04/04/14
The challenges and opportunities in the Chinese beverage market were the focus of attention at a two day event from 27-28 March entitled KNOWLEDGEshare Sanya 2014.
Almost 300 participants from all areas of the
supply chain attended the event, staged at the Renaissance Sanya
Resort & Spa on Hainan Island in China and organised in
association with Sidel, global provider of liquid packaging
solutions. Amongst the participants were representatives from the
China Beverage Industry Association and from Nielsen, the global
market research and data specialists, who provided an invaluable
insight into the Chinese market which is characterised by the rapid
pace of change. How to respond to this fast-changing
environment was one of the headline topics on the first day of
KNOWLEDGEshare China 2014, along with an enlightening discussion
into the major driving forces affecting the beverage
market.
Following the morning sessions which focused on the
wider issues, participants then participated in the break-out
sessions. Subjects included how automation can help deliver
higher productivity; the achievement of greater efficiencies
through smarter investments; how to reduce production downtime via
plant optimisation; and the solutions available specifically for
those beverage manufacturers producing products requiring sensitive
or particle filling.
A similar format was followed on day two, with the headline topic this time considering how to innovate to meet the challenges of tomorrow, with the break out sessions looking at new product development; aseptic mixing and dosing solutions; how to reinvent packaging; and solutions in labelling.
The culmination of the opening day saw
a gala dinner which provided further opportunities for networking,
as well as a highly entertaining evening for the attendees.
Commenting on KNOWLEDGEshare China 2014, which followed on from
the success of the first KNOWLEDGEshare event in Frankfurt in
November 2013, Fan Lidong, Vice President of Sidel Greater China
said -"This was very much a departure from the more conventional
'conference' approach where delegates simply sit and listen to the
appointed speakers. As the name of the event suggests, the
objective was to offer a collaborative forum in which the real
issues that the industry faces could be openly discussed, with the
delegates benefiting from the collective knowledge of all those who
participated. It proved an excellent vehicle to achieve this,
illustrating that many of the 
challenges are common to those in different areas
of the supply chain and that addressing them with a collaborative,
industry-wide approach is much more effective than trying to do so
in isolation."
After the event, the discussions move online, supported by a dedicated KNOWLEDGEshare blog, where everyone in the beverage industry can join the discussions. You can find out more at www.knowledgeshare.com.
Download the press release here.
HD pictures to download.