Thousands of poultry and allied-industry professionals are expected to attend the 57th annual International Poultry Exposition (IPE), which is set for January 26 through 28, 2005, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. This year’s theme, Changes and Challenges, was chosen to explicate the technological changes over the years that have exposed the industry to new challenges.

The IPE is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association [USPOULTRY]. Created in 1947, it is the world's largest and most active poultry organization with affiliations in 26 states and member companies worldwide.

The IPE is being billed as the world's largest trade show that exhibits products, technology, and services for the poultry and egg industry. The exposition covers every component of the poultry and egg industry including live production, hatchery, feed milling, packaging, processing, further processing, commercial egg, marketing, and all support activities. During the 2004 exposition, 18,000 attendees from around the world visited 863 exhibitors.

Exhibit hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, January 26 and 27, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, January 28.

Registration for the exposition includes access to all exhibits as well as the educational programs that will be held on Thursday, January 27. There is an onsite registration fee of $50 (USD). Attendees are encouraged, however, to pre-register on-line for a fee of $30 (USD). Pre-registration ends Jan. 7, 2005. There will be weekly prize drawings for those who register on-line with a grand prize of two tickets for AirTran Airways, which will be awarded at the show in January.

One of the most informative programs of the exposition is the educational program, which will be held Thursday, January 27, in Room C203 of the GWCC. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. and adjourn at 4 p.m. At 9:30 a.m., Kellye Pfalzgraf of Tyson Foods will be discussing Refining the Corporate Culture, and Bruce Webster of the University of Georgia will present Audits...Lessons Learned.

Food and Facility Security will be presented by Fred Masci of Gold Kist at 10:45 a.m., and The Importance and Value of America's Poultry Farms will be discussed at 11:15 a.m. by Mike Donohue of Agristats.

Allen Youngblade of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. will begin the second phase at 1 p.m. by presenting Will Poultry House Air Emissions be Regulated? Next, the Impact of Recent Water Quality Rules on Poultry Operations will be presented by Katie Kirkpatrick of Gold Kist. At 2 p.m., Beth Krushinskie of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will present Food Safety...Progress and Challenges.

The last section of the educational program starts at 2:30 p.m. covering avian influenza and will begin with Andy Rohrer of the National Poultry Improvement Plan. Rohrer will discuss the Surveillance and Control of Low Path AI in Commercial Operations. He will be followed by John Smith of Fieldale Farms who will present Live Poultry Market Control Plans. Smith is chairman of the U.S. Animal Health Association Committee on Transmissible Diseases of Poultry.

Asian Outbreaks and Human Health Concerns will be presented by David Swayne of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is planning a special celebration to welcome guests to the 2005 International Poultry Exposition. Co-hosted by USPOULTRY and The NATIONAL PROVISIONER, the event will be held Wednesday, January 26, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Building C lobby of the Georgia World Congress Center. Open to attendees and exhibitors, the welcome reception will include free beverages and hors d'oeuvres, and it will feature a special presentation to The NATIONAL PROVISIONER’S 2004 Poultry Processor of the Year.

“This will be our third year partnering with The NATIONAL PROVISIONER on this fun event,” said USPOULTRY President Don Dalton. “Attendees can interact with other poultry industry leaders from around the world, get a break from the traffic congestion, and help salute the magazine's honoree.”

Welcome, international visitors

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is providing a center designed specifically for international visitors to the IPE. Located in Building B of the Georgia World Congress Center, the International Guests Center will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Guests will be provided with a wide variety of amenities, as well as an area to network, socialize, or relax with other international guests. There will be two multilingual translators stationed in the center to assist guests. Guests will also have the opportunity to post messages to other attendees, find information on leisure activities and dining options in the Atlanta area, and read various periodicals about Atlanta. Complimentary beverages will be provided to guests in the center.

This is the fourth year that the Latin American Poultry Hall of Fame has been housed in the center. This was a popular attraction for international guests last year. The Hall of Fame was created to identify and recognize those individuals who have dedicated their lives to the advancement of the Latin American poultry industry.

Since one of the main reasons people attend a trade show is to learn about new products, two new services have been added to the event:

• The InfoMart Theater, located in Building B, will permit exhibitors to preview their products in 30-minute sessions via PowerPoint or other means.

• A New Products Showcase has been added to www.internationalpoultryexposiiton.org