Introducing the 2019 Event

Our theme for this year is: “Delivering Progress through Innovation and Efficiency – the appliance of science!”

Each year, your Organising Committee attempt to present you with an interesting, thought provoking and forward thinking Conference presented by varied and experienced speakers. This year is no exception and the list of speakers can be found elsewhere on our website.

Previous conferences have addressed important areas of public perception of our industry, sustainability, and the threats and opportunities that Brexit and competing on the World stage presents us with.

How to Improve the Efficiency of Production

This year we are hoping to take forward these themes and explore how to improve the efficiency of production. We will be looking at how this can be achieved through the appliance of technology and innovation to enable our industry to compete in the current challenging times we find ourselves. Never has it been more important to be competitive and efficient. To make use of technology in these goals whilst maintaining consumer confidence in everything we are doing may be the key to our success.

There are many ways in which this aim can be achieved including a combination of:

• Upskilling, encouraging and retaining a motivated workforce;
• The collection, use and interpretation of Big Data and the technology to deliver, collect, record, interpret this data in a way that improves performance and success;
• The role of technology – what is possible, needed and affordable;
• The public perception of any such technology we introduce;
• Practical research to help shape and inform decision making;
• Attracting and maintaining new entrants into our industry

If we can achieve these transitions and goals we should be more able to compete on the domestic and global stage, embrace the idea of sustainable intensification and meet changing and challenging consumer habits. In striving to do this by making use of new technologies we must understand how and if consumers will readily accept “the appliance of science” or if they want cheap, safe food simply produced in the most extensive low tech way possible. Would this be realistic or achievable? We must not underestimate these challenges but using a platform like EPIC is a perfect way to meet and discuss the options, pitfalls and opportunities.

Our website will detail the range of speakers already committed to help you consider these topics, and conference will offer you the opportunity to meet and network with colleagues from all areas of the poultry industry.

EPIC Young Poultry Person Initiative

The EPIC Organising Committee and previous delegates are very keen to encourage more young people and new entrants from our industry to participate in our annual conference. Young people are the lifeblood and the future of our industry and consequently we have decided to introduce an EPIC Young Poultry Person Initiative, alongside the Young Person of the Year Award and our successful Young Guns session during conference. The aim is to help those under 40 who may not be able to afford the cost to attend the conference. This initiative is only made possible by the generous and enthusiastic support of our conference sponsors who are adding financial contributions to this scheme. Applications are encouraged from young people working on poultry farms, in poultry companies or in full time academia.

The online application form can be found here.

Closing the Conference

To round off our Conference in style we are very pleased to announce that our guest speaker at the closing banquet will be the inspirational international explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE. Named as the “Worlds Greatest Living Explorer” by the Guinness Book of Records, Sir Ranulph is the first person to reach both North and South Poles by foot, has climbed Everest at the ripe old age of 63 and has raised millions of pounds for charity along the way. His insights should send delegates home with some powerful messages on achieving our goals!

We very much hope that you join us this year and help us to Deliver Progress through Innovation and Efficiency!

Stephen Lister
Chairman, Organising Committee, Egg and Poultry Industry Conference

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