Bringing together the innovators and users of the latest animal production technology

From Super Bowl to "Super Expo" -- Atlanta played host to two of world's largest event spectacles this February as the city provided the stage not only for the NFL championship game but also the 2019 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). IPPE had a milestone year with 32,931 poultry, meat and animal food industry leaders from all over the world in attendance, setting a new record. There were also 1,426 exhibitors with 600,732 square feet of exhibit space, two more records.

The Expo is the world's largest annual feed, meat and poultry industry event of its kind and is one of the 30 largest trade shows in the United States. IPPE is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association and North American Meat Institute. There were 8,315 international visitors, a fourth new record, from 133 countries represented at the Expo. The largest group from a single country outside the U.S. was Canada with 1,283 visitors. The largest region represented was the Caribbean, Latin America, Mexico and South America with 3,271 visitors.

Record setting event

“We are very pleased and excited with this year’s record-breaking exhibit space floor and attendance numbers,"the three organizations said in a statement. "The turnout for the 2019 IPPE was outstanding, and the feedback from attendees has been extremely positive regarding time spent on the trade show floor, education sessions offered and networking opportunities. We expect next year’s IPPE to build on this success to ensure we continue to provide the best possible experience for attendees and exhibitors."

A week-long comprehensive schedule of education programs, which updated industry professionals on current issues and complemented the exhibit floor, helped drive attendance. This year’s educational lineup featured more than 200 hours of education sessions, ranging from meat and poultry labelling, to sow nutrition and health interactions, to wastewater treatment challenges for the poultry and egg industry.

The trade show focuses on Innovation – bringing together buyers and sellers of the latest technology of products and services to make your business successful, Education – learning from the experts in free- and fee-based world-class programs on topics that cross industry interests, Global Reach – attracting more than 8,000 International visitors from 125 countries, and Networking – meeting new and rekindling old relationships with leaders across the industries.

IPPE continues to evolve and grow to meet the needs of its attendees and exhibitors. In the past six years since the Expo’s three sponsors – the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association and North American Meat Institute – came together, the show has grown significantly in size and attendance. As a reflection of this growth, in 2019, IPPE will expanded the show floor to all three halls (A, B and C) of the Georgia World Congress Center. This allowed IPPE to accommodate increased demand for new and existing exhibitors for additional space as well as allow for more networking opportunities and engaging events on the show floor.

Featured technology

Key examples of new technolgy featured at the conference included:

‘What’s your FSP fingerprint?’ by CBS Inc. This innovative new system for maximizing livestock feeding results was unveiled by Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. (CBS Inc.). “What’s your FSP fingerprint?” is a new approach to advanced precision livestock feeding that helps individual operations identify how they can best integrate and capture synergies among different types of feed science technology platforms.

An early beta version of this robust science and data-driven system was introduced last year coinciding with the launch of new CBS Inc. Feed Science Platforms (FSP). The full official launch of What’s your FSP fingerprint? at IPPE 2019 featured the inclusion of further enhanced diagnostic technology and the introduction of a simple-to-use web-based application.

“IPPE provides a window on many of the big picture trends and demands that are rapidly shaping the future of livestock production,” says Rob Patterson, CBS Inc. Technical Director. “These factors have major implications for the profitability and sustainability of all types of operations and for the sector as a whole. At the same time, advances in feed technology are opening new doors to help operations not only transition but thrive in this new environment.

“What’s your FSP fingerprint? allows everyone from nutritionists and producers to others involved in the feed industry and animal agriculture to quickly and simply identify the best package for success,” he says. “It takes the potential for precision feeding to a whole new level.” Learn more.

Sustainability Summit

Among education forums featured as part of the IPPE program, a top draw was the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, which provided insights and information on the continued importance of sustainability to the future of the protein sector. Sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), the summit program focuse on current sustainability topics relevant to the animal agriculture industry, with representatives from Tyson Foods, JBS USA and other companies will providing on their company’s efforts to advance sustainability practices and processes. There was also an update on the newly formed Poultry & Egg Sustainability and Welfare Foundation and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs.

Environmental excellence

The Sustainability Summit program concluded with a ceremony announcing the winners of USPOULTRY’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Awards for 2019.

“It is a prividege to recognize these eight family farms for the excellent job they do in being good stewards of their land," says John Prestage, Prestage Farms, Clinton, N.C., and newly elected USPOULTRY chairman. Our industry could not continue to function and thrive without taking proper care of our natural resources. These four winners and four finalists are to be commended for their efforts,” said John Prestage of Prestage Farms out of Clinton, N.C., the newly elected USPOULTRY chairman.

The winners were chosen from four geographical regions throughout the United States. They included: Central Region winner – Ryan Looten Farm, Olean, Missouri; Ryan Looten, nominated by Cargill. South Central Region winner – Round Hill Poultry, Broadway, Virginia; Mike and Paula Thompson, nominated by Cargill. Southeast Region winner – Foster Farms, Inc., Seneca, S.C.; Stacy Foster, nominated by Fieldale Farms. Southwest Region winner – Featherhill Farms, Elkins, Arkansas; Bud and Darla Oneal, nominated by Cargill

Looking ahead to 2020

Next year’s IPPE will be held Jan. 28 – 30, 2020, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Show updates and attendee and exhibitor information are available at www.ippexpo.org.