Is there a correlation between the growth of attendee numbers at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) and the quality and increase in educational session opportunities during IPPE? Along with networking opportunities and learning about new technology, polling high as the reason for attending IPPE is attendees viewing quality educational programs as an opportunity to learn about solutions, best practices and industry information they can take back to work and put into practice. IPPE combines more than 140 hours of those opportunities to complement the experience of visiting equipment, product and service suppliers on the trade show floor. Opportunities abound for top management, engineers, food safety, human resources, line supervisors and even poultry and livestock farm owners. More attendees are taking advantage of these opportunities. The following is just a sampling of what attendees will find.

Environmental Conference for the Meat and Poultry Industry

Environmental issues are top of mind for meat and poultry processors, with increased information and innovation paving the way for improvements. This session will address regulatory requirements and consumer interests that continue to affect decision-making. The conference will cover critical topics including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement, water use and conservation, waste management, biogas, air permitting and more. Participants can learn how industry leaders are dealing with key environmental issues and gain practical information to help their businesses.

Feed Production Education Program 

As regulatory requirements for the feed industry continue to expand, this training session will update participants on recent changes from several federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Transportation (DOT), EPA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition, two important concerns for plant managers is pellet quality and product segregation in bins, and experts in each area will provide insight on these topics. Finally, learn more about the American Feed Industry Association’s new and improved Feed Facility of the Year program. 

Poultry Market Intelligence Forum 

A leading economist and industry experts will provide insights on how the domestic and global economies, improvements in performance, and animal rights activists are impacting the poultry and egg industries. They will identify challenges facing the industry and discuss how the U.S. and international poultry industries are positioned to move forward in 2018 and beyond.

Robotics in the Meat and Poultry Industry: Putting Technology to Work 

Employers in the meat and poultry industry are well aware of labor issues and challenges and are exploring how robotics can increase efficiencies. As new technology that can help streamline processes is developed, the options for using robotics continues to become more sophisticated. With new designs, features and technology, robotics systems can increase speed and throughput while decreasing downtime. This session will discuss the current status and future direction of robotics in the meat and poultry industry, and will include a panel discussion of processors who are already implementing these technologies. NP

For a complete listing of educational programs, exhibitor presentations in the TECHTalks area on the show floor and to register for IPPE, visit www.ippexpo.org. Nath Morris is Vice President, Expo, for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. For more information, contact him at nmorris@ippexpo.org.