Another successful year has come and past at the World Dairy Expo. Below World Dairy Expo General Manager Laura Herschleb has released a summary of the event.
To the global dairy community,
Thank you for once again making World Dairy Expo the meeting place of the global dairy industry. The 2022 event was filled with memorable moments from start to finish that this event summary attempts to recap. However, those who have attended Expo know that the impacts of this event go beyond the numbers and the names of the winners.
In the Dairy Cattle Show, Expo set a new record for animals housed during the event. Previously set in 2008 with 2,657 animals, the 2022 show housed 2,663 animals competing in breed shows and selling at auctions during the week. The 16 individuals selected to judge cattle on the colored shavings by Expo’s exhibitors spent 96 hours evaluating heifers and cows. Luckily, changes were already underway in the Show ring to maximize exhibit space prior to this record-setting year which created adequate room on the colored shavings for all of these animals and their leads-people.
Expo’s Trade Show was again an oasis of new products, brands and research available to the global dairy industry. Many of these new features were highlighted in the Knowledge Nook and at the WDE Tech Spotlight. Companies enjoyed quality conversations with attendees from around the world or just down the street in their booths and during impromptu meetings in The Tanbark.
For those who came to learn at World Dairy Expo 2022, the opportunities were endless. Expo Seminars, Virtual Farm Tours, and Expo en Español returned for daily sessions beginning on Tuesday with Tanbark Talks and Dairy Forage Seminars hosted Wednesday through Friday. Organizations including the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, American Dairy Coalition, National Milk Producers Federation, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection hosted public events during the week that drew large crowds ready to learn.
All of these components of World Dairy Expo and the connections we have come to associate with the annual event wouldn’t be possible without our attendees. Historically, Expo has used a formula to calculate the number of attendees across the five-day event schedule. This year, the attendance figures look different for two reasons. First, the new event schedule placed ticket-takers at the gates for only four days – Tuesday through Friday – rather than five. Second, the change to digital admission passes this year allows Expo to move beyond a formula to a more detailed counting system. We look forward to learning how this more accurate data can help us shape Expo moving forward.
Last, but certainly not least, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the 460 volunteers and 150 event workers who join our staff of ten full-time employees to host this historic event. Expo would not be possible without this group of dedicated individuals who share their time and talents with us.
Until we see you again, October 1-6, 2023, be well.
Laura Herschleb
World Dairy Expo General Manager