IPPE, the International Production & Processing Expo, is one of the largest annual shows for the poultry, meat, and animal feed industries. It is held each year in Atlanta, and it draws processors, equipment makers, ingredient and packaging suppliers, and service providers from around the world.
For an exhibitor, that concentration is the opportunity. The companies you would otherwise spend months trying to reach are often exhibiting in the same halls, the same week. The challenge is that they are busy too.
Who you can meet at IPPE
Because IPPE spans production, processing, and feed, the exhibitor list covers a wide range of businesses. Depending on what you sell, useful targets might include:
- Distributors and dealers that serve processors in regions where you want more coverage.
- Equipment manufacturers whose lines sit upstream or downstream of yours, which makes them natural partners for integrated offerings.
- Ingredient, packaging, and sanitation suppliers you buy from today or want to.
- Complementary brands that sell to the same plants and could bundle with you.
The key is to pick the two or three kinds of company that would make the show a success for you, and to be specific. "Processing equipment companies" is too broad. "Makers of further-processing equipment who don't offer the food-safety component we make" is a target.
Work the exhibitor list early
IPPE publishes its exhibitor list well ahead of the show. It is long, and it is the single most useful tool you have. Go through it with your targets in mind, look up each company, and keep the ones where you can write a one- or two-sentence reason the meeting makes sense for both sides.
Aim to start at least six weeks before the show. IPPE exhibitors plan their week in advance, and the earlier your introduction arrives, the more likely it is to land on an open calendar.
Plan for a large show floor
At a show this size, a vague plan to "stop by" rarely turns into a meeting. For every meeting you set, confirm the day, the time, and the booth number in writing. If a company is in a different hall from you, allow time to get there. For the most important conversations, a short video call before the show can make the booth meeting a second conversation instead of a first.
Brief your team
Give whoever takes each meeting a one-page brief: who the company is, who they are meeting, why the match makes sense, and the first question to ask. On a busy floor, that page is the difference between a real conversation and a polite exchange of business cards. Here is what a good brief includes.
Let us set the meetings
Exhibit Meetings researches the IPPE exhibitor list for the distributors, suppliers, and partners that fit your goals, introduces you personally with both sides copied, and puts confirmed meetings on your calendar with a brief for each. It is free for the other exhibitor, which is a big part of why they say yes.
If you are exhibiting at IPPE, book a 15-minute call or send us your details. We will tell you within one business day whether we see enough strong targets on the list to make it worth it.
