Message from the President
Connie Tipton
Thank you to all the attendees, exhibitors and sponsors of Worldwide Food Expo 2009 who helped to make this year's show such a great success. Attracting the right buyers is a top priority for us, and we're extremely pleased with the attendance figures - over 21,000 total attendees and 6,500 qualified buyers - especially given today's economic climate.
I'm also pleased to report that the IDFA board of directors voted unanimously to make the association's dairy trade show an annual event focused on the dairy industry, starting next year. The new International Dairy Show will be held September 13-15, 2010, in Dallas.
With the new show, we will be able to focus on the topics, issues and products dairy professionals care about most. It will provide the learning, networking and trade show experience the dairy industry depends on to stay on top of the latest trends and issues.
The energy level coming off Worldwide Food Expo is extremely high, and the feedback we've received about the International Dairy Show has been overwhelmingly positive. We've already received contracts for 64,000 square feet of booth space for the 2010 show in Dallas, and we're certain that momentum will continue.
I encourage you to visit the events and trade show section of our site for more details about all of the exciting programs IDFA has in store for 2010. Starting in January with Dairy Forum and wrapping up with the new International Dairy Show, we expect next year -- IDFA's 20th anniversary -- to be our best yet!
Connie Tipton
President and CEO
