The show is the world's largest display of technology, equipment, supplies and services used in the production and processing of poultry and eggs and for those involved in feed manufacturing.

All segments of the industry are represented: feed milling, hatchery, live production, processing, further processing, marketing and all support activities.

This year, the exhibition will be the centre piece for a week of events including seminars, education sessions and workshops, as well as a showcase for the latest developments in the poultry production and processing sectors.

The entire week in which the International Poultry Expo will be held, has been officially designated as ‘IPE Week,’, with an emphasis on educational programmes rounding out the week-long event.

With the Expo starting at noon on the Tuesday, the organisers say the shift will help allow an increase in the amount of education programmes available at the front and back end of the Expo.

"Our long-standing International Poultry Scientific Forum, Pet Food Conference, Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, and USPoultry Education Programs are an important part of IPE and provide people with an additional purpose for attending the Expo," said John Starkey, president of US Poultry & Egg Association.

"IPE Week gives us an opportunity to provide additional education programmes, something we have not been able to do in the past," he added.

There were 903 exhibitors at the 2011 expo, which represents the primary funding source for the US Poultry and Egg Association – the association for producers and processors of broilers, turkeys, ducks, eggs, and breeding stock, as well as allied companies.

The organisation represents its poultry and egg members through research, education, communications and technical services and all the profit earned at the International Poultry Expo goes directly back into the industry in the form of research grants, educational programmes, communications and technical assistance.

This year will be the sixth that the exposition has joined forces with the International Feed Expo – a joint effort that the US Poultry and Egg Association says has produced some impressive attendance numbers.

Last year, attendance hit 20,742 – up from 18,896 in 2010.

International attendees numbered 4,371, an increase of 505 over 2010, with Latin America constituting the largest regional segment at 43 per cent of non-US attendees.

The largest attendance numbers for individual countries outside of the US came from Canada with 767 visitors followed by Mexico with 516, Brazil 276, Colombia 256 and Venezuela 207.

Outside of the Americas, there has also been significant attendance from Europe and also an increasing number of visitors from China, whose numbers reached 203 last year.

With the Expo based in the US, the majority of the visitors are from the domestic market with nearly 16,400 attending last year. The majority of the US visitors came from Georgia with 4,291 followed by North Carolina with 893, Illinois 876, Arkansas 760 and Alabama 713.

"The International Poultry Expo continues to grow in stature as the premiere international trade show," said the organisers.

"Add to that the co-location of the International Feed Expo and a wide range of international decision-makers attend this annual event to network and become briefed on the latest technological developments and issues facing the industry.

"The 2011 show featured more than 4,300 visitors from over 102 countries. Latin American/Caribbean countries represent the largest region of international visitors but we have seen growth in numbers coming from Europe. Canada represents the largest single country outside the United States with regards to number of attendees."

Last year, the exhibition attracted attendance from nearly 100 major broiler, turkey, egg and food processors from North America including companies such as Tyson Foods, Townsends, Wayne Farms, Sara Lee, Perdue Farms, Sanderson Farms, Maple Leaf Farms, Kraft Foods, Koch Foods, House of Raeford, Foster Farms, Cargill, Butterball and Case Foods.

Among the exhibitors will be breeding and genetics companies, animal health companies. Housing and equipment companies and specialists in poultry feed and nutrition, including AB Vista (Stand 757), Aviagen (Stand 2057), Biomin (Stand 1605), Ceva (Stand 5231), CID Lines (Stand 1817), Cobb (Stand 1053) Danisco (Stand 739), DSM (Stand 1139), Evonik (Stand 431), Grimaud Frères (Stand 1633), Hubbard (Stand 1629), Hy-Line (Stand 1611), MSD (Stand 1229), Novartis (Stand 2215), Novus (Stand 929), Orka Food Technology (Stand 2149), Pas Reform (Stand 1448), Petersime (Stand 1743), Vencomatic (Stand 5119).

The International Poultry Exposition will run on Tuesday 24 January from 12:00 to 17:00, Wednesday 25 January from 09:00 to 17:00 and on Thursday 26 January from 09:00 to 15:00. The registration fee is now $60.

January 2012