Officials moved the International Poultry Expo – co-located with the International Feed Expo – to a midweek format, January 24 to Jan. 26. In conjunction, show organizers added educational programs at the front and back end of the Expo and designated the entire week as “IPE Week.”
The goal? Increase the number of education programs.
“Our long-standing International Poultry Scientific Forum, Pet Food Conference, Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, and USPOULTRY Education Programs are an important part of IPE and provide people with an additional purpose for attending the Expo,” said John Starkey, president of U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. “We are working on a tentative schedule of conferences for 2012 to include several new programs designed to provide our attendees and exhibitors with the most up-to-date, relevant information concerning the poultry and feed industry. IPE Week gives us an opportunity to provide additional education programs, something we have not been able to do in the past.”
The International Poultry Expo will host a conference titled, “Charting the Course: An Executive Conference on the Future of the American Poultry Industry,” as a key education component.
Mike Donohue, vice president of Agri Stats, Inc., will moderate the executive conference, which will examine current and projected economic conditions and global for the American poultry industry. Expo attendees may attend the conference for free.
“Perhaps in no other time in the history of poultry processing and production have the challenges been greater for our industries,” said USPOULTRY Chairman, Gary Cooper, Cooper Farms, Oakwood, Ohio. “Our industry currently faces high input costs, social concerns, government regulations, and international competition, while trying to keep abreast of the increasing global demand for food. The Charting the Course poultry conference was added to the 2012 IPE/IFE educational programs to help provide industry leaders with a view to the current and upcoming challenges and opportunities facing our industry.”
Other featured speakers will include Jeff Simmons, president of Elanco, Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist for Wells Capital Management; and Rabobank International representatives Adriaan Weststrate and David Nelson.
Simmons will lead a session titled, “Making Safe, Affordable and Abundant Food a Global Reality.” Sponsors say Paulsen will discuss current and future economic conditions. Weststrate and Nelson will look at future the drivers and issues of “Global Competitiveness.”
Other topics to be addressed as part of the Casting a Vision for the American Poultry Industry poultry breakout session are Technology vs. Labor, Management Development and Succession Planning, Social Issues, and University Research Panel – Current, Needed, What if?
At a glance:
What: 2012 International Poultry Expo
When: Jan. 24-26
Where: Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta
Who: Officials expect approximately 19,000 worldwide poultry industry attendees and more than 800 trade show exhibitors.
Contact: Visit www.ipeweek12.org or contact the show sponsor, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, at www.poultryegg.orgor (770) 493-9401.
