The dairy industry's busiest week?

We suspect the week of World Dairy Expo is the busiest week of the year for many people in the U.S. dairy industry. Just based on our little corner of the world, preparations for and presence at Expo is one of the most demanding, yet fun and productive times of the year.
Our planning for each Expo actually starts a full year ahead of time. At the show, we begin to gather information and photos for our guide to World Dairy Expo which is part of our September 10 issue. There are meetings here during the summer about what themes and materials we will feature in our two booths at the show (Booths 213 and 217 in the lower level of the Coliseum building and 4323 in the Exhibition Hall). Our marketing people meet ahead of time to map out the advertising and promotion programs that they can offer potential advertisers and their agencies during the year ahead.
Expo week itself really gets going for us on the Sunday before the Tuesday-through-Saturday show when we provide practice classes for all of the judging teams at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm. On Monday of Expo week, we and others in the Fort Atkinson area host the National 4-H Dairy Conference.
After the show closes on the first day (Tuesday) it is all hands on deck as Hoard’s Dairyman and World Dairy Expo co-host a party for all commercial exhibitors at the show. Throughout the week, the editors have a full schedule of meetings and events to cover. These include meeting with companies about new products and services, attending seminars, getting together with writers for the magazine, and just visiting with dairy industry friends and acquaintances from across the country and around the world.
In addition, the editors fulfill a number of industry volunteer roles such as the National 4-H Conference, judging contests, National Dairy Shrine, the Klussendorf Association, and several others.
At the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm, there is a steady flow of scheduled and drop-in visitors before, during, and after Expo.
Even before the show is over, the magazine is hard at work putting together Expo reports, results and photos for our October 25 issue . . . and planning for how we can do things better during next year’s show.
If you can't attend Expo this year, you still can stay connected with what's happening there. Our Hoard's @ Expo blog will feature several posts each day about what is happening, photos, videos, all the big winners, and much more. Plus, you'll find coverage on our Facebook fan page. Just go to Facebook, search Hoard's Dairyman, and become a fan!