Meat and greet!

Meat lovers, rejoice! The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is coming back for a triumphant return in Atlanta, Ga., to give attendees and exhibitors the opportunity to network and become better informed on the latest technological developments and concerns facing the poultry, meat and feed industry.

Due to Atlanta also hosting the 2019 Super Bowl game in the first week of February, IPPE will be held two weeks later than in previous years, running from Feb. 12 to Feb. 14, 2018.

As in previous years, the show will be hosted at the esteemed Georgia World Congress Center, conveniently located in the heart of the city’s lively downtown scene.

Jointly produced by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), the 2019 IPPE will offer guests and exhibitors alike over 140 hours of education programs and sessions, innovative technology demonstrations and engaging activities.

With over 32,000 industry leaders and professionals expected to make an appearance, attendees will have no shortage of opportunities for networking and intermingling.

In fact, 2019 IPPE is already shaping up to be the most impressive show in IPPE’s illustrious history, surpassing 590,000 square feet of exhibit space and procuring more than 1,315 exhibitors from around the world.

Having been previously acknowledged as one of the fastest-growing trade shows in the U.S., according to the authoritative Trade Show News Network (TSNN), the 2019 IPPE is certainly living up to the hype.

“We are pleased with the expanded show floor square footage and the level of exhibitor participation,” state IPPE show organizers. “This is going to be an exciting show that you will not want to miss.”

As with previous shows, leading international production and processing industry groups will be exhibiting their businesses, answering any questions that potential buyers may have about their work, and offering insights on all pertinent industry developments.

The businesses that will have booths exhibiting this year include 3M; ASI Industrial; AT Packaging Inc.; BASF Corporation; Cargill; Delacon Biotechnik Gmbh; Elanco Animal Health; Foodmate; Gainco, Inc.; Humane Animal Farm Care; iNECTA; JAX INC.; Kohshin Engineering Co., Ltd.; Linde LLC; Meritech; Novus International; Octopus Robots SA; Pro Water Parts; Red Dragon Torches & Equipment; Safe Foods Corporation; Triangle Package Machinery Co.; United Promotions, Inc; VETANCO; WTI Inc.; XACT Fluid Solutions and Zip-Pak.

There will be no shortage of education programs and wittingly named TechTalks hosted by a number of different exhibitors who will host short educational presentations over the course of 2019 IPPE regarding issues critical to all aspects of the feed, meat and poultry industries.

New to this year’s show is an educational program—titled The High-Performance Sow–Rethinking Nutrition and Health Interactions—developed by AFIA’s Nutrition Committee.

Taking place on Feb.13, the program will give attendees new information on the industry’s understanding of sow health and will also showcase new advancements in technology and ongoing research on the matter.

“This educational program provides a new opportunity to bring monogastric nutrition and management expertise together to discuss current research and best practices when it comes to managing sow health and nutrition,” says Paul Davis, AFIA’s director of quality, animal feed safety and education.

“AFIA’s Nutrition Committee pulled together a terrific agenda with some of the leading researchers in pork production.”

Pressing topics of interest to be discussed at this program also include how to maximize the lifetime production of sows through highly efficient feed; understanding how today’s production systems affect sow health; and how mycotoxins and the gut microbiome can impact sows and their offspring.

Humans will not be the only ones that will reap the benefits from attending the 2019 IPPE.

Launching on Feb. 12, the 12th annual Pet Food Conference will touch on a number of hot-button issues in the pet food industry, such as trading pet food products internationally and the rising concerns about canine health in relation to their diets and overall lifestyle.

“Today’s marketplace for pet food is changing rapidly, and industry experts need to stay on top of the latest consumer trends and policy issues impacting their ability to do business in the United States and abroad,” says Louise Calderwood, AFIA’s director of regulatory affairs.

“AFIA’s Pet Food Conference is an affordable way for attendees to engage with some of the industry’s leading experts and roughly 300 of their peers in this unique segment within the animal food manufacturing industry.”

With the topic of sustainability becoming an ever-present topic of interest, the annual Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit will return for 2019 IPPE.

With a sponsorship from show producer USPOULTRY, the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit will dedicate the majority of their program to current sustainability topics that are especially relevant to the animal agriculture industry.

Industry professionals from a number of different companies–including Tyson Foods and JBS USA–will be providing insights on the great lengths that their companies have gone through in advancing their environmental processes and practices.

Scheduled to take place on Feb. 12, the program will also include an update on the newly formed Poultry & Egg Sustainability and Welfare Foundation and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry &
Eggs.

To wrap up the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, the winners of USPOULTRY’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Awards for 2019 will be announced in the program’s closing ceremony.

For more information or to register, please go to: www.ippexpo.org