The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) continues to evolve and change. When I started at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association in 2010, the show was called the International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo. Then in 2013, the North American Meat Institute merged its annual event with ours, and the first inaugural IPPE was held. Since then, I’ve seen IPPE grow from 26,000 attendees, 1,190 exhibitors and 430,000 square feet of exhibit space to almost 33,000 attendees, more than 1,400 exhibitors and more than 600,000 square feet of exhibit space.
Continued growth
Yet the question arises, “How do we keep IPPE relevant year to year?” There are many ways that we do this, and a lot of it is dependent on our exhibitors, yet also with ourselves.
For instance, exhibitors launch new products, services and technology on different annual cycles, so there is always something new to experience at IPPE. In addition, more than 30% of attendees are first-time visitors, and a significant number rotate attendance with their co-workers.
Education
Additionally, the show features education programs that highlight relevant and timely topics to address the ever-increasing changes in our industries. There are also special areas and events on the show floor, such as the Food Safety Pavilion and the networking lounges. Coupled with IPPE’s on-floor activities – like the Wing Fling, Taste of IPPE, CAREing Paws and the Innovation Station – the show floor always has something new for attendees to experience and enjoy.
USPOULTRY also brings in almost 700 college students annually to participate in the College Student Career Program, in addition to 100-plus National FFA students, to have them become familiar with opportunities offered by our industry. We’ve seen several people who have participated in the College Student Career Program over the years go on to hold high-level positions at major companies in our industry.
The future
Looking forward, IPPE’s focus is on connecting the global animal food and protein communities with new and innovative technology, learning experiences and networking to improve their business. We could not do it without you, our attendees, who make our show relevant every year!
