The IPPE is three integrated trade shows – International Poultry Expo, International Feed Expo, and International Meat Expo.

The Expo will highlight the latest technology, equipment and services used in the production and processing of poultry, meat and feed products.

The global annual poultry, feed and meat industry trade show will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, from Tuesday 28 to Thursday 30 January 2014.

The 2013 IPPE featured more than 5,448 international visitors from over 110 countries.

Latin American/Caribbean countries represent the largest region of international visitors but there has been growth in numbers coming from Europe. Canada represents the largest single country outside the United States with regards to number of attendees.

With nearly 21,000 visitors from the US, the 2013 trade show attracted a total of 26,393 visitors.

At the 2013 IPPE, there were 1,189 exhibitors with over 430,000 net square feet of exhibit space, placing the show in the top 50 in the United States.

The week of 27 to 31 January 2014 will feature dynamic education programmes addressing current industry issues.

The International Poultry Scientific Forum, Sanitary Equipment Design Principles, Pet Food Conference, Media Training for the Meat and Poultry Industry and Animal Agricultural Sustainability Summit will kick off the week’s education programmes.

A Beef Plant Tour and Poultry Plant Tour are scheduled for Monday, and several Tech XChange programmes will also be offered on Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition, the 'Current Issues for the Egg Industry' and the International Rendering Symposium education programmes will return for 2014.

IPPE will also feature several new educational programmes, including important sessions on food safety, consumer trends and international trade. New for 2014 are the following programmes: 'New Approaches to Ground Poultry Pathogen Reduction'; 'Traceability Workshop'; 'Poultry Market Intelligence Forum'; 'Antibiotic Use in the Meat and Poultry Industry'; 'AFIA International Feed Education programme'; 'VIV International Pork Production Summit'; 'How to Export Feed & Feed Ingredients to the US'; 'Fall Protection Short Course'; 'Biosecurity – Revisiting the Basics and Implementing New Strategies'; 'Meat & Poultry Research' Showcase; Best New Products; 'Changing Food Safety Landscape'; Health & Wellness Trends; and 'Customer and Media Communication in the Meat Industry'.

International Pig Meat Focus

In addition to poultry, feed, and beef, the IPPE is expanding its focus to the international pork industry and is partnering with Dutch-based trade show organisers, VIV, to provide a comprehensive education programme focusing on recent developments in the international pork arena at the 2014 expo.

VIV is the leading brand for trade shows in Europe and Asia, focusing on animal protein production.

With recent news about animal welfare and the politics of regulation, the pork education programme is a must for both US and international-based producers who are facing challenges from their respective government and customers.

The partnership between IPPE and VIV results in a unique network covering Asia, Europe and the Americas.

“VIV is very happy to co-operate closely with IPPE for the VIV International Pork Production Summit 2014 (VIPPS), scheduled for Wednesday 29 January. Together, we have confidence in presenting a valuable programme focusing trends, developments and best practices for the US and international pork production industries,” said Ruwan Berculo, Project Manager VIV.

The 2014 IPPE will also feature a special Pig Pavilion that will showcase information about the international pork industry.

Special cooking demonstrations of pork products will be held by local chefs as well.

Interactive Exhibits

This year’s exhibition will see two new interactive exhibits - The Smithsonian’s 'Animal Connections: Our Journey Together' mobile exhibit and the 'Drive to Feed Chew on This' mobile exhibit.

The Smithsonian’s 'Animal Connections: Our Journey Together' mobile exhibit was created to mark the 150th anniversary of the American Veterinary Medical Association and will introduce IPPE visitors to the complex bond between humans and animals. The exhibit uses a dynamic combination of interactive learning stations, films and touch screen videos, and three-dimensional settings to explore topics about animals in the home, on the farm, in the wild, at the zoo and in the veterinary clinic.

The 'Drive to Feed Chew on This' mobile exhibit was created to heighten awareness about one of the biggest problems facing our world today - hunger.

