Easing of COVID Restrictions Stimulates Increased International Presence at World Pork Expo

The Director of Trade Show Marketing with the National Pork Producers Council reports an easing COVID related travel restrictions stimulated a rebound in the number of international exhibitors and visitors attending World Pork Expo

This year’s edition of World Pork Expo, which wrapped up Friday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, drew over 400 exhibitors occupying 700 plus booth spaces inside and outside including hospitality tents, up slightly from last year and equal to or slightly larger than previous years..

Doug Fricke, the Director of Trade Show Marketing with the National Pork Producers Council, says with the exception of a little rain Thursday evening, the weather was great throughout the three-day event.

“Last year we just didn’t have visitors from international areas because it was just too hard to travel but this year we were significantly up“

“It’s all about everything under one roof if you will. When you come to Expo you expect to see everything that you need for the operation from start to finish.

“That’s really what people expect and that’s what they can find when they come here so that’s kind of drawn the attendance from all over the world and also the exhibitors because they know that this is the event to be at.

“We probably had the largest increase in our international exhibitors this year just simply because they could travel so we’re back to probably 35 percent international or out of the U.S. and the rest of the companies are primarily U.S. based companies.

“Last year we just didn’t have visitors from international areas because it was just too hard to travel. This year we were significantly up. I believe we were over 250 and when it was all said and done, we were probably closer to 400 and that’s definitely up. We had visitors from over 34 different countries.”

Fricke suggests we’re kind of past the hump on COVID and over the hill on that. He says we’re looking forward to next year and growing again.

Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers