IPPE signs extension to remain in Atlanta through 2036
Bottom line
The International Production & Processing Expo, or IPPE, has signed an extension to stay in Atlanta through 2036, formalizing a long-running relationship between the show, the city, and the Georgia World Congress Center. The agreement was announced July 20 at U.S. Poultry & Egg Association headquarters in Atlanta. IPPE is produced by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the American Feed Industry Association, and the Meat Institute, and organizers say the event now draws more than 32,500 attendees from more than 115 countries. Atlanta has hosted the expo since its 1948 founding, and the integrated IPPE format has expanded over time as AFIA joined in 2007 and the Meat Institute in 2013. (conventionsouth.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals working in pet food, animal nutrition, feed safety, and technical services, the extension locks in a major annual gathering point for the broader animal food and protein supply chain. IPPE’s programming has continued to include pet food-specific education through AFIA’s Pet Food Conference, alongside discussions on regulation, ingredient innovation, AI, sustainability, and processing technology. That gives veterinarians and industry teams a predictable venue for continuing education, cross-sector networking, and tracking regulatory and market shifts that can affect companion animal nutrition and food safety. (petfoodprocessing.net)
What to watch: The next marker is IPPE 2027, scheduled for Jan. 26-28, 2027, in Atlanta, where organizers are expected to build on 2026’s record trade show footprint and continue expanding pet food and animal food programming. (ippexpo.org)
The International Production & Processing Expo will remain in Atlanta through 2036, extending one of the longest-standing venue relationships in the animal food and protein trade show business. The commitment was announced July 20 during a signing event at U.S. Poultry & Egg Association headquarters in Atlanta, with backing from the expo’s three organizing partners: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the American Feed Industry Association, and the Meat Institute. (conventionsouth.com)
That longevity is part of the story. IPPE traces its roots to 1948, when the show began as a 200-person convention at Atlanta’s Ansley Hotel. Atlanta has hosted the event ever since, and IPPE was also the first convention held at the Georgia World Congress Center after that facility opened in 1976. The show’s current structure reflects years of consolidation across adjacent industries: AFIA joined the event in 2007, and the Meat Institute joined in 2013, helping turn a poultry-focused exhibition into a broader platform spanning poultry, eggs, meat, feed, and pet food. (conventionsouth.com)
Today, organizers describe IPPE as the world’s largest annual poultry and egg, meat, and animal food industry event of its kind. Recent figures put attendance at more than 32,500 participants from more than 115 countries. The 2026 edition reported the largest trade show floor in the expo’s history, with 662,214 square feet of exhibit space and 1,375 exhibitors, while the 2027 event is already being promoted for Jan. 26-28 in Atlanta with more than 1,200 exhibitors expected. (conventionsouth.com)
For the pet food and veterinary audience, the significance is less about tourism and more about continuity. AFIA’s annual Pet Food Conference is held in conjunction with IPPE, and the 2026 program covered consumer trends, cat nutrition, ingredient availability, and AI applications in pet food and treats. Louise Calderwood, AFIA’s director of regulatory affairs, said the conference reflected how quickly the sector is evolving and emphasized innovation, science, and collaboration. (petfoodprocessing.net)
IPPE also remains a place where policy signals surface early. Reporting from the 2026 expo showed AFIA leadership using the meeting to highlight pending federal issues affecting the feed and animal food sectors, including FDA pathways for ingredients with health, environmental, production, and animal welfare claims, as well as EPA and OSHA developments. That matters for veterinarians in industry because regulatory movement in feed and pet food can influence formulation strategy, claims, compliance planning, and product innovation timelines. (world-grain.com)
Industry reaction to the Atlanta extension has centered on stability and scale. Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau leadership described U.S. Poultry & Egg Association as a longstanding civic partner and said the partnership with AFIA and the Meat Institute has increased the expo’s value and impact on the community. USPOULTRY president Nath Morris framed the agreement as a continuation of a 78-year relationship with the city and said the integrated IPPE has become one of Atlanta’s largest annual business trade shows and a top-25 show nationally. (conventionsouth.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, especially those in companion animal nutrition, technical services, formulation, regulatory affairs, and food safety, this extension secures a dependable forum where pet food conversations happen alongside broader feed and protein industry developments. That cross-pollination can be useful: ingredient trends, processing technologies, sustainability expectations, and regulatory frameworks often move across livestock feed and pet food before they show up in clinic-facing conversations with pet parents. A stable long-term home for IPPE also makes it easier for companies and associations to plan recurring education, recruiting, and partnership efforts, including student and early-career outreach tied to the show. (ippexpo.org)
What to watch: The immediate next step is IPPE 2027 in late January, but the bigger question is how organizers use the 2036 runway to grow pet food-specific programming, respond to regulatory uncertainty, and keep the event relevant for a more interconnected animal health, nutrition, and processing landscape. (ippexpo.org)