CeMAT Australia 2026 to put food and beverage supply chains in focus

As labour shortages, rising input costs and customer expectations converge, food and beverage manufacturers are under mounting pressure to rethink how they move product — from production line to distribution. CeMAT Australia 2026 is where that conversation gets real.

Returning to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 23–25 June 2026, CeMAT Australia will bring together the solutions, technology and expertise driving the future of warehousing, materials handling and supply chain management.

The entire value chain under one roof

For manufacturing professionals, CeMAT Australia offers a distinct advantage through its co-location with Industrial Transformation Australia and the Processing & Packaging Pavilion.

A single free registration grants access to all three exhibitions, creating a comprehensive platform to explore technologies spanning the entire industrial value chain — from production line output to final distribution.

On the exhibition floor, more than 200 leading suppliers will showcase advances in warehouse automation, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), fleet management systems and end-to-end supply chain software — all relevant to the specific demands of food and beverage environments. Technologies designed to optimise space utilisation, increase throughput and reduce dependence on manual labour have direct application for processors managing high-SKU, time-sensitive stock.

Real-world insights at the Knowledge Theatre

Complementing the exhibition floor is the Knowledge Theatre, powered by SSI SCHAEFER. The program features more than 80 industry leaders sharing applied case studies on AI implementation, retail fulfilment and operational resilience.

Key sessions and speakers include:

• Steven Ballerini, CEO of the Australian Supply Chain & Logistics Association (ASCLA), opening the event with a keynote on the future of intralogistics.
• Erica Berchtold (Chief Commercial Officer, David Jones) and Peter Jones (Managing Director, Prological) discussing retail fulfilment and automation strategy during a dedicated fireside chat.
• Dr Sue Keay, Chair of the Robotics Australia Group, examining how robotics and AI are actively reshaping domestic supply networks.
• Alexandra Kelly, Zero Emissions Delivery Lead at IKEA Australia, detailing the company’s operational journey towards zero-emission logistics.
• Sarah Mullen, Chief Operating Officer at Adore Beauty, outlining the evolving requirements modern retailers demand from warehouse and fulfilment hubs.
• Kirstin Egan, Senior Manager, Supply Chain ANZ & SEA at Medline Australia, sharing strategic lessons from managing high-stakes healthcare supply chains.
   

The speaker line-up also includes insights from experts at Mondelez International, Dematic, Kardex, Jungheinrich, SKUTOPIA and Botsync, providing practical, actionable strategies that manufacturers can apply directly to their own operations.

Precision on the floor

The event will also see the return of the Australian Forklift Championship. The competition brings the country’s most skilled operators to the exhibition floor to compete in precision-based challenges that highlight safety, accuracy and operational excellence in materials handling.

Event details

• CeMAT Australia 2026 (Co-located with Industrial Transformation Australia and the Processing & Packaging Pavilion — powered by APPMA)
• 23–25 June 2026
• Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
   

Registration is free. Register here.

For full program details, exhibitor listings and speaker profiles, visit www.cemat.com.au.

Image: Supplied

Originally published here.