WASHINGTON – Adding to the growing list of 2020 industry events that were traditionally face-to-face gatherings, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) announced on July 28 its plans to shift its fall slate of conferences and workshops to online formats. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, NAMI’s decision to host its four upcoming events in virtual venues was based on attendee safety and recommendations from global health officials discouraging large public gatherings.   

The virtual event schedule includes:

• The Meat Industry Food Safety Conference, Sept. 9-11, 2020;
• The Fall Forum with NAMI Annual Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting, Sept. 24, 2020;
• The Animal Care and Handling Conference, Oct. 13-16, 2020; and
• The Advanced Listeria monocytogenes Intervention and Control Workshop, Oct. 19-21, 2020.

“Moving our face-to-face conferences to an online platform presents us with the opportunity for our members to plan in the next few months with absolute certainty that they will get the training and information they expect from NAMI for their business,” said Julie Anna Potts, president and chief executive officer of NAMI. “We have partners that allow us to deliver top-notch education in a meaningful and engaging way to anyone that is interested,” she added. “Our members rely on us to make connections with suppliers, and this is the best way to do that under the circumstances.”

NAMI event organizers plan to offer participants with the same information and interactive opportunities as they would during a face-to-face event, including scheduled general and breakout sessions and online venues to interact with presenters, exhibitors and sponsoring companies. 

More information about the fall events, including registration details are available on NAMI’s website.

Plans are moving forward for the 2021 International Production and Processing Expo, scheduled for Jan. 26-28, 2021, at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.