This year's Plant Operations Conference will focus on some of the most important facets of plant management — the innovation that improves your plant operations, the technologies that provide opportunities for efficiencies and the management skills that improves the overall effectiveness of your employees.

The subjects covered at Plant Ops — from latest innovations in food technology to dealing with diversity in the workplace — will provide you and your operations staff with strong ideas on how to improve your dairy operation:

• High Tech Dairy Plants
• Latest Innovations in Food Technology
• Filtration Technology
• Improved Plant Efficiencies through Smart Engineering
• Cold Chain Management — Plant to Palette
• FDA's Recordkeeping Regulation
• And much more!

DAY ONE  —  April 26, 2005
8:00am–8:30am	Registration
8:30am–8:45 am	Introduction & Overview
8:45am–9:45am	High Tech Dairy Plants Join us to learn about solutions from the newest, most advanced dairy plants which can help you save money increase productivity, and improve product and employee safety in your plant. This presentation will separate fact from sales promises to help you make better decisions for improving processes, reducing product losses, saving money on utilities, improving engine room safety, performance and more. Speakers: John Miller, President, Seiberling Associates, Inc. Michael Steur, Director, Client Development-Food & Beverage Industry, Hixson Architects & Engineers
9:45 am–10:30am	Thinking Outside the Dairy Plant What can be learned from the plant operations of other industries? Dairy operations can gain knowledge by studying and applying the processes and plant technologies used in other industries. Speakers: Representatives from Welchs, Pepsico and Coca-Cola
10:30am–10:45am	Break
10:45am–11:45pm	Latest Innovations in Food Technology Learn the latest in food technology including instrumentation, computer controls, labor savers, energy management systems and much more. Speaker: Bruce White, President, Logistics Solutions
11:45pm–1:00pm	Presentation and Lunch NFPA 70E—The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. What is NFPA 70E? How does this relate to your plants? Learn the latest on how to comply with this standard. Speaker: Joe Liberti, FRC Regional Manager, Clintas Corporation
1:00pm–2:00 pm	Filtration Technology Discover how to effectively integrate the latest in filtration technology into your plant operations. This session will include the newest developments in milk, whey and lactose fractionation. Speakers: Filtration Engineering and Keller Technological (Invited)
2:00pm–2:45pm	Hiring and Retaining Your Work Force Do you currently have the human resource policies and practices in place to best hire and retain your workforce? Learn how theses policies will arm your plant with the skills to hire and retain capable and productive workers. Learn the latest trends in hiring, orientating, managing. Speaker: Bill Drennan, Performance Systems Inc
2:45pm–3:00pm	Break
3:00pm–4:00pm	Cold Chain Management-Plant to Palette This session will provide you with all you need to know about managing and maintaining your dairy products at the correct required temperature. We will examine temperature maintenance and control for the entire production of your product from receiving ingredients to processing, packaging and storing. Speaker: Dan Vache, Vice President, Food Division, SensiTech, Inc.
4:00pm–5:00pm	Advanced Packaging Materials and Packaging/Product Tracking Technology Are you using the most advanced packaging technology available? This session will examine all accepts of packaging your products, start to finish, including modified atmosphere, "smart" packaging, plastics, paper, vacuum barriers, tamper-evident components, labeling and coding, and RFIDs. Speakers: Dr. Kay Cooksey, Professor Clemson University, Packaging Science Dr. Scott Whiteside, Professor, Clemson University, Packaging Science
5:00pm–6:30pm	Reception
DAY TWO  —  April 27, 2005
8:30am–10:30am	Improved Plant Efficiencies through Smart Engineering In this highly participative and interactive session, attendees will tackle real manufacturing cases and challenge their skills at solving some of the most serious problems found in food and beverage processing plants. You'll learn how high-performance plants beat the competition by improving their efficiencies through smart engineering including changeovers, accelerating ramp-up time for new product introductions, and achieving efficiencies without sacrificing food safety. By focusing on the total manufacturing process of the plant and on the critical collaboration points within it, you'll learn from a panel of practitioners just how breakthrough efficiencies can enhance plant level productivity and profitability. Speakers: Trevor Cusworth, Chief Executive Officer, Hagen & Co. Ian Morrison, Vice President & Senior Consultant, Hagen & Co. Paul Pickersgill, Vice President & Senior Consultant, Hagen & Co.
10:30am–10:45am	Break
10:45am–11:30pm	Sharing Best Practices in Workplace Safety Last year, IDFA issued its first ever Worker Safety Awards and following this session we will issue awards to this year's winners. Learn from past recipient(s) how they have achieved the remarkable results and establish worker safety as a critical part of their company's overall objectives. Speakers: David Crowley, Environmental HEALTH & Safety Director, HP Hood LLC Greg Molloy, Corporate Director of Risk and Safety, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc.
11:30am–12:45pm	Group Luncheon and Presentation of the Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards For the second year, IDFA will recognize the diligent efforts and successes of many in the dairy processing industry who have achieved excellent worker safety results for the 2004 based on their DART rates. (For details on how to enter, click here.)
1:00pm–1:45pm	Current OSHA Enforcement Trends and Plant Manager Questions What are the latest OSHA issues you can expect in the coming year? Are you prepared for an inspection? Learn from one of the Nation's top OSHA defense attorney's about the OSHA issues. This interactive session will answer your questions on the latest OSHA issues. Speaker: Mark Dreux, Arent, Fox, Kinter, Plotking & Kahn, PLLC
1:45pm–2:30pm	FDA's Recordkeeping Regulation The FDA has issued its final regulation under the Bioterrorism Act, which will require compliance by December 10, 2005. This session will explain what you will need to do and how quickly you will need to do it. Undoubtedly, many processors will have their work cut out for them in order to make the compliance deadline. Speaker: Clay Detlefsen, Vice President, Regulatory & Counsel, International Dairy Foods Association
2:30pm–2:45pm	Break
2:45pm–3:30pm	Rapid Detection Testing Learn the latest in rapid detection testing including chemical, microbiological, ATP, aflatoxin and patulin. Speaker: Representative from Silliker, Inc.
3:30pm–4:30pm	Regulatory Update 2005 NCIMS Challenges Labeling Compliance GMPs- New FDA Overhaul of Good Manufacturing Practices Speaker: Clay Hough, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, International Dairy Foods Association
4:30pm	ADJOURN

HOW TO REGISTER

The conference is priced at $795 for members and $995 for nonmembers. To register:

• Click here to register online.

  Send the form by fax (202/331-7820) or mail to IDFA.
  Mailing address: IDFA, 1250 H Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005
  Attn: IDFA Registration

HOTEL INFORMATION

IDFA's Plant Operations Conference will be held at the Wyndham Chicago, 633 North St. Clair, Chicago, Illinois. To make your reservation, and receive the special group rate of $159 single/double, please call the hotel directly at (312) 573-0300. The hotel cut-off date is April 1, 2005. The rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please make your plans today!