The exhibit is making a stop at the IPPE, and attendees can walk through the unique, interactive exhibit to view information on hunger, sustainability and food facts.

The two exhibits will join the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile as some of the unique features for visitors on the show floor.

This will be the first appearance for the Wienermobile since American Meat Institute (AMI) joined with the International Production & Processing Expo.

Attendees can take photos and peek inside the Wienermobile while enjoying interactive activities and giveaways. Hotdoggers, the official drivers of the Wienermobile, will be on hand to give away toy whistles shaped as replicas of the vehicle.

Oscar Mayer made its first version of the Wienermobile in 1936, and it has been touring the country ever since. The current active fleet includes eight Wienermobiles, six of them full-sized models and two mini models. Hotdoggers can log their journeys in an online blog.

Young Leaders Programme

The Expo will also host the second annual Young Leaders '30 under 30' Programme, targeting young professionals who normally would not have the financial resources or opportunity to attend IPPE. The goal of the programme is to invest in and engage young professionals between the ages of 21 to 29 who work for companies actively involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat or production of animal/poultry feed and are members of any of the IPPE sponsoring associations: American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), American Meat Institute (AMI), or US Poultry & Egg Association (USPoultry).

The programme is designed to recognise professional leadership qualities and to provide exposure to the world’s annual largest trade show involving the production and processing of meat and poultry products and the manufacture of feed and pet food products.

The programme provides education to further training in each person’s respective industry and will expose the recipients to the latest technology used in the industry.

Selected applicants will receive a full, complimentary registration to IPPE, which will also allow attendance to all education programmes. It will provide two complimentary nights of lodging.

The exhibition will again have a free bus service to pick up employees and growers at a location selected by participating companies, to travel to the Expo for the day and return home in the afternoon. There is no cost to the company or the individuals.

Last year, more than 200 people from seven poultry complexes in Georgia and Alabama took advantage of this bus service. The programme is available to any location within an approximate three-hour drive from Atlanta.

“We encourage company managers to take advantage of the free IPPE bus programme,” said USPoultry president, John Starkey.

He added; “It makes it extremely easy and convenient for their employees and growers to attend the expo and at no cost. This is an excellent opportunity to see the latest technology used in poultry, meat and feed production and processing.”

Miss Georgia at IPPE

Miss Georgia 2014, Carly Mathis, will be making an appearance at the Expo on Tuesday 28 January. Ms Mathis will help serve chili during the chili cook-off that will be held at 14:00 on the show floor in the B-Hall. She will also sign autographs and help with the chili cook-off award presentation.

Ms Mathis, a graduate of the University of Georgia, was selected as Miss Georgia in June and represented the state in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in September 2013. At Miss America, she was one of seven 'Quality of Life' finalists recognised for outstanding community service, won the preliminary competition in Lifestyle and Fitness in the Swimsuit category, and was a Top 10 Finalists for Miss America 2014 in the nationally-televised finals on ABC.

The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is partnering with the Hard Rock Café to offer a 'pig' pin for sale during the Expo. With the introduction of the Pork and Swine Pavilion and the VIV International Pork Production Summit education programme at the upcoming 2014 Expo, IPPE thought the 'pig' pin was an appropriate item to feature.

The 'pig' pin will be on sale in the main lobby near attendee registration during IPPE show hours, as well as at the Hard Rock Cafe at 215 Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta.

A portion of the proceeds from the pin will benefit Sunshine on a Ranney Day. Founded by Holly and Pete Ranney, the non-profit organisation provides safe, fun and uplifting dream-room make-overs for children with long-term illnesses, as well as care and encouragement to the families of each child.

2014 IPPE SHOW HOURS

• Tuesday 28 January: 10:00 – 17:00
• Wednesday 29 January: 9:00 – 17:00
• Thursday 30 January: 9:00 – 15:00

January 2014