The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) will welcome the world’s meat science community to the 66th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology and 73rd Reciprocal Meat Conference (ICoMST/RMC) Aug. 2-7, 2020, in Orlando. This is just the fourth time the International Congress will be held in the United States and the first time since 2005. This meeting is a landmark opportunity to network and learn from the 1,200-plus attendees representing more than 60 countries who will all meet at the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World.

During this conference, attendees will have the chance to discuss numerous topics important to the meat industry including current research and development, food safety, quality assurance and other aspects of meat production from industry, academia and allied organizations.

There are several activities that begin prior to the opening Welcome Reception kickoff of the 2020 ICoMST and RMC on Aug. 2. These events are created to engage student participation and give students the chance to compete, gain leadership skills, build a network of lasting relationships and position themselves for successful careers. Undergraduate and graduate students are given the opportunity to compete in research competitions that require them to prepare both a visual aid and a short oral presentation on their research, a product development contest in which their culinary skills will be put to the test and the opportunity to showcase their knowledge in the quiz bowl competition.

The 2020 ICoMST/RMC will include six days of intensive technical and educational sessions from leading industry experts, both nationally and internationally, on a variety of topics. The program will include headliner presentations, keynote sessions, concurrent sessions and reciprocation sessions, offering the opportunity to discuss important world meat industry topics. The joint ICoMST and RMC meeting will create an exciting event that fosters innovation, enthusiasm and progress for meat science, meat scientists and the meat industry.

The event will begin each morning with a headliner presentation kicking off the meeting. On Aug. 3, Pierre Ferrari, CEO of Heifer International will focus on Global Nutrition Security. On Aug. 4, Jack Uldrich, global futurist and best-selling author, will explore what the future of science and innovation looks like for the meat industry.

Aug. 5 will be dedicated to tours allowing attendees to explore all that Florida has to offer. Tours include Deseret Ranch, a world-class cattle ranch in central Florida; Adena Springs, a thoroughbred horse-breeding facility; an orange grove and much more. There also will be opportunities to visit St. Augustine, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and any of the Disney parks. As attendees reconvene the morning of Aug. 6, they will hear from Ronnie Green, Ph.D., chancellor at the University of Nebraska, who will dive into the challenges and professional skills needed to address global scientific challenges for agriculture, natural resources and food systems, with emphasis on animal protein fulfillment, in the 2030 era and beyond. As attendees come together for the final morning, on Aug. 7, they will have a unique opportunity to hear from two outstanding speakers: Jeff Simmons, president and CEO of Elanco Animal Health, and Donnie Smith, retired Tyson Foods CEO. Together they will address how leaders in the industry can influence and address the issue of global nutrient security and how animal protein will play a key role in this effort.

Throughout the week, attendees will also participate in culinary events that take advantage of the unique venue, enjoy world-class social events and have the chance to view more than 500 scientific digital poster presentations on cutting-edge research.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to attend and even showcase your organization to more than 1,200 of the top meat scientists working in research and development, food safety, quality assurance and other aspects of meat production from industry, academia and allied organizations. For more information about the programming, lodging and registration please visit: http://www.icomst2020.com/.

We invite you to review the program and consider that your company’s presence at the meeting will mean exposure to the international meat-science community, if you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Deidrea Mabry at dmabry@meatscience.org or 773-913-2021.

We hope to see everyone at Walt Disney World in 2020, where science and inspiration meet. NP