AFIA Wraps Up Another Successful Expo in Atlanta

03 Feb 2009

by: Anne Keller

ARLINGTON, VA., Feb. 3, 2009 – The third annual International Feed Expo-International Poultry Expo concluded in downtown Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 30, 2009. Approximately 18,000 individuals from around the world attended the three-day event, which is produced jointly by the American Feed Industry Association and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.

Nearly 900 exhibitors participated in the IFE-IPE this year, with floor space spanning 338,000-square-feet inside the Georgia World Congress Center.

“The level of participation in this year’s Expo was remarkable, especially considering current economic conditions,” said Joel G. Newman, AFIA present and chief executive officer. “We are pleased with the sustained level of interest our members and other individuals have shown toward the Expo yet again.”

Among the highlights of this year’s Expo was a conference focused solely on the technical and regulatory issues facing the pet-food industry. Dr. Dan McChesney of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Willem Penning of the European Commission, Pierre Stang of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Marty Wilder of the Pet Food Association of Canada, and Thomas Meyer of FEDIAF (European Pet Food Association) addressed conference attendees. The conference was sponsored by AFIA and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association’s Poultry Protein & Fat Council with support from Feedstuffs, GTC Nutrition Pet Food Industry and Trouw Nutrition International.

The International Educational Forum featured AFIA’s Jarrod Kersey sharing his perspective about what changes in the political environment in Washington and in state capitals, in particular, will mean for the livestock-feed and pet-food sectors. At the same forum, Jaron Vande Hoef of Interstates Companies and David Musiedlak of WARE Inc., provided energy-saving tips for the industry.

The first-ever Animal Agriculture Environmental Sustainability Summit gave participants opportunities to hear from Dennis Treacy of Smithfield Foods, Bob Langert of the McDonald's Corporation and other individuals with expertise in issues related to sustainability.

For more information about this year’s Expo, visit www.ife09.org or www.ipe09.org .

Next year’s Expo will be Jan. 27-29, 2010, in Atlanta.

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