New era for Feed Expo

A new partnership and some fresh approaches will mark the upcoming 60th annual International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo set to take place Jan. 24-26 2007 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. An estimated 20,000 leaders from both industries, representing over 90 countries, will gather for meetings, seminars and a trade show featuring over 900 exhibitors. The combined event promises to be one of the world's largest gatherings of poultry and feed industry representatives in years.

Issues of biosecurity, the threat of avian influenza virus, input cost management, corn availability and cost, and environmental regulations give emphasis to the need for producers and feed manufacturers in every region to benefit from the full range of technology, products, and services available.

In addition to an increase in exhibitor numbers, the combined shows bring a broadened attendee base to include poultry as well as swine, beef, petfood and dairy feed interests. USPOULTRY's Dr. Charles Olentine, who manages IPE, said a year ago when groundwork was being laid to bring the shows together, that he expected the result to yield a lot of synergy among the various industry representatives. The additional attendees, he predicted, will bring skill sets that should provide new ideas for the industry in the US and abroad.

New IPE trade show configuration

One area getting a fresh look is the trade show itself. The exhibit space has been reconfigured to provide an efficient venue for attendees to view the latest in technology pertaining to the many and varied industries represented. The C-Hall will house exhibitors focused primarily on processing and packaging while the B-Hall will accommodate the International Feed Expo and poultry exhibitors relating to live production. Another change for this year's expo is new starting times which will allow more meeting and seminar opportunities for attendees by opening show doors an hour later. On Wednesday, Jan. 24, and Thursday, Jan. 25, the show will open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. On Friday, Jan. 26, the hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The newly organized trade show space should provide expo goers the opportunity to visit more of the exhibits spanning the 15-plus acres of show floor, although attendees are still encouraged to visit both exhibit halls as a number of exhibitors will relate to multiple industry segments. The show will also boast wi-fi capabilities on the floor for attendees and exhibitors, as well as hard-wired CyberCenters.

Another new twist on the trade show: The "Very Important Customer" program allows exhibitors to provide an invitation to their best prospects and clients to visit their booth during times with no show distraction.

Modifications were also incorporated into the registration process, with the goal of a more streamlined, simpler process. Pre-registration is available online at www.ipe07.org at a cost of $30 (USD). Pre-registration via fax and postal mail is $40 (USD). On-site registration will be $50 (USD) and is available in the lobbies of Halls C and B beginning at 7:30 a.m. each day of the show. Attendees can also self-register and pay on site.

Poultry Scientific Forum

The 2007 International Poultry Scientific Forum kicks off Monday, Jan. 22, and runs through Tuesday, Jan. 23. Last year, over 700 scientists and industry personnel attended the program that combines technical and poster presentations. The forum is sponsored by the Southern Poultry Science Society, the Southern Conference on Diseases, and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Registration is separate from the IPE and can be accessed at http://www.internationalpoultryexposition.com/ipsf.

The annual awards program will highlight Wednesday's slate of activities, beginning at 1 p.m. in C-101. The event will honor longtime exhibitors and those who have contributed substantially to the growth of the industry, as well as recognize Crystal Egg Award winners and Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award winners. All show attendees are invited.

Atlanta will be an international meeting center this year with the International Federation of Feed Association bringing key industry officials from throughout the world. On Wednesday, an international reception will be held at 5:15 p.m. in the Omni Hotel with all exhibitors and international attendees invited. The Ambassador Program will have multi-lingual hosts in the lobby areas of Hall B and Hall C, as well as having translators in the information booths in the lobbies and also in the International Business Center. Pre-registered international visitors should pick up their badges in the appropriate area in the Hall C lobby.

Feed facility and employee workshop

The American Feed Industry will also provide a pre-conference technical program, offering a one-day workshop on, "Developing Your Plant's Greatest Assets: Your Employees," on Tuesday afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. Topics include, "Keeping Your Facility in Compliance With the Government Regulations," from 1 to 2 p.m.; "Complying with the Confined Space Requirements," from 2 to 3 p.m.; "Maintaining your Boiler for Safety and Maximum Efficiency," from 3 to 4 p.m. and "Prepare Your Plant for OSHA Compliance," from 4 to 5 p.m. The educational offering underscores the week's expanded feed manufacturing program for 2007. The workshop is open to all IPE/IFE registered attendees; however, pre-registration will ensure a copy of the proceedings.

Increased schedule openings on Wednesday and Thursday have paved the way for additional educational sessions to be held in conjunction with the show. Among them is a presentation sponsored by WATT, publisher of Feed Management magazine, on "Consumer Trends in Poultry Product Retail Sales" from 9 to 10 a.m. on Thursday morning by Packaged Facts that will look at retail sales for new poultry products and the consumer trends that are driving the marketplace in the U.S. and globally. A full educational program line-up is available at http://www.internationalpoultryexposition.com.

Educational program on poultry issues

As with the 2006 IPE, the potential public health threat of avian influenza continues to add a sense of urgency to educational and technical programs this year. The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will kick off its annual educational program focusing on avian influenza and other industry issues, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. Topics include:

• High Pathogenic Avian InfluenzaTesting and Response Procedures
• Water Supply at the Farm: Is a Crisis Looming?
• The Push Toward EthanolImpact on Corn Availability and Cost
• Salmonella: Farm to TableStandards and Intervention Strategies
• EPAAg Strategy, Final CAFO Rule, Air Emissions.

InfoMart Theaters, located on Aisle 2400 in Hall C and Aisle 5400 in Hall B, will feature free educational presentations by IPE and IFE exhibitors on the latest technologies and innovations for the poultry, egg and feed industries. The programs will run from 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days.

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is working with the Georgia Poultry Federation and the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association to provide growers free bus transportation for a day-trip on Thursday, Jan. 25, to Atlanta. Buses will be available at three locations: Boaz, Alabama; Franklin, Georgia; and Calhoun, Georgia. All buses will leave at 7 a.m. and depart from the Georgia World Congress Center at 5 p.m. While there is no charge for the bus, a reservation is required with the Georgia Poultry Federation at +1 770 532 0473 or the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association at +1 334 265 2732. Growers can attend any day of the show and register for $5 with the special grower coupons offered by state poultry associations and featured in WATT's Large Volume Grower Newsletter. This is a change from previous years when this offer was only available the last day of the show.