Taking the Bull by the Horns - annual conference

Dairy UK’s annual conference this year will see top speakers grappling with some of the most testing challenges facing the industry.

The theme for this year’s event on Tuesday, 15 September is ‘Taking the Bull by the Horns’, and it will address market volatility, low commodity prices, the threat to dairy’s place in the diet and the scale of the environmental challenge.

But don’t expect a lot of doom and gloom. The speakers we have assembled from the UK and from farther afield are all leaders in their areas. They will lay out the problems, but also the possible solutions and opportunities.

Dairy UK Director General, Jim Begg, will chair the day’s discussions. Delegates will hear presentations from Jay Waldvogel (US), Senior VP of Dairy Farmers of America, Prof. Quintin McKellar, Principal and Dean of The Royal Veterinary College, Andy Smith, Group Managing Director of UK Operations, Lactalis and Sandy Wilkie, Sales and Marketing Director, Wiseman Dairies. Jane King, editor of Farmers’ Weekly and Adam leyland, editor of The Grocer, will also reveal the results of new research into attitudes to dairy.

We will also have input from Ian Dudden from NYSE Liffe, on market and price volatility. And Dairy UK’s Environment Manager, Fergus McReynolds, will talk about the industry’s progress towards its environmental objectives, as well as challenges still to be faced.

Rounding off the day’s business will be an interview with Dairy UK Chairman, Mark Allen, and an afternoon “Question Time” style session, using last year’s successful “ask the audience” interactive voting system.

In the evening we are holding the ever popular Dairy UK drink’s reception and dinner – all at Stoneleigh Park on the day before the RABDF’s Dairy and Livestock Event. We’re five years old this autumn, so expect some birthday celebrations. Last year we were joined by 250 guests for dinner, and we look forward to another well attended and memorable event in 2009.

Programme

(download pdf version here )

09:30 : Registration & Coffee
09:45 : Chairman’s Introduction – J Begg
10:00 : Market Management & Policy – Jay Waldvogel
10:30 : Managing Market Volatility – Ian Dudden, Director Commodity Derivatives, NYSE LIFFE
11:00 : COFFEE BREAK
11:15 : Innovation and Welfare - Prof.Quintin McKellar – Royal Veterinary College
11:45 : Exclusive Farmers Weekly/Grocer Dairy Research – Jane King, Farmers‘ Weekly
12:15 : Developing the Market – Andy Smith, Lactalis-McLelland
12:45 : LUNCH Sponsored by First Milk
1:30 : Market Innovation - Sandy Wilkie, Wiseman Dairies
2.00 : The Mark Allen Interview
2:30 : Making Dairy Greener – Fergus McReynolds (Dairy UK)
3.00 : TEA
3:15 : QUESTION TIME – Speakers & Jim Begg
4.00 : Conference Chairman’s Summary – Jim Begg (Dairy UK)
4:15 : CLOSE