Pork producers visit in the trade show at the Illinois Pork Expo at the Peoria Civic Center. (Carrie Muehling/WJBC)
By Carrie Muehling
PEORIA – The Illinois Pork Expo will move to Springfield in 2016.
The Illinois Pork Producers Association will combine next year’s event with its annual legislative day. In addition to changing venues, they’ll also hold the program a few weeks later, on Feb. 16-17, 2016, at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center.
“As our industry has evolved and changed over the last 30 years, the legislative and regulatory side of our industry has become more and more important. We felt that to get our producers closer and maybe help them be able to interact more with the legislative community in Springfield and also to help the legislative branch of government realize how big an impact the Illinois swine industry has on the state of Illinois and its economy, we decided to try to move our main event closer to where the action is in Springfield,” said Curt Zehr, Illinois Pork Producers Association president and producer from Washington, Ill.
Zehr said the main emphasis of Illinois Pork Expo won’t change. The group will still hold an annual meeting and banquet, as well as a trade show. The goals include allowing producers to have an opportunity to communicate with allied industry, to get together to do business within the industry and to network with each other. The new configuration will add a legislative aspect to the event.
The 2015 Illinois Pork Expo had a successful crowd even with snow entering the area on Wednesday.
“Lots of exhibitors here, lots of wonderful, great seminars educating our producers and keeping them up to speed on new rules, new legislative issues and things like that. Attendance has been very good,” said Pam Janssen, Illinois Pork Expo chairman and producer from Minonk, Ill.
The Illinois Pork Producers Association will also experience transition this year as the group searches for a new executive director after the departure of Jim Kaitschuk, who took a position in Gov. Rauner's administration.
Carrie Muehling can be reached at [email protected].
