The meeting will be held on 24-26 September at the Empark Grand hotel in Beijing. The IPC Executive Committee will meet on the afternoon of 24 September, and the general session will commence on 25 September.

IPC president Jim Sumner said that several issues of interest to the international poultry industry will be on the agenda, including a proposed global study on international salmonella-testing standards, an update on the World Organization for Animal Health's avian influenza compartmentalization program, and the impact of grain prices on global poultry production. Member organizations will also present status reports on their individual countries' poultry industries.

Speakers for the Beijing IPC meeting will be announced over the next several weeks, but international authorities on these topics will be on hand. The IPC will also look at presenting its first marketing award to the national poultry meat association that has the most outstanding marketing program. Information on the award will also be made available soon.

The China Poultry Association, which is a member of the IPC, will act as the host organization for the meeting.

Headquartered in Paris, the IPC was organized in 2005 and is comprised of 22 countries representing approximately 90 percent of the world's poultry production. IPC also has a growing number of associate memberships. Companies interested in associate membership are encouraged to contact Toby Moore ([email protected]) or George Winn ([email protected]).

Registration for the meeting is US$500. Registration information will be posted on the IPC web site.