The Midwest Poultry Federation – MPF – Board of Directors has made the decision to reschedule its 2021 convention from March to May 19-21, 2021. The MPF Convention – celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021 – will be planned as a “hybrid event”, meaning it will have both an in-person show at the Minneapolis Convention Center and a virtual companion event online.
“As a board, we know how important it is to be able to get the poultry industry together in person – and how our attendees and exhibitors miss the face-to-face connections we haven’t been able to have because of the pandemic. That’s why we all agreed that rescheduling the show to May dates will give us the best chance of doing that in a safe manner,” said MPF President Scott Waldner, who represents the Chicken and Egg Association of Minnesota (CEAM) on the Board.
The in-person MPF Convention will start with pre-show education events and a Welcome Reception on Wednesday, May 19. The Exhibit Hall and education program will run on Thursday and Friday, May 20-21. (Note the slight pattern change to Wednesday-Friday for these 2021 dates only.)
MPF is planning for every measure for a safe, in-person show experience. This will include following all guidelines for social distancing and mask wearing that are in place in May.
“The safety and well-being of our attendees and exhibitors is paramount. We are communicating closely with our partners at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Meet Minneapolis, and our contracted hotels, and continue to follow the most-up-to-date COVID-19 guidance at all governmental levels,” said Waldner. “This includes moving into Exhibit Halls B/C on the street level of the convention center so that we can take advantage of more space to spread out.”
MPF’s virtual companion event will be held during the same show days – May 19-21 – and offer content directly from the Minneapolis Convention Center as well as education available only online and increased engagement opportunities between exhibitors and attendees.
The virtual event will be housed in the same 3-D graphical environment as the 2020 virtual convention in August – with a number of upgrades and improvements to make the online event even better for everyone.
“A hybrid event really provides the best of both worlds, given the uncertainty of COVID-19,” said Waldner. “It’s twice the engagement and twice the networking between exhibitor and attendees – and allows people to participate in MPF in whichever ways work best for them.”
Attendee registration fees will not increase and will cover attending either or both show options – including access to all virtual content through May 31, 2021.
The 3rd annual MPF Unhatched entertainment event has been postponed until 2022. The MPF Welcome Reception will be held May 19 at the Minneapolis Convention Center and offer time and space to make those important connections with colleagues in a safe and fun manner.
Said Waldner: “If we need to make a decision to cancel the in-person show in May because of health and safety concerns, we will continue to move forward with a 100% virtual event that same week.”
Booth sales and sponsorships for the hybrid event are expected to open November 16. Booth rates will not increase and include a presence in both the in-person and virtual trade shows. For more information, please contact Teresa Sorenson at tsorenson@midwestpoultry.com.
Registration and hotel reservations for the 2021 convention are expected to open in early January. Further updates will be provided on www.MidwestPoultry.com, posted on our social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter), and sent via email. For general information and questions, please email info@midwestpoultry.com or call 763-284-6763.
