It doesn’t matter where you go you’ve got to have internet access.
These internet islands are becoming a standard feature of any show regardless of industry.
One of the nice things here at this show is open wireless in the exhibition area. At least that’s what I’ve been told.
I’m hooked up by ethernet cable in the press room and it’s very high speed which is great for uploading audio, pics and video.
These eggs aren’t good for an omelet but they sure look pretty. Mike Ryan’s company, Clay Concepts, specializes in making ceramic eggs and this is his first time at the International Poultry Expo. He says that they started out selling them to hobbyists and as decorations but found they make great nest eggs for poultry producers and great promotional items.
That’s the part that caught my eye. I interviewed Mike about what he’s doing. He describes how they make them and some of the ways people are using them.
Listen to my interview with Mike:
poultry-expo-ryan.mp3
Shining shoes is a full time career for Ashley Skaggs who’s working out of the IC Poultry Bus booth here at the International Poultry Expo. Ashley works for Classic Shoe Shine Company which is based out of Atlanta. They do this at shows all over the world.
After watching Ashley at work it was my turn to have my shoes done and I interviewed here while she worked. As Ashley says in our interview this is a great way to pull traffic into your trade show booth and you’ll usually find a line behind her.
Listen to my interview with Ashley:
poultry-expo-skaggs.mp3
The Expos here in Atlanta are best described as co-located with a number of exhibitors who are here for both. I’m guessing they’re happy to only have to set up one time. That’s got to save money.
Here’s an example of one of the many exhibits on display here. This one is from Diamond Systems and it handles eggs.
I took a moment to shoot a video clip of it in operation and of course loaded it to YouTube.
Like the Green Week last week in Berlin, this is a huge show. I wandered around for a couple hours and only covered about 3 aisles in one building and there’s more than one building here. Is it possible to have a show that’s too big?
The action is going hot and heavy here at the Poultry and Feed Expos. I’ve never attended this event and am just about ready to take cameras and recorders out for a stroll to see what I can find.
The event runs through the next couple days and I’m planning on being here each day.
See you soon.
Hello from Atlanta and the International Poultry and Feed Expos. It took a while but I finally got in. I have to say I’ve never had a more unpleasant welcome than trying to get my badge here. When I got to the media room they didn’t have me on a list and wondered how I got in past security (they never asked me for a badge). I explained that I had spoken with the communication director in charge personally by phone a couple weeks ago and that I had emailed in my media registration form two times at her request since I guess they didn’t receive it the first time. They called her on the radio and she denied ever having spoken with me and to send me out to exhibitor registration where I should be able to find a press badge. I went all the way out there and since I wasn’t on a list I was told to either register as a general attendee or leave.
Now I presented my IFAJ international press card and other forms of identification. However, that made no difference. So I had to stand in line and pay my way in with a badge. It’s certainly not the $50 that’s an issue. However, this has cost me over an hour since I walked in the door. For a media blogger that’s cutting into my posting time.
I’m sure the staff is overwhelmed but when you’ve got a legitimate reporter on your doorstep who wants to provide you with online coverage should you turn him away just because you can’t “find him in the computer?” Oh well, no big deal but I thought this presented a lesson in how not to treat the media. I’m still going to cover this event like I planned and I hope you’ll find it interesting.
I would offer the staff here a suggestion though about having some more table space with electric outlets and wireless internet access would be nice. If they’d like to learn how to really set up a media room they should contact Joe Schuele and Grace Webb at NCBA!
The reports are coming in regularly now from Paul McKellips, Global Outreach Officer, US Embassy Baghdad, The Green Room – Public Affairs GO Team. In fact I’m a little behind getting them posted. This one is about sheep dip tanks and from the looks of this picture they dip goats too.
The U.S. military is having an enormous impact on Iraq’s sheep population. A massive effort has been underway to build permanent and portable sheep dip tanks so that the country’s 12 to 16 million sheep can be cleaned of parasites such as ticks and lice. The impact in remote villages has resulted in a powerful economic boost to farmers. Dipping has increased wool production by 30% or more.
Full Report (Word doc)
Listen to his report:
sheep-dip-tanks.mp3
Agricultural media are invited to get their registrations in for the upcoming National Pork Industry Forum. I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend this one but hopefully we’ll get some information to share with you.
The National Pork Industry Forum will be held March 1-3 at Hilton Anaheim Hotel in Anaheim, Calif. The theme for Forum is: “Accountability, Trust and Social Responsibility – Defining Pork Production in the 21st Century.” Producers who have followed news reports about our industry in recent months know that this is a theme that should give us much to discuss and debate.
We invite you to attend The National Pork Industry Forum. Registration materials are due Jan. 31. For (media) registration information and a schedule of events, visit: http://www.pork.org/NewsAnd Information/porkForumInformation.aspx.
It’s another travel day for the Zman. I’m heading down to Hotlanta for the International Poultry Expo which is also combined with the International Feed Expo. I should be in and out of there over the next several days and will be posting on various items I find of interest.
I’ll be online at stops along the way so keep me on your email list to send announcements and ideas for posts you think other readers would be interested in.
I’ve pointed you to Steve Rubel, Micropersuasion, a number of times. I hope he’s on your feed list. If you’re in media, marketing or communications I suggest it’s a must have. Anyway, Steve just wrote a great post about how we need to change the way we describe new media. He seems to like “all media” as a term. Here’s some excerpts from his post.
With the democratization of media we’ve come to rely on a bunch of terms that are now completely unnecessary. These include “social media,” “user generated content” and – my favorite – “consumer generated media.” Do any of these matter any more?
The problem with all of these balkanized phrases is that they connote that the content created by digitally empowered individuals is somehow bush league. It’s like we’re a separate entity from the rest of the so-called “mainstream” journalists, filmmakers, photographers, etc. who do what we do and get paid more for it. We sit in a special dish like leftover meatloaf so we need a special name. If you use these phrases you’re unintentionally perpetuating that myth.
The fact is that everyone who is contributing to the dialogue – be it in video, text or photos – has earned the right to be called media. Let’s can the compartmentalization and recognize once and for all the world has changed. We are all media – period.
I like the idea of being a digitally empowered individual. While I was at the IFAJ meeting last week one of the leaders looked at me and said, “You’re always online.” Out of about 30 journalists there I was not only the only one online. I was the only one carrying a computer and using it. And I didn’t have my mobile phone with me and I can’t tell you how many times I reached for it. I felt a little naked without it I can tell you.
One thing I didn’t mention in my post on this week’s ZimmCast is that Adrian Bell, the guy I interviewed, says in the interview that his professional career matches the public introduction and development of the internet. He doesn’t even know a professional world without it. Think about what our young farmers and ranchers are growing up with today (besides websites like AgWired)! In case you’re wondering, I was working professionally before there was an internet. We can learn if we want to.
