When the exposition opens its doors at the Georgia World Congress Center, the show will be larger than ever, as it has combined forces with the International Meat Expo and the International Feed Expo.

The new exhibition and conference being staged by the three industry bodies - US Poultry and Egg Association (USPoultry), American Meat Institute (AMI) and the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) - are appearing under the umbrella name of the International Production and Processing Expo, IPPE.

The three shows will operate under one structure, creating one of the 50 largest tradeshows in the United States.

The entire tradeshow will have more than 1,100 exhibitors and will cover more than 420,000 square feet of exhibit space.

"The response and excitement for the show has been overwhelming. We thought integrating the shows made sense, and the response has been even better than imagined. IPPE has instantaneously established itself as the premiere feed and protein event of the western hemisphere," said John Starkey, president of USPoultry.

"The 2013 IPPE will offer an outstanding venue for businesses to collaborate, network, learn about new products and services and solve common challenges facing the feed, poultry and meat industries. With the response so far, we expect attendees will agree that it is worth their time to come to Atlanta," said Joel G. Newman, AFIA President and CEO.

"We are gratified by the positive show of support from our supplier community. It tells us that our consolidation of shows is a winning formula for the entire industry, farm to fork," commented AMI President, J. Patrick Boyle.

All three associations will continue to operate independently, serving their respective constituents and will offer targeted education and networking opportunities that meet the customer needs and compliment the expo.

The show is designed to provide an opportunity to see the latest developments and technology, get training and updates through the educational programmes and to network and meet people from all over the world to exchange experiences and ideas.

This year will feature two networking receptions. On the opening day of the show (Tuesday 29 January), there will be a reception from 4-6 pm on the floor of the show. On Wednesday, back by popular demand, there will be a reception at the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest enclosed aquarium.

International Poultry Expo Celebrates 65 Years

The International Poultry Expo has grown from its beginnings as a poultry convention attended by 200 poultrymen in Atlanta in 1948 to its first exhibition in 1951 when it had 67 exhibiting companies and 2,000 visitors to the current pan-industry event that will be staged in Atlanta in January.

From the beginning, USPoultry said its leaders recognised the importance of continuing education and technological advancements to keep up with the rapid changes occurring in the industry.

This is demonstrated through the International Poultry Expo, the world's largest gathering of industry leaders and the most comprehensive display of the latest technology, equipment, supplies and services used by poultry and egg companies.

Over the years, the International Poultry Expo has expanded to incorporate other areas of related production and processing.

In 2012, the exposition saw a host of visitors from overseas with more than 1,800 coming from Latin American countries - 45 per cent of the international presence at the show.

A further 17 per cent came from Canada, while 15 per cent came from Europe, 13 per cent from Asia and 10 per cent from Africa and the Middle East.

In 2007, the American Feed Industry Association signed an agreement to join forces with USPoultry to bring the International Feed Expo together with the International Poultry Expo.

Now, the International Poultry Expo is expanding even further with the addition of American Meat Institute's Worldwide Meat Expo.

The IPPE is expected to bring over 25,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries.

The International Poultry Expo is the primary source of funding for the USPoultry, which represents the complete spectrum of today's poultry and egg industry. USPoultry said its mission is to progressively serve member companies through research, education, communication, and technical assistance. Association membership includes producers and processors of broilers, turkeys, ducks, eggs and breeding stock, as well as allied firms. Funds generated from the International Poultry Expo are reinvested into programmes and services that benefit all segments of the industry.

Young Leaders '30 under 30' Programme

The International Production & Processing Expo will be staging a new Young Leaders '30 under 30' Programme, targeting young professionals who normally would not have the financial resources or opportunity to attend the IPPE.

The goal of the programme is to invest in and engage young professionals between the ages of 21 and 29 who work for companies actively involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat or production of animal/poultry feed and are members of any of the IPPE sponsoring associations.

The programme is designed to recognise professional leadership qualities and to provide exposure to the world's largest show involving the production and processing of meat and poultry products and the manufacture of feed and pet food products.

The programme provides education to further training in each person's respective industry and will expose the recipients to the latest technology used in the industry.

Selected applicants will receive a full, complimentary registration to IPPE that will allow them to attend all education programmes.

Free Bus Service to IPPE

A free bus service will be available again for IPPE.

Company employees and contract producers of companies actively involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat, or the production of animal/poultry feed, that are members of USPoultry, AFIA or AMI, are eligible to participate. Complimentary registration for the Expo will be provided through the Members to Atlanta (M2A) Program.

Buses will pick up employees and growers at a location selected by the company, travel to the Expo for a day of visiting the exhibit floor, and return home in the afternoon. There is no cost to the company or the individuals.

Last year, more than 200 people from seven poultry complexes in Georgia and Alabama took advantage of the bus programme.

Among ThePoultrySite's sponsors and partners at the exhibition, Aviagen can be found on stand 1139, Big Dutchman 6227, Biomin 1717, Ceva 639, CID Lines 816, Cobb 1117, Evonik 2029, Groupe Grimaud 531, Hubbard 529, Hy-Line 807, Merial 1019, Meyn 4939, Novartis 2553, Novus 1529, Pas Reform 808, Petersime 517, Pfizer 4915, rl Consulting 573 and Vencomatic 4615.

IPPE will be held from 29 to 31 January at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The show hours are: Tuesday 29 January: 11am - 6pm; Wednesday 30 January: 9am - 5pm; Thursday 31 January: 9am - 3pm.

January 2013