IDFA announces 2008 educational calendar

Source: Food and Drink Digital

Date :17/09/2007 10:50:40

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is pleased to announce its 2008 meetings and conferences calendar.

January 20-23 Dairy Forum 2008

La Quinta Resort and Club, La Quinta, Calif.

IDFA's premier annual meeting gathers players from all sectors of the dairy industry — producers, processors, cooperative leaders and suppliers — to discuss and debate the hottest policy issues in the industry. 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.

February 10-13 International Sweetener Colloquium

Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa, Fort Myers, Fla.

Produced for the Sweetener Users Association, this event will address the crucial business issues facing producers and users of sweeteners.

February 27-29 Ice Cream Technology Conference

Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, Phoenix, Ariz.

This popular conference will provide a forum for participants to discuss technical issues - such as product safety, labeling and production, and ingredient technologies - that pertain to the frozen desserts industry.

March 2008 SmartMarketing 2008

New Orleans, La.

This annual conference, the only dairy-specific marketing meeting, will examine the key marketing and consumer trends that will shape the way dairy marketers do business. Winners of the annual Achieving Excellence marketing awards will be announced, and an exhibition will be included.

March 25-26 Milk Procurement Workshop

Embassy Suites Hotel 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 13-14 Dairy Cost Accounting Workshop

Embassy Suites Hotel O'Hare, 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.

May 20-21 Cultured Dairy Products Conference

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minn.

This specialized conference is designed to provide information specific to the manufacturing and selling of cultured dairy foods. The program will cover marketing, new technologies, and safety and quality issues for all cultured products. Winners of the annual Favorite Products contest will be announced, and an exhibition will be included.

June 3-4 Milk Technology Conference

Hilton Salt Lake City Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

IDFA is pleased to offer the second annual Milk Technology Conference designed specifically for fluid milk professionals. The conference will offer a variety of sessions, from new formulation technology and the latest regulations to the future of milk in schools and innovations in packaging and product development.

June 2008 Washington Conference

Washington, D.C.

This annual event provides valuable dairy policy briefings and political insights for dairy food executives. The agenda each year includes a review of pending legislation, grassroots techniques and invaluable networking opportunities with key members of Congress. The 26th Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party will offer a delicious conclusion to the event.

In addition, IDFA has issued a call for papers to gather topic ideas and identify speakers for several of these events, including the Ice Cream Technology Conference, SmartMarketing Conference, 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," says Courtney Waters, IDFA director of meetings and educational services.