ST. PAUL, Minn. — Bruce Eastlund of Fairmont, Minn., will continue his role as the president of the Midwest Poultry Federation for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. (All officers of MPF serve a two-year term.)
Eastlund holds one of three allied industry positions on the MPF board of directors and he represents his company, ILC Resources, based in Urbandale, Iowa.
“I am thrilled to be able to lead MPF into the coming year,” Eastlund said. “Our 2017 convention was extremely successful all the way around — from attendance to the continued expansion of our exhibit space. I am excited to capitalize on the momentum we experienced this year and build upon our successes in a brand-new location — the Minneapolis Convention Center — for 2018.”
Other officers are:
- Vice President — Greg Nelson, Nelson Poultry Farms Inc., Manhattan, Kansas, serves as secretary/treasurer. Nelson represents the Kansas Poultry Association.
- Secretary/Treasurer — Ben Thompson, Pearl Valley Eggs in Pearl City, Ill., serves as secretary/treasurer. Thompson represents the Illinois Poultry Industries.
Also, Sandi Hofmann of Aviagen Turkeys was re-elected to a second term as an allied director on the board. Aviagen Turkeys is a long-time exhibitor at the convention; Hofmann is one of three allied directors who represent all exhibiting companies on the board.
Honored for their service to the MPF board were retiring directors Bill Bevans, Nebraska Poultry Industries; Allen Behl, Wisconsin Poultry & Egg Association; and Dr. Louis Arrington, Wisconsin Poultry & Egg Association.
Director emeritus
Dr. Louis Arrington is a founding director of the MPF organization, a past president, and has been on the board since its inception in 1971. He has been was honored with a director emeritus position on the MPF board of directors.
MPF also has established the Louis C. Arrington Education Fund as a way to encourage and guide students toward a career in the poultry industry, which has always been a passion of Arrington’s. The fund may be used in a variety of ways, including but not limited to scholarships, events to encourage student participation at the MPF Convention, and other expenses that may occur to assist students with their career choices in poultry.
The fund will consist of net revenue from the annual MPF Convention, as well as donations from poultry and allied companies, which help maximize the impact of program.
Moving to Minneapolis
This year, the MPF Convention ended its very successful 20-year run in Saint Paul with three sold-out exhibit halls, jam-packed education sessions, and registration just over the 3,200 mark — slightly higher than last year’s record of 3,100 attendees.
“We were pleased to once again to welcome a full house to Saint Paul,” said Steve Olson, MPF executive director. “The growth of this show showcases the continued need for face-to-face meetings and networking. We could feel the excitement generated by attendees throughout our event — including the buzz of activity on the exhibit floors.”
The MPF Convention, held annually in March, offers cutting-edge information to attendees through a balanced offering of exhibits and educational workshops for the turkey, egg layer, broiler and organic/specialty poultry industries, the federation noted, adding that, as a nonprofit organization, all of MPF’s revenue generated (after expenses are paid) from the convention goes back to its member organizations and to support poultry programs.
The 47th annual MPF Convention will be held March 13-15, 2018, at the Minneapolis Convention Center in downtown Minneapolis, Minn.
“The MPF Convention has seen steady growth over the past decade and the time was right for a move to the Minneapolis Convention Center,” Olson said. “Minneapolis will offer us more flexibility for our exhibiting companies and will help us consolidate our largest hotel blocks into three main hotels.”
Also new in 2018 will be a full two-day schedule for the convention — from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 14; and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on March 15.
“Expanding our show hours will provide more dedicated time to visit all of our exhibiting companies as well as allow MPF an opportunity to stagger the education sessions to better suite our attendees’ needs,” Olson added. “This is something we’ve heard loud and clear from attendees — they want more time at the convention.”
The show will feature a Pre-Show Nutrition Symposium along with its usual array of social/networking events, education and exhibits. Also held in conjunction with the 2018 MPF Convention will be the North Central Avian Disease Conference, scheduled for March 12-13, and the Organic Egg Farmers Symposium on March 13.
MPF signed a five-year contract with Minneapolis. Future dates for the show will be: March 13-15, 2018; March 12-14, 2019; March 17-19, 2020; March 23-25, 2021; and March 22-24, 2022.
More information can be obtained at www.midwestpoultry.com.
