Tradeshow
Food Automation & Manufacturing
Symposium and Expo
FA&M 2025, happening April 14–16 in Tampa, brings together food and beverage manufacturing leaders to explore automation, sustainability, and operational efficiency. With expert sessions and an intimate expo, it’s where plant managers and engineers find real-world solutions to modernize operations and maximize ROI.
category
Food & Beverage
Manufacturing,
Automation,
Engineering
event keywords
Food processing,
automation,
plant operations,
sustainability,
manufacturing innovation, operational efficiency,
food tech
About the tradeshow
The Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo (FA&M) is the premier destination for food and beverage manufacturers who are serious about optimization. Running April 14–16 in Tampa, FA&M offers immersive sessions on automation, plant modernization, packaging, and sustainability—delivered by operations leaders and technical experts. It’s not just another trade show; it’s a working lab of ideas for plant managers, engineering teams, and C-suite decision-makers ready to level up production.
The compact format makes real conversations with solution providers possible. For field marketers, this is an opportunity to engage a technically minded audience that values functionality over flash. Tools like momencio are essential here—helping brands turn brief booth visits into detailed engagement records, automate follow-ups based on technical interest, and track ROI long after the exhibit hall closes.
Visitor demographics / insights
Job Titles: Plant managers, VPs of operations, manufacturing engineers, automation experts, food safety and quality professionals
Industries: Food and beverage processing and manufacturing
Common Goals: Streamlining operations, driving down costs, boosting output, staying compliant, adopting smarter automation systems
Event Format: Highly interactive, peer-to-peer learning, solution showcases, networking with industry suppliers
What matters to FA&M's audience?
FA&M attendees aren’t your average event crowd. These are operations-first, process-obsessed, and results-driven professionals—plant managers, automation engineers, directors of operations—who show up looking for:
- Tools to automate and optimize plant floors
- Solutions to cut costs without sacrificing quality
- Tech that integrates smoothly with legacy systems
- Ways to justify capital investments with ROI-backed data
- Strategies for future-proofing their production lines
They care less about flash and more about function—so anything you bring to the table needs to be smart, seamless, and outcome-focused.
3 Tips to turn every FA&M conversation into a future deal
How to get serious ROI from the show floor
🕒
Prioritize real-time relevance
FA&M attendees are here with specific challenges—don’t delay your response. Use tools like momencio to capture what they’re asking about in the moment so follow-up emails are tailored, timely, and genuinely helpful.
🧠
Match their mindset, not just your message
These are engineers and plant leaders. Skip the fluff. Speak to process, output, and ROI—then use momencio to tag leads by technical interest for smarter segmentation.
🧲
Make the booth work harder
Your booth doesn’t end at the table. Use interactive demos, digital collateral, and strategic scans to capture rich lead data. momencio ensures you don’t just collect—you convert.
Best practices for exhibitors at FA&M 2025
🎛
Highlight engineering outcomes
Don’t just show up—strategize. Know who you want to talk to, and prep key metrics around automation, sustainability, or operational gains.
💡 How momencio helps: Build pre-event workflows to track interest and schedule time with high-value prospects before the show starts.
🧲
Make your booth a magnet
This crowd isn’t here for swag—they want substance. Use tight demos, value-focused signage, and hands-on content that maps to plant-level needs.
💡 How momencio helps: Use digital collateral and content tracking to see what booth visitors actually engage with—and tailor follow-ups accordingly.
⚡
Capture smarter, not harder
Business cards? Outdated. Badge scans? Generic. You need context—who they are, what they care about, what you discussed.
💡 How momencio helps: Multi-channel lead capture (scan, form, badge) + real-time AI enrichment = more qualified, less ice-cold leads.
🧠
Score and segment on the spot
Every lead shouldn’t get the same follow-up. Score them based on urgency and buying power right at the booth.
💡 How momencio helps: Real-time lead scoring and segmentation lets your team focus on hot leads, not cold lists.
📩
Follow up before they forget you
Timing is everything. Waiting a week post-show? That’s a conversion killer.
💡 How momencio helps: Trigger personalized follow-ups right after lead capture—while the conversation’s still fresh.
🔄
Sync with sales before you hit the floor
One of the biggest event mistakes? Treating it as just marketing. Align with sales so nothing falls through the cracks.
💡 How momencio helps: Syncs booth data with CRM in real time—so your team knows who’s engaging and who’s following up.
10 FAQs for exhibitors and event pros attending FA&M
Expect senior-level decision-makers—plant managers, operations directors, engineers—who are looking for real solutions to real production problems. They’re not here to browse. They’re here to benchmark.
Skip the gimmicks. Focus on clearly articulating operational impact—savings, efficiency, automation gains. This audience values proof, not polish.
Automation, sustainability, plant modernization, and packaging innovation. Anything that helps reduce cost, downtime, or waste will land well.
April 14 has the welcome reception (6–7:30 PM), but April 15 from 1:45–4:30 PM is prime expo time. Be ready with demos, collateral, and fast ways to capture interest.
Reference what was said, not just that someone stopped by. Attendees get bombarded post-show—specificity and timing are what win.
Send targeted outreach before FA&M. Even a simple “Are you attending?” message can spark interest and help you pre-book valuable booth meetings.
Badge scanning is available, but you’ll want your own system to enrich those leads and capture context. It’s a small show—every contact counts.
Focus on quality over quantity. Make sure every team member is trained to qualify leads quickly and take smart notes that inform follow-up.
Being too vague, over-relying on visuals, or treating it like a branding play. FA&M is tactical. Lead with value, clarity, and technical know-how.
It’s built for this kind of event. From real-time lead capture and contextual tracking to instant follow-up and CRM sync, momencio makes sure your booth work actually turns into pipeline.
