Overview
IDFA’s Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference is a dynamic, information-rich meeting focused exclusively on the information that yogurt and cultured dairy product professionals need. Learn about the most recent developments in the category and be inspired by new ideas as you network with industry peers and respected experts. Find out what’s new in ingredients, cultures, processing technology and packaging. Plus, experience new ingredients and products presented during the Innovative Product Contest.
Who Should Attend?
All professionals in the yogurt and cultured dairy products field — including executives, marketers, plant operations, research and development, and quality assurance staff — will gain new insights, ideas and solutions by attending the conference. Suppliers to the industry are also encouraged to attend.
Premier Sponsor
Sponsors
Hotel
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort
The Ice Cream Technology Conference and the Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference will be co-located at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs, Florida. You may make your hotel reservations online or directly with the hotel by calling (888) 803-7534. When calling, refer to the International Dairy Foods Association to receive the special room rate of $249 per night plus applicable taxes. The deadline to secure a room is March 7, 2022. We have reserved a large block of rooms, but once all the rooms have been booked, we cannot guarantee that additional space will be available.
Book OnlineCall for Proposals
This conference will showcase the most recent developments in the science of fermented dairy products, dairy cultures, processing and packaging technologies, as well as look at new products entering the market. Industry peers and experts will empower attendees with fresh new ideas to help their companies grow and prosper.
IDFA invites you to submit a proposal for a presentation or panel discussion for the Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference program.
Areas of interest for proposals include, but are not limited to:
- Consumer trends, retail sales and product marketing data;
- Quality and nutrition enhancement of cultured dairy products;
- Use of pre- and probiotics to deliver added value to consumers;
- Innovations in processing and packaging;
- Original responses to constraints imposed by government standards/regulations (e.g., standards of identity)
- Novel ingredients, cultures, flavoring and sweeteners for the dairy industry; and
- Efficiency, cost-saving ideas and sustainability improvements for processing, packaging and distribution.
Please complete the proposal submission form by November 19, 2021. IDFA will contact you if your recommendation is accepted.
Registration
Registration fees for Dairy Forum are based on your company's IDFA membership status. For more information about membership, please email membership.idfa.org.
Q: Registration Substitutions
Registration is non-transferable from one company to another; however, substitutions within companies are welcome at any time. Please email registrar@idfa.org if you would like to make a registration substitution.
Q: Registration Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations received in writing will be accepted prior to March 1, 2022 for a full refund, minus a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received after March 1, 2022, will be eligible for a 50 percent refund, less the processing fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable after March 15, 2022. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.
Q: News Media
Credentialed members of the news media are welcome to register at a special rate by contacting mherrick@idfa.org. News media must present credentials to qualify.
Questions: If you have questions or need assistance with the registration process, please contact IDFA at (202) 737-4332 or registrar@idfa.org.
Innovative Product Contest
This competition offers the opportunity for dairy processors, as well as flavoring suppliers, to showcase their latest cultured dairy products (cultured milk, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, dip) and flavors.
All conference attendees are invited to submit one entry to compete in each of the two categories:
- Most Innovative Cultured Dairy Product
- Most Innovative Cultured Dairy Protype Flavor
Awards will be given for first-, second- and third-place winners in each category, judged by conference attendees, and winners will be featured in an upcoming edition of Dairy Foods magazine.
To submit an entry, complete the contest entry form no later than March 15, 2022. Please contact rgleeson@idfa.org with any questions.
Sponsored by:
Guidelines for Contest Submissions
- A company representative must register for the Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference to participate.
- Limit of one (1) entry per company, per category.
- Please plan for your product submission to arrive between March 24 and March 28. If your product is received after March 28, we cannot guarantee that your entry will be included in the contest.
- Please send enough product so that 100 individuals may sample the submission. For example, if your product is a 6-10 oz. container, send 20 containers; if it is a 16-32 oz. container, send 10 containers.
- If the cultured dairy product is submitted in the original retail containers, the product will be placed in individual portion cups for the contest.
- Be sure to pack the shipment well, wrapping each container in bubble wrap or paper to help protect it from damage during the extreme cold temperature of the dry ice.
- The box MUST be clearly marked "Must Be Refrigerated" and "IDFA Product Contest".
- A shipping label will be provided – Please complete and attach the label to your shipped box(es).
- Once the product is shipped, email rgleeson@idfa.org with the information below. If you do not email the required information, we cannot guarantee that your entry will be included in the contest.
- Tracking number
- Arrival date
- Submission name and product type
- Company contact attending the conference
Sponsors
The Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference delivers high value and an opportunity to engage with more top-level decision makers than ever before — including executives, plant managers, regulatory compliance personnel, product development specialists, research and development professionals, quality assurance staff, plant engineers, and operations personnel.
Sponsorship is one of the best ways to brand your organization as a thought-leader and to highlight your commitment to advancing the dairy industry. IDFA offers a variety of sponsorship opportunities.
Please contact mlembke@idfa.org for more information.
Premier Sponsor
Sponsors