MINNEAPOLIS — The poultry industry doesn’t stand still, and neither can we.
Biosecurity expectations remain high. Regulations continue to shift. Finding and keeping the right employees is harder than ever. We all feel it in different ways. But beyond recognizing those challenges, what really matters is how we respond to them in ways that protect profitability and keep our businesses strong.
That is exactly why PEAK exists.
PEAK, the Midwest Poultry Federation’s annual convention and trade show, returns to the Minneapolis Convention Center April 14–16 with a simple focus: bringing the industry together in person to share ideas, compare solutions and strengthen the relationships that help us succeed.
Biosecurity remains front and center. Educational sessions this year will dig into mitigation strategies and current research. These are not only lectured conversations. These sessions and discussions are grounded in the realities you face on your farms and in your facilities.
At the same time, we know disease management is only one piece of the profitability puzzle. Workforce turnover, mis-hires and leadership gaps are the other, and they carry real financial consequences.
That’s why we are introducing The Coop of Leaders: Building Business Savvy in Poultry on Wednesday, April 15. This session will focus on aligning workforce “readiness” platforms for key roles such as front-line supervisors and mid-level managers. We will talk candidly about the true costs of hiring and examine companies that have changed their practices with measurable success.
New this year, we are partnering with Egg Industry Center to host its Egg Industry Issues Forum on Thursday, April 16. This dedicated time for egg producers and industry partners has become an important space for focused discussion around regulatory developments, compliance expectations and market pressures impacting the U.S. egg sector. As oversight and operational complexity continue to evolve, the value of carving out time for deeper dialogue has only grown.
Of course, PEAK has always been about more than what happens in a classroom.
Nearly every segment of the poultry supply chain is represented on the trade show floor. Many of the vendors you work with, the colleagues you trust and the producers you call friends will be there. It is a rare opportunity to compare equipment, evaluate solutions and have honest conversations about what is working, and what is not.
Last but certainly not least, there is Unhatched. On Tuesday evening, April 14, we will gather for PEAK Unhatched: An Evening of Eats & Entertainment. It is a State Fair–inspired networking event designed to do something simple: create space for authentic connection. Sometimes the best ideas and partnerships happen outside a formal session.
One thing I remain especially proud of is that PEAK’s impact extends well beyond the convention center. Revenue generated through the show is shared back with our state member organizations and reinvested into grower education, biosecurity preparedness, youth development and workforce initiatives. Strengthening our state associations ultimately strengthens the entire industry.
Profitability in today’s environment requires collaboration. It requires informed leadership. It requires community.
PEAK is built around those principles.
I hope you will join us in Minneapolis this April as we continue working together to connect and enhance the poultry industry. For more information or to register, visit www.midwestpoultry.com.
Lisa Henning, strategic relationship manager/business development with Henning Companies, is president of the Midwest Poultry Federation Board of Directors.
