The event took place during the first week of May, over three days in Scotland, the home of the Ross pedigree breeding programme.

The importance of Technical Service and strong partnerships with distributors and customer focus teams was explored through a dynamic mix of presentations and interactive case studies.

The meeting kicked off by going back to the basics of ‘What is Technical Service?’, where attendees looked at the origins of technical service and the importance of spending time in the poultry houses.

Neil Clark, Regional Technical Manager, MEA said: “Ten years ago we recognised a need to give customers more training on developing practical skills and techniques to get the most from their Ross flocks. The meetings were small and attendees were few but important.”

“Today, the success of the Ross bird in the Middle East and Africa has meant a significant shift in the way we conduct the meeting.

"We are still providing high level advice to our partners to take back and pass on to their own teams, ‘training the trainer’ if you like, but we have moved from standard presentations to interactive workshops and case studies.

"Working in groups out with their companies and peers, customers now experience hands on training where they are made to investigate, analyse and present back to the audience. This year there was a higher focus than ever on case studies and examples from the field.”

Attendees came from all across the region, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan and South Africa. The international mix provided an unparalleled opportunity to create long-lasting and productive working relationships, which will far outlast the duration of the meeting.

The mix of speakers at the meeting was incredibly varied, and included a look at what’s new in Research and Development led by Santiago Avendaño as well as an in-depth review of Ross in the UK & Western European Market by Aviagen General Manager Graeme Dear.

Other topics included an update on Technical Transfer, Veterinary, Marketing and Product Steering developments.

Neil Clark added: “This year has allowed us the opportunity to reinforce the importance of working in partnership to ensure the future success of Ross.

"Over the course of the meeting, the importance of providing effective technical service was explored from start to finish, and the participants will be able to return home armed with the technical and practical knowledge to share with their wider teams and customers.”

Attendees were also able to see the traditional side of Scotland with Scottish food and Ceilidh dancing rounding off a sight-seeing tour of Edinburgh, the Scottish capital.

Dr Mazen AL Sharif, Broiler and Feed Sales Manager, Wadi Poultry Company, Egypt commented on the meeting: “Wadi Poultry Group and Ross have a long standing relationship so it was an honour to be part of the ten year RDCFT meeting.

"This year’s meeting was highly interactive, with the opportunity to share experience and ideas with others in the industry.

"As a group we recognised the need for more in depth performance analysis of Ross client flocks and to pass on to them the knowledge and skills we gained from this meeting.”

Franswa Venter, Ross Poultry Breeders, South Africa said: “It was a huge privilege to attend the RDCFT meeting, to meet and share knowledge with experts in the field. It was a very practical week and the speakers and presentation topics were outstanding.

"The week definitely opened my eyes to change my view on how to improve on a day to day basis and how to better promote our valuable product.”