More than a thousand exhibitors and a million square feet of exhibit space make the International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Expo the largest show of its kind in North America.

The premier event for the meat, poultry, and seafood industries is taking place at McCormick Place in Chicago. The International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Convention and Exhibition will be held from October 26 to 29 as part of the Worldwide Food Expo ’05. The Expo, which will also feature the Food, Dairy & Beverage Exposition, will cover a wide range of food categories, including meat, prepared meals, poultry, seafood, frozen food, and snacks. The show is sponsored by the American Meat Institute (AMI), the International Association of Food Industry Suppliers (IAFIS), and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).

The Worldwide Food Expo will feature more than 1,200 exhibits within 1.2 million square feet, featuring the latest innovations in processing and packaging equipment, businesses and processing software systems, supplies, services, and formulations. From receiving and blending, to processing and packaging, to material handling and distribution, the show’s displays will span the entire manufacturing process. Everything a company needs to run more efficiently, offer new products, and improve profitability will be on display at the show floor.

Specialty exhibits will focus on sanitation, food safety, and packaging, and there will be pavilions dedicated to Product Development and Refrigeration & Freezing. New this year is the Material Handling & Distribution Pavilion, which will be filled with robotics, containers, trucks, and conveyor systems.

For the fifth consecutive time, the Worldwide Food Expo is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce International Buyer Program, which promotes the show overseas and assists international attendees. The Expo will offer international attendees language assistance, private conference rooms and international telephone and fax lines, private receptions with U.S. food industry leaders, and international trade counseling to assist with specific objectives.

The Worldwide Food Expo features more than 45 educational workshops, offering more than 75 hours of specially-designed programs for engineers, plant managers, chief executive officers, and quality assurance/control managers. Industry experts will speak on consumer trends, business technology, food safety, management and human resources, operations, regulatory issues, and more. Among the notable sessions are “Designing Flexible Production Lines,” “RFID in the Retail Food Industry,” “New Trends in Automation Technology,” and “Surviving FSIS Compliance Audits.”

New to this year’s show are six Super Sessions, led by top management, food research, and business trend experts. They will be addressing critical topics, such as:

• Leadership in Turbulent Times: Robert Cooper, author of Good to Great are the Enemies of Possible and The Other 90%, explores how star individuals and teams reach beyond what is good to achieve workplace greatness.

• Building Strong Brands: Lessons from the World’s Best Marketers: Kevin Lane Keller of Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business explores the power of brands and outlines eight keys to success based on his experience with food companies like Kraft and General Mills.

• Trends in Activism and Intelligent Response: Consultant James Lukaszewski shares insight gained from coaching organizations on tough and touchy corporate communication issues.

• Business Ethics: Marianne Jennings, professor of legal and ethical studies at Arizona State University, looks at business ethics and ensuring that all employees “do the right thing.”

• Connecting Trends and Demographics: Author, forecaster and design strategist Andrew Zolli helps multinational corporations respond to change by connecting trends in demographics, technology, geopolitics, and business.

• Understanding Retail Food and Consumer Trends: Tom Rubel, president and chief executive officer of Retail Forward Inc., will identify the next major trends in the way consumers live, shop, and eat, as well as the opportunities and challenges that retailers and food manufacturers will face.

AMI designed the Manufacturing Solutions Sessions to offer answers to engineers and plant operators facing manufacturing challenges. AMI will offer Continuing Education credits for attending these sessions, which will address improving plant efficiencies, innovations in product development, lean manufacturing, and plant maintenance. In addition, the AMI’s Food Tech and Meat Tech Programs feature exclusive technology application sessions and demonstrations from the industry’s leading suppliers.

October 25 and 26 will feature the Meat Industry Research Conference (MIRC). This two-day educational session, free to all AMI registrants, has a reputation for presenting cutting-edge science and stressing its practical applications. MIRC will provide the latest information on critical issues such as allergens, natural and organic current standards, and the latest updates on international trade and dietary guidelines.

Industry experts will detail how changing trends and attitudes will be affecting the industry. Meat executives will explain how federal food defense regulations will impact meat operations, and a top chef will explore how new culinary trends impact meat development, from marinades to spices. MIRC is now fully integrated into the AMI education program, and after the conference concludes at noon on October 26, attendees can head for the exhibit floor.

The AMI is also offering opportunities to network with other professionals in the meat and poultry industries on Friday, October 28, with two ticketed events, the Washington Insider Breakfast in the morning and the AMI Chairman’s Gala in the evening. The Insider Breakfast will bring industry professionals together to learn about what is going on in Washington and how it will affect their businesses. Along with recognizing industry PAC contributors, the breakfast will feature a to-be-announced political figure as a guest speaker. Guests will be able to interact with elected officials, while the officials will hear about the issues impacting the industry.

The AMI Chairman’s Gala reception and dinner will be held at the Chicago Hilton and Towers and will feature a “Roaring ‘20s” theme, complete with a speakeasy and jazz music. The association will also present its four annual awards:

• The Edward C. Jones Community Service Award, for a company that has shown a strong commitment to the communities in which it operates;

• The Supplier of the Year, for a supplier that has shown a spirit of partnership and made an outstanding contribution to the success of the meat and poultry industry;

• The Industry Achievement Award, for an individual, group, or company whose work has contributed to the success of the meat and poultry industry;

• The Scientific Achievement Award, for an individual within the industry, academia, or government whose professional achievements have had a significant contribution to the scientific knowledge of the meat and poultry industry. NP

For information about the International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Convention and Exhibition and the Worldwide Food Expo 2005, contact the Convention Management Group at (703) 934-4700, fax (703) 934-4899, or visit www.worldwidefood.com