The biggest poultry trade show and conference in the world is almost here, as thousands of industry professionals will flock to Atlanta, Ga., next month. The 2007 International Poultry Expo will take place on January 24-26 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The IPE is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and brings together poultry professionals from every corner of the world. Every segment of the poultry and egg industry is represented — feed milling, live production, hatchers, processing, further processing, packing, commercial egg, marketing and all support activities.

At the 2006 expo, 820 exhibitors filled more than 16 acres of display at the Congress Center, attracting more than 18,000 attendees. With the co-located International Feed Expo — co-sponsored by the American Feed Industry Association — those numbers are expected to grow by 100 exhibitors and a total attendance of more than 20,000 people.

Last year, 38 of the top 40 broiler companies in the United States attended the expo, and 24 companies sent their top executives (owner, chief executive officer, chief operating officer and/or president). The top 10 turkey companies were represented, and 31 of the top 32 turkey companies sent attendees.

With so many decision-makers present, US-POULTRY has made communication easier than ever on the show floor. Wi-Fi will be available in Halls B and C of the Congress Center during the show, making it even easier for attendees to stay in touch with the office. “This is an excellent addition to the package of services we currently offer our attendees and exhibitors,” said Don Dalton, USPOULTRY president. “Coupled with our existing Cyber Centers, Wi-Fi access will enable our guests to conduct business in a more streamlined fashion.”

The Southern Poultry Science Society, the Southern Conference on Avian Diseases and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will sponsor an International Poultry Scientific Forum immediately prior to the 2007 exposition. The forum will be held January 22-23 at the Georgia World Congress Center. It will present information on such topics as environmental management, nutrition, physiology, pathology, processing, avian diseases and product development. There is a separate registration fee for this program. For more information e-mail poultryscientificforum@poultryegg.org.

An educational program also will take place during the show, featuring industry experts from Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, Purdue University, Wendy’s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and more. Topics to be discussed during the sessions include “Animal Welfare in the Poultry Industry,” “Air Consent Agreement — What’s Next?” and “The Salmonella Challenge in Poultry Processing.”

Funds earned at the IPE are funneled directly back into the industry in the form of research grants, educational programs, communications and product promotion.

Between the exhibit halls, the early-morning meetings, the educational sessions, the afternoon meetings, the exhibitor presentations and the dinner meetings, there will be plenty of work-related activities for attendees at the International Poultry Expo. Considering that Atlanta has so many places to see, things to do and places to eat, attendees are being encouraged to get out of their hotels to see the sights and dine somewhere else besides their hotel or the CNN Center food court.

Celebrating its one-year anniversary, the Georgia Aquarium is the world’s largest aquarium, featuring more than 100,000 freshwater and saltwater fish in several different exhibits. The Tropical Diver shows hundreds of brightly colored tropical fish, and the Ocean Diver exhibit features a motorized walkway that takes visitors through a 6-million-gallon tank. The most famous residents of this giant tank are the aquarium’s whale sharks, the world’s largest fish. They can grow anywhere from 18 to almost 32 feet in length. www.georgiaaquarium.org

• The High Museum of Art has more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection, including contemporary art, 19th- and 20th-century American art, and European paintings and decorative art. In October, the High Museum launched a three-year partnership with the Musée du Louvre that will bring hundreds of works of art from Paris to Atlanta. The current exhibit in the “Louvre Atlanta” exhibit is “Kings as Collectors,” featuring numerous works of art that were assembled during the reigns of kings Louis XIV and Louis XVI. Among the masterpieces brought from the Louvre to the High is Raphael’s “Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione.” Many of these paintings and drawings have never been exhibited outside of the Louvre before. www.high.org

• The Atlanta History Center contains several permanent and traveling exhibitions showcasing the history of the South, including the rise of Atlanta from a small railroad town to an international hub. A year-by-year history of the Civil War is considered one of the nation’s largest and best exhibits on the conflict. Numerous artifacts from the 1996 Olympic Games are on display in the Centennial Olympic Games Museum. www.atlantahistorycenter.com

• Located across from the Georgia World Congress Center, the CNN Center is the headquarters of Turner Broadcasting System and the studios and newsrooms for CNN International’s networks. Visitors can take a 50-minute guided tour that gives an inside look into the network’s broadcasts. www.cnn.com/studiotour

• Underground Atlanta features six city blocks in the heart of downtown Atlanta that have been transformed into an urban market with shops, restaurants, nightlife and family activities. www.underground-atlanta.com