Dairy producers and industry enthusiasts will soon be visiting the 50th annual World Dairy Expo Oct. 4-8 in Madison. More than 70,000 visitors from 90 countries are expected to be on hand to help celebrate this 50th year.

“World Dairy Expo is excited to be celebrating a 50-year tradition of serving as the place where dairy producers, enthusiasts, companies and organizations come together to exchange ideas, knowledge and technology that will help bring further value to their business,” says Kristin Olson, World Dairy Expo media relations manager.

According to Olson, producers attend Expo for a variety of reasons.

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY: The 50th annual World Dairy Expo will be held Oct. 4-8 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

“Consistent feedback from surveys conducted at World Dairy Expo shows that dairy producers attend year after year to watch the best cattle in North America parade across the colored shavings and to learn about the cutting-edge technology and latest dairy equipment on display in the trade show,” Olson explains.

More than 870 participating companies from 27 countries, six Canadian provinces and 45 U.S. states took part in the 2015 show, and a similar group will be unveiling their newest products and services at this year’s event. The huge trade show offers a wide array of modern dairy farm equipment and products in the Outdoor Trade Mall, Arena, Coliseum, New Holland Trade Center and Exhibition Hall. Everything from the latest in milking equipment to large fans and computerized cow health monitoring systems will be on display.

Celebrations planned

A number of special events will be held during this year’s Expo to celebrate the 50th show, including a 50th anniversary opening ceremony at 8 a.m. Oct. 4 and an open house from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 5. The 50th Anniversary Open House, hosted by World Dairy Expo, will feature free food, drink and entertainment.

No World Dairy Expo Dairyman or Dairy Woman of the Year is being honored this year. According to Olson, winners were not selected this year due to the 50th anniversary celebration. Winners will be selected again in 2017.

World Dairy Expo features ?ve full days of world-class cattle competition among North America’s top dairy breeders. More than 1,200 exhibitors will show 2,500 head of dairy cattle. Seven national and international breed shows will culminate with the crowning of World Dairy Expo’s 2016 Supreme Champion Oct. 8. Five breed sales featuring top-shelf genetics will take place on the grounds during the week.

At the World Dairy Expo Trade Show, attendees can have a global adventure with the newest technologies, products and services displayed up and down every aisle. Exhibitors will present the world’s largest dairy-focused trade show, showcasing everything needed to manage a herd of dairy cows.

World Dairy Expo also offers free daily seminars on dairy management and other industry issues. These programs provide visitors technical expertise to help them stay knowledgeable and competitive in the global marketplace.

Forage experts will share valuable information at free daily seminars on the dairy forage seminar stage.

Virtual Farm Tours allow attendees to explore a variety of successful dairy operations from across North America without leaving the Expo site. Each free half-hour visual presentation, led by dairy producers, is followed by a question-and-answer session. Attendees can tour these farms and learn about them face to face, producer to producer.

World Dairy Expo also hosts numerous competitions, including national and international judging and skills contests at the 4-H, FFA, intercollegiate and postsecondary levels.

In addition, winners of the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Products Contest will be honored on opening day, and winning forage samples from the 2016 World Forage Analysis Superbowl will be on display throughout the week.

Hours for the World Dairy Expo Trade Show are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4-8. Daily admission is $10 per person, and season passes are $30 per person. Parking is free.

For more information, visit worlddairyexpo.com, call 608-224-6455, or email [email protected].

2016 Dairy Cattle Show Schedule
To complete eight cattle shows in ?ve days at World Dairy Expo, several breed shows must take place at the same time in the Coliseum (C). Sales take place in the Estrumate Sale Pavilion (SP).

International futurity classes will take place immediately following the senior 2-year-old class in each breed show. An overall and reserve overall futurity champion will be selected immediately following the Holstein Futurity Class on the afternoon of Oct. 8.