WASHINGTON – The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), scheduled to take place Feb. 12-14, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, features the world’s largest annual gathering of industry leaders and the most comprehensive display of the latest technology, equipment, supplies and services used by poultry, feed and meat companies. IPPE represents animal agriculture, from farm to point-of-sale, combining the resources of the American Feed Industry Association, North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and US Poultry & Egg Association. NAMI announced details for four additional free education programs at the 2019 show.
The How to Prepare for the Blockchain Revolution session, scheduled from 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, will examine the meat industry’s readiness for the proliferation of blockchain technology and the practical applications of its use in the meat supply chain. Attendees will learn about supply chain visibility process flows and will discuss early findings from blockchain pilot programs. Speakers include Geri Kelley, Tyson Foods Inc., director, IT application, food safety and quality assurance and Kevin Otto, GS1 US, senior director, industry development, foodservice.
An additional free education session on Thursday, Feb. 14 from 8 to 10 a.m. will be the Functional Ingredients in Meat and Poultry Processing session. The two-hour workshop will highlight existing functional ingredients that can be used in meat and poultry processing to improve product quality, palatability, shelf life and safety. Featured speakers include: Amanda King, Kemin Food Technologies, technical manager; Klaus Kreuzner, WTI Inc., director of sales and marketing; Benjy Mikel, John R. White Company, director of business development and technical services; Brian Smith, Hawkins Inc., director, business development – food ingredients; and Rodrigo Tarte, assistant professor, Iowa State Univ.
The International Trade Issues and Impacts on U.S. Agriculture workshop will review the current state of international trade and how trade policies are affecting the meat industry — from grain and feed to live animals and their products. The session, which will take place from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14, will cover the impact of the trade environment on business growth and opportunity to better inform attendees’ approach to strategic planning and risk management in the year ahead. Peter Rohde, senior member, Informa’s Agribusiness Intelligence – IEG Vantage Client Advisor, and David Williams, vice president, Informa Economics IEG, will lead the session.
The Succession Planning in Family Business session, which will take place Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., will share insights to help participants determine who is fit to lead a family business in the next generation and will describe instances when families should consider exploring options to sell their company or invest in outside management. Presenters will include Dave Miniat, CEO and chairman of the Board, Ed Miniat, LLC; Larry Odom, past chairman and former CEO, Odom’s Tennessee Pride Sausage; Kelly Green, president, Birko Corporation; Brad Clemens, senior vice president, Clemens Food Group; and Drew Mendoza, managing principal, The Family Business Consulting Group.
In addition to the above-mentioned free education sessions, the education program schedule includes the annual lineup of the International Poultry Scientific Forum, Latin American Poultry Summit, Pet Food Conference, the Environmental Conference for the Meat & Poultry Industry, Worker Safety Conference, Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit and the International Rendering Symposium. The 2019 IPPE will also feature several new educational programs including important sessions on food safety, consumer trends and international trade. Some of the education sessions require advance registration and an additional fee – consult the full program of events in MEAT+POULTRY’s IPPE Processor’s Handbook.
To register to attend IPPE, visit www.ippexpo.org.
