2007 Worldwide Food Expo To Showcase Latest Innovations in Food and Beverage Products, Services and Technologies

Registration for the 2007 Worldwide Food Expo is outpacing 2005 registration levels, pointing to strong interest in the biennial, global food and beverage technology showcase of processing, packaging, equipment, ingredients and services. The show, which features the Food, Dairy & Beverage Exposition and the AMI International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Exposition, will take place Oct. 24-27, 2007, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill.

Sponsored by the American Meat Institute and the International Dairy Foods Association, Worldwide Food Expo attracts 25,000 attendees from 100 countries, bringing together decision-makers at all levels of the food and beverage industry, including executives, plant managers, purchasing agents, engineers, researchers and operations managers.

The event features more than 1,000 exhibitors, who display the newest technologies in equipment, packaging, ingredients and services for processors of dairy, meat, frozen food, beverages, snack foods, poultry, and seafood. Food and beverage professionals choose to attend Worldwide Food Expo as a way to find solutions spanning the manufacturing process – from receiving and blending to processing and packaging to material handling and distribution. Attendees have the opportunity to view more than 1.2 million square feet of exhibits offering everything food and beverage companies need to run more efficiently, create new products and improve profitability.

Another exceptional lineup of educational sessions is scheduled for this year’s conference, which are open to all attendees. The comprehensive educational program includes a special series of operations sessions – including seminars on flexible production lines, six sigma for the food industry and sanitary design principles – that will offer focused takeaways for immediate application within manufacturing and processing plants.

This year’s conference will also include, for the first time, Spanish-language education sessions. This new program will include seminars on getting better yields, extending shelf life, enhancing ham products, and improving food safety. Special sessions are also scheduled to address the impact of case-ready technologies on Latin America and how the HACCP is affecting Latin American processors.

Big-picture Super Sessions will explore the latest information about the economy, consumer behavior and market trends. Featured speakers will include: former White House Policy Director Todd Buchholz; best-selling author and historian Neil Howe; and NPD Group Vice President Harry Balzer.

A number of social events offering outstanding networking opportunities are also scheduled, including the AMI Environmental MAPS Program Reception, which will recognize the winners of the second annual Environmental Achievement Awards, a special welcome reception for international guests, the popular Washington Insider Breakfast for AMI Political Action Committee supporters, and the annual AMI Chairman’s Gala.

AMI will also host a Special General Session, featuring guest speaker Erik Peterson, senior vice president, Center for Strategic and International Studies. The focus of this session will be global markets and the driving forces that will change business. AMI will also present its annual awards during this session.

The conference will wrap up with a special, education-packed Saturday. Qualified buyers who attend the show Saturday, Oct. 27 will pay no admission and can benefit from valuable education sessions covering Listeria intervention and control and strategies for running a family business.

For the sixth consecutive time, Worldwide Food Expo is participating as a member of the prestigious U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program, which promotes the show overseas and assists international attendees. Private receptions with U.S. food industry leaders, international trade counseling to assist with special objectives and a special international registration area will be available, in addition to language and translations assistance, private conference rooms and international telephone service and fax lines.

Registration is available now at http://www.worldwidefood.com/, along with updated agendas, hotel and housing information, and a special new feature “MyExpo” – an interactive guide to helping attendees get the most out of their visit to the Expo.

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AMI represents the interests of packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal and turkey products and their suppliers throughout North America. Together, AMI’s members produce 95 percent of the beef, pork, lamb and veal products and 70 percent of the turkey products in the United States. The Institute provides legislative, regulatory, public relations, technical, scientific and educational services to the meat and poultry packing and processing industry.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 530 companies representing a $90-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA's 220 dairy processing members run more than 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. IDFA can be found online at http://www.idfa.org/.