This year’s event, which was centered on the value of brand image, was opened by Jasmina Atlic, owner of Iradia. Leopold Graf von Drechsel, general manager of Cobb Germany and Wimex, followed and spoke of the experience of German companies in dealing with market trends, consumer pressure and welfare issues.

Slobodan Vasilic, chief executive of Neoplanta, one of Serbia’s leading processing companies, and a marketing expert, talked about the basics of marketing, product branding and building a household name. Nan-Dirk Mulder from Rabobank, Holland, gave his outlook of European poultry industry up to 2020, referring to popular concepts used in differentiating products.

Predrag Milicic, chief executive of Agreks, largest producer of table eggs in the region of the former Yugoslavia, spoke of his company’s success in marketing, achieving in an increased margin and preferred status with consumers.

On the second day, a Cobb technical seminar was held at the hotel where approximately 120 technical people from all former Yugoslav countries attended.

The Cobb technical team addressed several topics — Dr Ron Meijerhof on incubation and its effect on chick quality and broiler performance, Edward Diehl from Cobb Europe on nutrition and wheat inclusion in broiler diets, and then Patrick van Trijp of Cobb Europe on finer points of chick processing.

Veterinarian Matthias Todte reminded the participants of basics of biosecurity, a subject always important but especially so in times of avian influenza outbreaks across Europe.

In closing the seminar, James Truscott, director of Cobb Germany, said the focus of Cobb Germany on customer care had contributed to the success of the event.

Cobb-Vantress, Inc. is a poultry research and development company engaged in the production improvement and sale of broiler breeding stock. Cobb is the world’s oldest pedigree broiler breeding company. Founded in 1916, Cobb has grown into one of the world’s leading suppliers of broiler breeding stock with distribution into over 120 countries. Cobb has contributed to the dynamic efficiency and growth of an industry that has transformed chicken into an economically affordable healthy protein source for many of the over seven billion people in the world.

www.cobb-vantress.com