ATLANTA, Ga. — The 2020 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) returns to its traditional time at the end of January with educational programming focused on animal agriculture sustainability, policy updates, feed strategies and more.

The event, scheduled for Jan. 28-30 in Atlanta brings together three shows — International Poultry Expo, International Feed Expo, and International Meat Expo — representing the entire chain of protein production and processing. All segments of the industry will be represented: feed milling, hatchery, live production, processing, further processing, marketing and all support activities. The 2019 event had been moved to February because of the Super Bowl, which took place in Atlanta.

The 2020 event at the Georgia World Congress Center will include more than 545,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 1,140 exhibitors in all three halls of the center. The trade show will showcase the latest technology, equipment and services used in the production and processing of animal food, meat and poultry products. Hall A will have feed equipment and animal feed ingredients. Hall B will have meat and poultry processing and packaging. Hall C will have genetics, incubation, live production, and egg production and processing.

This year’s expo will be open Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Jan. 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More than 200 hours of educational sessions focused on current industry issues and enhanced networking opportunities are planned. New educational opportunities include a half-day program on foreign animal disease hosted by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA).

The 2019 IPPE attracted more than 8,200 international visitors from over 130 countries. The largest group from a single country outside the United States was Canada with 1,283 visitors. The largest region represented was the Caribbean, Latin America, Mexico and South America with 3,271 visitors.

Along with a record-setting 32,931 delegates, the 2019 event also included a record number of exhibitors at 1,426 exhibitors in 600,732 square feet of exhibit space, placing it among the top 50 expos in terms of size in the United States.

Educational programming

AFIA’s production compliance committee is again hosting the annual Feed Production Program from 8 a.m. to noon on Jan. 29. This free training session will update participants on changes from several federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Department of Labor.

The 2019 Feed Facility of the Year program category winners will be recognized, and the overall winner will be announced. This feed industry specific benchmarking program is one-of-a-kind and attendees will learn more about how their facility can get involved. In addition, there will be a keynote speaker on navigating FSMA inspections from a legal perspective followed by a panel discussion with industry representatives on the subject.

Other free educational programming includes the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit from 9 a.m. to noon on Jan. 28. Sustainability is a top priority for the animal agriculture industry, and each sector has initiated an industry-driven program to define sustainability and measure its commitment to become more sustainable.

Representatives of the beef, dairy, pork and poultry industries will share details on the development of industry programs or tools to advance their aspirations of producing more protein in a sustainable fashion.

New this year, the AFIA is hosting a half-day session on Foreign Animal Disease from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Jan. 29. Cost is $50 for early bird registration and $75 onsite. The program will focus on biosecurity as it pertains to foreign animal diseases such as foot and mouth, African swine fever and avian influenza.

Experts will discuss what to do to prevent the introduction into a facility and what to do if a disease outbreak comes to the United States, among other topics.

The 13th annual AFIA Pet Food Conference is planned 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 28. Cost is $90 and increases to $110 starting Jan. 10. It will cover a variety of topics from regulatory to technical aspects of production of product claims, marketing and nutrition. The educational series attracts more than 250 attendees. An agenda will be available soon at petfoodconference.com.

Also offered for a fee is the Feed Strategy Conference: Feeding Poultry to Meet Evolving Consumer Demands, 8 a.m. to noon on Jan. 29. Cost is $195 for early bird registration and $225 after Jan. 10.

The conference will provide animal feed stakeholders with the tools they need to maintain productivity and profitability in a changing production landscape. With evolving consumer preferences trickling down to influence how animal feed is formulated and produced, the event will examine macro trends influencing production over the next 12 months.

Topics to be discussed include a poultry and feed production outlook, including the global issues impacting supply and demand; traditional animal protein vs. plant-based alternatives; consumers poultry purchasing trends; how technology will shape production, including a look at which technologies are the most technically feasible, economically practical and acceptable to consumers; and a panel discussion on poultry and feed production opportunities and challenges.

In addition to these programs, IPPE is offering TechTalks throughout the event. These short educational presentations by exhibitors will cover operations and technical issues critical to all aspects of the feed, meat and poultry industries.

Attendees can participate for free in the welcome reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Georgia Aquarium. There is no charge, but because of space limitations those interested in attending should pick up a sticker at the reception kiosk in the B or C building lobby.

Registration details

IPPE registration is available at http://www.ippexpo.org for a discounted price of $75. Starting Jan. 10, the fee will increase to $125. Fees include access to the trade show floor, select education programs, and the welcome reception.

As part of the “Members to Atlanta” (M2A) program, registration fees are waived through Jan. 10 for attendees from member firms of all three associations engaged in the production of poultry, eggs and meat for consumption and feed and pet food manufacturers. The program is supported through the sponsorship of elite IPPE exhibitors.

The IPPE website also includes information regarding attendee and exhibitor registration, hotel registration and a schedule of 2019 educational seminars and activities offered during IPPE.