Call For Presentations Open

Advancing the Food & Beverage Industry Through Modeling & Simulation Engineering

October 9, 2025 | Valhalla, NY, USA

The global food and beverage industry is worth over $7 trillion. With complex processes from production to packaging, modeling and simulation (M&S) is crucial for driving innovation, improving efficiency, and enhancing sustainability in a rapidly evolving sector. Companies leverage M&S to optimize every step, saving time and resources.

Key Industry Priorities

This seminar shows how simulation addresses four major priorities:

• Energy Optimisation & Efficiency: Virtual models fine-tune processes to cut energy usage and costs,
• Digitalisation: M&S underpins digital transformation, using digital twins and data-driven insights to modernize production,
• Product Innovation: Simulation is used to rapidly prototype new recipes, equipment, and packaging, accelerating development while maintaining quality,
• Regulatory Compliance & Safety: Simulation helps ensure processes meet strict safety and quality standards

What to Expect

Join simulation engineers, technical managers, and academics to explore real-world applications and future trends. Expert speakers will share case studies and discuss emerging simulation technologies, demonstrating how M&S optimises processes (e.g. mixing, packaging), reduces waste, and drives a competitive edge. Attendees will gain actionable insights into strategies that industry leaders use to innovate sustainably and stay competitive, giving them new ideas to apply simulation for improved performance and growth.

Who Should Attend

• Design, Development and Simulation Engineers working in food and beverage processing, packaging, equipment design, or related sectors,
• Process and Manufacturing Engineers focused on optimizing operations, improving efficiency, and reducing waste,
• Technical and Engineering Managers overseeing simulation teams, digital transformation initiatives, product development programs, or manufacturing processes,
• Academics and Researchers exploring simulation methodologies and their industrial applications in food, drink, and related sectors,
• Technology Providers and Consultants offering simulation tools, services, or digital twin solutions for the food and beverage industry.

Preliminary Agenda

View the Agenda

Keynote Speaker

Lindsay Bridenbaker - VP for Beverage Packaging R&D at PepsiCo

Presentation: PepsiCo Valhalla site and Beverage Packaging Digital Transformation journey

Bio:

Lindsay Bridenbaker is a recognised leader in packaging research and development, with deep expertise in engineering innovation and digital transformation. She heads a global team of more than 130 engineers, advancing sustainable packaging solutions and pioneering the use of modelling, simulation, machine learning, and AI in R&D. Throughout her career, Lindsay has played a central role in reducing environmental impact through packaging innovation while reimagining how products are delivered and consumed worldwide. She has held senior R&D and engineering positions across major food and consumer goods companies and brings over a decade of leadership experience to her current role. A graduate of Cornell University in Chemical Engineering and the University of Connecticut School of Business, she also completed executive education in Digital Transformation at Wharton. Beyond her corporate work, Lindsay contributes to the industry as a member of the Packaging Management Council and serves on the Advisory Board of UConn’s Digital Frontiers Initiative. She is an active voice in advancing women in engineering through the Society of Women Engineers and is a frequent conference speaker on leadership, technology, and innovation.

Abstract:

PepsiCo is redefining packaging through a bold digitization strategy that accelerates innovation, delivers productivity, and enables sustainability,. This keynote explores how digital tools are transforming packaging—from concept to commercialization—while advancing the company’s pep+ goals for a more sustainable future.

 At the heart of this transformation is a shift to a virtual-first R&D model, powered by platforms like 3DX Product Lifecycle Management. This enables seamless, end-to-end collaboration across teams and geographies, reducing development timelines and minimizing physical testing. By digitizing legacy data and integrating simulation tools, PepsiCo has unlocked predictive modeling and virtual validation—allowing teams to optimize designs before producing a single prototype.

This digital-first approach is already delivering results:

• Innovation: Gatorade No Sugar launched four months early, showcasing how digitized workflows enable rapid iteration—from sketch to sample in days.
• Productivity: Virtual Packaging Lab and Digital Twin programs help optimize bottle structures and lightweighting, reducing plastic while maintaining performance.
• Sustainability: Simulation-led qualification of 100% rPET resins for carbonated soft drink bottles accelerates adoption of recycled content without compromising quality.
•  

By embedding digital capabilities into core processes, PepsiCo is delivering better packaging faster—and driving meaningful progress toward a more sustainable and resilient future.

Register for the food and beverage event by August 29th—whether you're a member, non-member, or using credits—and receive a free physical copy of "Why Do Discrete Element Analysis", a value of $120, when you check in onsite.

Call For Presentations

Presentations

Preliminary Agenda

View Sponsorship Opportunities

Platinum Sponsors

G​old Sponsors

Venue

Pepsico Facility

50 E Stevens Ave, Valhalla, NY 10595

T​he full day of event content will take place at the Pepsico facility. There is no dedicated room block or designated hotel for the event.