Media Contact
Marti Pupillo
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IDFA Announces 2009 Educational Calendar, Call for Papers
(Washington, D.C. — October 14, 2008) The International Dairy Foods Association is pleased to announce its 2009 meetings and conferences calendar.
| January 11-14 |
Dairy Forum 2009 Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort, Orlando, Fla. IDFA’s premier annual meeting gathers leaders from all sectors of the dairy industry – producers, processors, cooperative leaders and suppliers – to discuss the latest market, regulatory and industry trends. Program highlights will include the presentation of several industry awards, such as the National Cheese Institute Laureate Award, the IDFA Soaring Eagle Award and the Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year Award. This event also offers golf, tennis and spouse activities. |
| February 8-11 |
International Sweetener Colloquium Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate, Orlando, Fla. This annual event provides a unique opportunity for producers and users of sweeteners to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global sweetener industry. This year's sessions will cover domestic and international markets, Mexico, Farm Bill implementation, energy costs and other timely topics presented by a variety of experts. |
| February 26-27 |
Ice Cream Technology Conference Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, Phoenix, Ariz. The premier event for frozen dessert professionals, this conference is the only meeting that focuses specifically on frozen dessert research, technology, new market trends and opportunities. The conference encourages an open exchange among participants and experts on the technical and practical processing issues pertaining to the frozen dessert industry, such as production and ingredient technologies, product safety and labeling. It also features networking opportunities and product tasting, including the annual Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition. |
| March 11-12 |
Sustainability Workshop Dallas, Texas IDFA's new Sustainability Workshop is designed to help members meet the challenges of monitoring and reducing energy, water and chemicals used throughout each product's lifecycle. This two-day workshop will begin by focusing on what sustainability means to the dairy industry, fluid milk's carbon footprint, possible new innovations and practices, and current retailer initiatives. The second day will show attendees how to measure their use of resources and to discover new or emerging sustainability technologies that might work for them. The workshop will include highlights of successful case studies and conclude with a review of initiatives currently underway in other food industries. |
| March 24-25 |
Dairy 101: IDFA’s Milk Procurement Workshop Crown Plaza O'Hare, Rosemont, Ill. This workshop is a must for anyone who needs to learn dairy market basics. Marketing, sales, production and accounting personnel all will benefit from learning the fundamentals of the Federal Milk Marketing Order system and raw milk pricing and procurement. |
| May 12-13 |
Dairy Cost Accounting Workshop Hyatt Rosemont, Rosemont, Ill. This industry-specific workshop provides dairy company controller and accounting personnel with important information on production benchmarks as well as hands-on training in product and product-line component costing and route distribution analysis. |
| June 2009 |
Cultured Dairy Products Conference St. Louis, Mo. This specialized conference is designed to provide that latest information on cultured product technology and marketing for cultured products executives, product development personnel, plant managers, research and development and quality assurance professionals, and operations staff. The conference features social events and an exhibition designed to provide an intimate forum for interaction and networking. |
| June 2009 |
Milk Technology Conference St. Louis, Mo. IDFA's Milk Technology Conference is designed specifically for fluid milk professionals. The conference will offer a variety of sessions, from new equipment, processing and formulation technology to innovations in packaging and product development. State and federal regulatory updates and the future of milk in schools will also be discussed. |
| June 17-18 |
Washington Conference Hotel Monaco, Washington, D.C. This annual event provides attendees with valuable dairy policy briefings, as well as opportunities to discuss industry priorities with policymakers in Washington. The agenda will include a review of pending legislation, grassroots techniques and invaluable networking opportunities with key members of Congress. The program also will include IDFA's 27th Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party. |
| October 28-31 |
Worldwide Food Expo 2009 McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. Worldwide Food Expo is the premiere food and beverage processing and packaging event in North America, featuring the world's leading suppliers. Attendees from 100 countries visit the show to learn about new technologies, trends and ideas. Worldwide Food Expo offers a comprehensive educational program with plant operations workshops, global trend general sessions and technical briefings, in addition to the innovations featured in the exhibit booths on the trade show floor. Worldwide Food Expo features two co-located events: the IDFA Food, Dairy & Beverage Exposition and the AMI International Meat, Poultry & Seafood Convention and Exposition. |
In addition, IDFA has issued a call for papers to gather topic ideas and identify speakers for four of these events: the Ice Cream Technology Conference, Sustainability Workshop, Cultured Dairy Products Conference and Milk Technology Conference.
"By issuing a call for papers, we expect to broaden the field of topics offered at these events while continuing to meet our goal of providing the latest information, trends and research results through interesting and engaging presentations," said Diana Harvey, IDFA senior director of meetings and educational services.
The call for papers will end December 5, 2008. IDFA will select topics and notify chosen presenters by January 2, 2009. For more information, visit the Events and Trade Show section of our website.
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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 $100-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% of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.