IPE/IFE to remain in Atlanta through 2016

Leaders of the three associations co-locating their shows explained their future plans. From left: Joel Newman of the AFIA; J. Patrick Boyle of the AMI, and John Starkey of USPOULTRY.

The combined International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo/American Meat Institute show will remain in Atlanta, Ga., through at least 2016, and its location after that will depend entirely on where exhibitors and attendees want to see the show located, according to the heads of the three associations that are co-locating their shows. Rumors that the show will be moving back and forth between Atlanta and Chicago are only show-floor rumors, and any decisions such as that are years in the future, they said at a press conference on January 26.

John Starkey, president of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association; Joel Newman, president of the American Feed Industry Association; and J. Patrick Boyle, president of the American Meat Institute, said that the three associations are co-locating their shows, a logical progression for all three organizations. "We've been in these discussions for several years," said Starkey. "For all three of us the time was right to make this move."

According to Boyle, the American Meat Institute's move to an annual spring show a few years ago made the co-location of the three easier. "When we were a biannual show, it would have been hard to do this," he said. The show organizers predict that the addition of the American Meat Institute show could add 100,000 square feet to the 2013 event, up from approximately 300,000 square feet this year. The show's configuration probably won't change much, with the feed and poultry live production exhibitors in Hall A, with Hall B being filled by the current processing exhibitors from IPE and the additional American Meat Institute exhibitors. "Reaction from exhibitors and attendees to the news has been overwhelmingly positive," said Starkey. The three associations will continue to operate independently, and each will offer targeted education and networking opportunities to meet customer needs and complement the expo. 

See videos from the 2012 IPE, IFE show

See the latest videos from the 2012 International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo, the world's premier show for the poultry and feed industries. This year's show is in Atlanta, January 24-26, with educational programs running the entire week of January 23. Check back often as this page will be updated throughout the show.

2012 International Poultry Expo dates changing

IPE 2011, courtesy U.S. Poultry & Egg Association

The 2012 International Poultry Expo, co-located with the International Feed Expo, is moving to a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday format with the following show hours:

• Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012: 12 – 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.The entire week in which the International Poultry Expo will be held, Jan. 23 through 27, has been officially designated as "IPE Week," with an emphasis on educational programs rounding out the event. With the Expo starting at noon on Tuesday, the shift will help allow an increase in the amount of education programs available at the front and back end of the Expo. “Our long-standing International Poultry Scientific Forum, Pet Food Conference, Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit and [U.S. Poultry & Egg Association] Education Programs are an important part of IPE and provide people with an additional purpose for attending the Expo,” said John Starkey, president of USPOULTRY. “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.”

For more information, visit the IPE website at http://www.ipeweek12.org/.

Guide to IPE/IFE available on Web or as App for iPhone, iPad

The guide to the International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo is now available either online or as a fully featured app for the iPhone and iPad. IPE/IFE, the world's premier show for the poultry and feed industries, will take place in Atlanta January 26-28, 2011.
The guide includes full information on the show, a complete list of exhibitors, a listing of exhibitors by product category, show floor maps, seminar schedules and hundreds of listings of what specific exhibitors will be displaying at the event.
The guide can be viewed on computers and digital-enabled smart phones at http://www.digitalexpoguide-digital.com/, and the iPhone/iPad app can be downloaded by searching for IPE Guide at the Apple App Store or at this link.

Sustainability as a business practice

Before they ask about price, product quality or delivery schedules, customers ask poultry and meat companies about sustainability, according to C. Larry Pope, president and CEO of Smithfield Foods Inc. He told an audience at the 2010 International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo that sustainability goes beyond environmental programs to include animal welfare, antibiotic and drug usage policies, product traceability, worker safety, food safety systems and even financial stability of the company.
Pope’s talk was part of the exposition’s Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit. Pope said that the animal agriculture industry needs to listen to and engage with the groups attacking it. He challenged every industry member to make two visits to a community group or school to dispel misconceptions. “We need to educate all of the groups that challenge our practices,” he said.
Smithfield learned about engaging its critics about a decade ago after it was forced to pay a $12.5 million fine because of a Clean Water Act lawsuit, Pope said. Smithfield subsequently hired the suit’s plaintiff, Dennis Treacy, to head up the company’s environmental programs.
Suzy Freidman of the Environmental Defense Fund, who also spoke at the summit, echoed the sentiment of collaborating with groups that raise concerns. Collaboration can lead to solutions that are both economical and yield environmental improvements, she added.
But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seems to be moving away from the collaborative model, said summit speaker Christian Richter of The Policy Group Inc. He said the EPA is shifting personnel from cooperative voluntary programs to enforcement programs in a move he called “hyper command and control mode.”
The 2010 International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo was sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the American Feed Industry Association.

Feed, poultry expo draws 19K in attendance

The 2010 International Feed Expo, organized by the American Feed Industry Association, and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association's International Poultry Expo, drew attendance of approximately 19,000, surpassing the 2009 attendance of less than 18,000, according to AFIA.
"This year's expo offered attendees a range of substantive programming and events to make their time in Atlanta as compelling as possible, on top of the hundreds of exhibits on the show floor," said Joel G. Newman, AFIA president and CEO.
The expo, held at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta, featured more than 800 exhibitors, representing more than 20 countries.
The 2011 expo is scheduled for January 26-28 at the same location.

2010 IPE/IFE Guide now available online

Turn to the 2010 International Expo Guide to plan and maximize your time at the International Poultry/International Feed Expo, January 27-29, in Atlanta, Ga.
The Guide provides:
• Information on more than 700 poultry and feed industry exhibitors,
• A new, easy-to-use products and services listing,
• Quick reference alphabetical index of exhibitors,
• Exhibit floor maps, and
• A schedule of educational and networking events.
To start using the 2010 International Expo Guide, go to www.digitalexpoguide-digital.com.

IPE/IFE preregistration opens online

Online preregistration for the 2010 International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo is open. Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the American Feed Industry Association, the joint Expo is scheduled January 27-29, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. The preregistration fee is $35. The preregistration deadline is January 8. On-site registration is $60.
To register online, go to www.ipe10.org. Badges will be mailed to U.S. and Canadian attendees beginning in early September. International attendees must pick up their badges at the Georgia World Congress Center in the international business center. Registration for hotel accommodations at the 2010 International Poultry and Feed Expo is also now open.
Reservations may be made by going to the IPE website www.ipe10.org, and clicking on hotel registration. Attendees who need visas should obtain them prior to preregistering.
The deadline for requesting an invitation letter is November 27. Requests for invitation letters can be submitted by completing the request form found at https://www.internationalpoultryexposition.com/forms/inv_req/index.cfm. Requests may also be e-mailed to pstathes@poultryegg.org, providing full name, company name, complete mailing address, and passport number, including issue and expiration date, in the body of the message.
For more information, contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303; +1.770.493.9401; Fax: +1.770.493.9257; E-mail: pstathes@poultryegg.org.