The 2014 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) was successful despite inclement weather conditions that impacted drive-in traffic. IPPE recorded 24,865 registrants, though advanced registration and hotel reservations had projected attendance to be more than 28,000 registrants.
IPPE is the world's largest annual poultry, feed and meat industry event of its kind and is one of the 50 largest trade shows in the US. The event is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and the American Meat Institute (AMI).
There were 5,456 international registrants from 124 countries represented at the expo. The largest group from a single country outside the U.S. was Canada with 838 registrants. The largest region represented was Latin America/Caribbean with 2,397 registrants.
"Despite the weather, we were pleased with the number of attendees on the exhibit floor and received several comments about the high quality of the attendees present," said Charlie Olentine, IPPE show manager. "In general, both exhibitors and attendees understood the challenges presented by the weather."
The main attraction was the large exhibit floor, covering 410,000 net square feet. With 1,152 exhibitors presenting the latest advances in equipment, supplies and services, attendees were able to view and experience all phases of the poultry, feed and meat industry, from live production and processing to further processing and packaging. A week-long schedule of education programs complemented the exhibit floor and helped drive attendance.
2015's IPPE will be held Jan. 27-29, 2015, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga.