology.”
Mead added that manufacturers don’t necessarily need to break the mould, but rather follow on from what’s already trending.
“If you look at this year’s NeilsonIQ Breakthrough Innovations in Australia it included low calorie cake bars, iced lattes, plant-based barista style milk and disinfectant spray. These things are on trend but not particularly wowing or wacky. So, you don’t need to peer too far into the future, because you may miss a golden opportunity right now.
“It’s more important to keep your finger on the pulse and execute quickly when you need to.”
The launch party for the inaugural thinkfood LIVE was held late last year and attended by a wide range of suppliers, creatives, and food development professionals hailing from leading businesses including Vow, Breville, Kerry, Goodman Fielder, Woolworths, Arnott’s Biscuits, Mintel, and Sunrice.
Learning how to protect your innovation pipeline within the new challenging landscape will be one of the themes underpinning the conference.
Designed in collaboration with industry content advisors, the conference will bridge the gap between NPD ideas and execution. It will cover
8 | Food&Drink business | February/March 2023 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au
MAIN: PLAY MD Becky Mead at the launch event. “Understanding how society repeats patterns can help identify what trends to follow.”
ABOVE: Attendees at the launch of the inaugural thinkfood LIVE, being held later this year.
RIGHT: thinkfood LIVE will be held at Carriageworks in Sydney.