International visitors came from 100 nations and totaled 4,142. The largest group from a single country outside the United States was Canada with 685 visitors. The largest region represented was Latin America and the Caribbean with 1,877 visitors.
"The number of attendees on the exhibit floor was virtually identical with last year’s number. We had a great turn-out this year, and we are looking forward to even more attendees with the American Meat Institute co-locating in Atlanta with IPE/IFE next year," said 2012 USPOULTRY chairman Mark Waller, Ingram Farms, Cullman, AL.
The central attraction was the large exhibit floor. With 895 exhibitors presenting the latest advances in equipment, supplies, and services, attendees were able to view and experience all facets of the poultry industry related to the production and processing of poultry, eggs, and feed products.
Helping drive the attendance, a week-long schedule of education programs complemented the exhibit floor by keeping industry management up-to-date on current issues. New this year, the Executive Conferences on the Future of the American Poultry and Egg Industry drew extremely large crowds of over 500 attendees and included several presentations from featured speakers such as Jeff Simmons, President of Elanco Animal Health, and Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, Under Secretary for Food Safety, FSIS. Also new this year, the Pre-Harvest Food Safety Conference had 360 attendees and reviewed the known and unknown issues associated with the control of food-borne pathogens in pre-harvest operations.
Next year, IPE and IFE will be joined by the American Meat Institute’s tradeshow in Atlanta. The 2013 Expo will be one of the 50 largest shows in the United States. More than 1,000 poultry, feed, and meat exhibitors are expected to exhibit with over an estimated 400,000 net square feet of exhibits. The 2013 Expo will be held January 28-31 in Atlanta, GA, at the Georgia World Congress Center.
