Contact:
Peggy Armstrong
parmstrong@idfa.org
(202) 220-3508
(Washington, D.C. – October 3, 2012) The International Dairy Foods Association has announced its 2012-2013 meetings and events calendar, sponsorship opportunities and a call for topics for three 2013 conferences.
Webinar Series on Dairy Product Labeling
October 23, 24, 25
Dairy company employees must know the specific requirements for labeling dairy foods to avoid the waste and costly fines that result from mislabeling. This webinar series will provide all the information needed to produce compliant and effective labels for dairy products. The three sessions – "Introduction to Labeling," "Nutrition Labeling and Claims" and "Labeling Hot Topics" – will be interactive, allowing for participants’ questions. Each session will run 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Webinar Series on Dairy Industry Orientation
November 29, December 4 and 6
IDFA continues to offer this three-part educational webinar to introduce the complex world of the dairy industry to new employees or employees with new job responsibilities. Dr. Bob Yonkers, IDFA vice president and chief economist, will discuss current dairy trends, government dairy policies and programs, and how dairy products flow to market and are priced. Each session will run 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Dairy Forum 2013
JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, Orlando, Fla.
January 27-30
Focusing on how to "Unlock Dairy's Potential," Dairy Forum 2013 will include a variety of perspectives, ranging from what the 2012 general election means for dairy to insights into global trade negotiations. Dairy Forum's list of speakers to date includes Hon. Mel Martinez, former U.S. senator and current chair of the Southeast and Latin America for JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Martin Regalia, chief economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Joe Studwell, journalist and author of "Asian Godfathers: Money and Power in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia."
International Sweetener Colloquium
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, Bonita Springs, Fla.
February 10-13
This annual event provides a unique opportunity for key players from the sweetener, biofuels and ingredients sectors to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global sweetener industry. Hosted by IDFA and the Sweetener Users Association, the International Sweetener Colloquium will address the sweetener industry's latest challenges, obstacles and opportunities with presentations from a wide range of speakers, including government officials, industry executives, journalists and academics.
Ice Cream Technology Conference
Renaissance Vinoy, St. Petersburg, Fla.
March 12-13
This premier event for ice cream and frozen dessert professionals is the only meeting that focuses specifically on frozen dessert research, technology, new market trends and opportunities. Ice Cream Tech will encourage an open exchange among participants and experts on the technical and practical processing issues pertinent to the frozen dessert industry. The meeting will offer networking opportunities and product tasting during the annual Innovative Ice Cream Flavor Competition.
Milk Procurement Workshop
Intercontinental O'Hare, Rosemont, Ill.
March 20-21
This workshop will provide an overview of dairy industry basics, including the components of milk, marketing, production, distribution and consumption. It also will cover how milk and dairy products are priced both inside and outside the Federal Milk Marketing Order system.
Dairy Accounting and Finance Workshop
Hyatt Rosemont, Rosemont, Ill.
May 14-15
Efficiency, strategy and skill will be the focus of every session of this workshop. Attendees will learn the ins and outs of milk pricing, tax credits, cost segregation, federal and state milk reports, cost centers and measuring plant efficiency. Get the scoop on the latest software, best practices and industry benchmarks. Sixteen hours of Accounting and Auditing Continuing Professional Education Credits (CPE) will be awarded with the completion of this workshop.
Milk & Cultured Dairy Conference
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, Indianapolis, Ind.
May 22-23
Attendees will learn about the latest developments in processing technology, market trends, innovative packaging and ingredients, and discover a variety of new products in the development pipeline. They'll also judge the Most Innovative Cultured Dairy Product Competition and the Most Innovative Milk or Dairy Beverage Competition.
Conference on Worker Safety and Environmental Issues: Protect, Conserve and Grow
InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago, Ill.
May 29-30
This two-day session, run by IDFA Vice President Clay Detlefsen, will help attendees target ways to decrease their companies' carbon footprints, increase plant efficiency, promote worker safety and contribute to the bottom line. Along with Detlefsen, industry experts will present ideas and tools that dairy professionals can use to make practical and profitable changes in their companies and plants.
Better Process Cheese School
Offices of Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Ill.
June 12-13
According to the Food and Drug Administration's interpretation of current regulations for low-acid canned foods (LACF), each plant producing process cheese must have at least one operator who has completed a Better Process Cheese School or another course approved by FDA.
This course will cover the microbiology and control of Clostridium botulinum, thermal processing and pasteurization, formulation control, process instrumentation, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, production and packaging controls, and recordkeeping. Attendees who complete the course and pass all exams will fulfill FDA's certification recommendations for becoming a trained operator.
Washington Conference
Phoenix Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.
June 19-20
This annual event provides attendees with valuable dairy policy briefings and the opportunity to meet and discuss industry priorities with policy-makers in Washington. The agenda each year includes a review of pending legislation, grassroots techniques and invaluable networking opportunities with key members of Congress. The program also includes IDFA's Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party, now in its 31st year.
International Dairy Show
McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill.
November 3-6
The International Dairy Show, now co-located with the Food Processing Suppliers Association's PROCESS EXPO, will bring together more than 800 exhibitors and 15,000 industry professionals in the North and South Halls of McCormick Place. Dairy, food and beverage processors will see technology and innovations in formulation, processing, packaging, distribution, food safety and more. Operations, research, and sales and marketing teams will attend to learn trends, cost-cutting innovations and ways to deliver more value to customers.
Call for Topics
IDFA has issued a call for topics to gather ideas and identify speakers for three 2013 conferences: the Ice Cream Technology Conference, the Milk and Cultured Dairy Conference and the Conference on Worker Safety and Environmental Issues. The call for Ice Cream Tech topics will end November 9, and the call for topics for the other conferences will end December 5. Contact Paxton Styles, IDFA meetings coordinator, at pstyles@idfa.org or visit the IDFA website for more details.
The International Dairy Show call for speakers and presentations will open in January 2013, and information will be available at http://www.dairyshow.com/education.
Sponsorships Available
"Sponsorships offer companies a great way to promote their products and services to dairy industry professionals during our premier events and meetings," said Diana Carmenates, IDFA vice president of meetings and educational services. "Our event sponsors reach a wide range of audiences that include executives, operations managers and other decision-makers in the dairy industry."
For information on sponsorships, visit the Sponsorship Opportunities section of www.idfa.org.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, DC, represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 550 companies representing a $110-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. IDFA can be found online at www.idfa.org.