As a food plant engineer, you are constantly stretched to the max on how to find new and better solutions to plant problems old and new. Since our goal at Food Engineering is to provide you with smarter food manufacturing solutions, a few years ago we developed a new conference called Plant Tech.

This conference provides not only better resolutions to food processing and packaging problems, but provides it in an atmosphere of camaraderie and networking opportunities. Launched in 1997, Plant Tech has drawn rave reviews from plant engineers around the country. Why should you attend this year's Plant Tech conference? Ninety-seven percent of past attendees said they would recommend Plant Tech to a colleague.

The 1999 edition of Plant Tech will kick off with a special pre-conference on maintenance. Since improving maintenance was one of the top ten trends Food Engineering readers identified as important to manufacturing now and in the future, this opening day session is right on the money. We'll cover topics such as tools for preventive and predictive maintenance and delve into whether outsourcing maintenance is the right option for your plant.

Other key topics on the Plant Tech '99 conference agenda include best manufacturing practices for the next decade, understanding and using process information, improved changeover procedures, smarter sanitation plans, food safety issues, efficient use of packaging equipment and materials and a process control update.

One of the most popular and useful features of the Plant Tech conference is the plant tour section. Two or more plant tours, including a visit to one of the Chicago area's largest confectionery plants, will be offered to attendees at Plant Tech '99.

At Plant Tech '99, you can also expect to see top-notch speakers, including engineering directors from some of the leading and most innovative food companies across the U.S. In addition, Food Engineering will name one newly built food plant as the winner of the 1999 Food Plant of the Year Award. Conference attendees will be able to pose questions to the award-wining engineers about how they attained the goal of building the best plant in the land.

Plant Tech offers many networking opportunities. Our varied conference layout offers large, classroom-style sessions, small workshops, social gatherings as well as an expo featuring suppliers to the industry.

To find out more about the sessions or to register, please see the blue Plant Tech '99 brochure included with this issue of Food Engineering. For additional questions please call the Plant Tech hot line at (800) 358-0746 or (610) 964-4441.