Dairy Processing -March/April 2022 - 56

MEETING PREVIEW
The tech
connection
The DairyTech Conference aims to help bring the dairy industry to the next level.
by Benton Smith | bsmith@sosland.com
T
he International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and
Dairy.com joined forces to put together a new event that
organizers hope propels the dairy industry forward.
The DairyTech Conference, set to debut May 18 and 19
in Austin, Texas, will bring together the worlds of dairy and
technology with innovations and the future in mind.
Thomas Wojno, IDFA's senior vice president of innovation
and member advancement, helped put the event together. He
said the idea for the conference originated from a desire to
elevate the industry.
" Dairy, while an entrepreneurial and fantastic industry,
maybe has been some years behind in how they adopt
and adapt with changes in the industry and adopt new
technologies and innovation, " Wojno said. " We see this
conference as the intersection where dairy and tech can
connect. "
Some of the key topics at the conference will include better
digitizing the dairy industry's supply chain, technology's impact on
retail, e-commerce and consumer trends, incorporating innovation
into sustainability, cybersecurity concerns and examples of
notable technological successes in food and agriculture.
Wojno said IDFA and Dairy.com want to upgrade the
industry to " not only catch up, but maybe lead in the future
in food and ag, and embrace technology so that we can bring
dairy into the 21st century. "
As the dairy industry starts to better embrace new
innovations and implement them, Wojno said the flipside
56 MAR-APR 2022 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
of the argument for doing so includes the risks that could
be introduced into the supply chain. The conference will
examine such issues.
" How do we embrace new ways to combat cybersecurity
threats across the dairy supply chain and make sure that, as
we adapt and adopt these new technologies, that we're also
innovating in the ways we secure these platforms? " he said.
IDFA organizers are excited to bring together two
distinct audiences at the DairyTech Conference, so they can
collaborate and combine resources.
" I don't know that there's been a conference and an
engagement opportunity that has had the odd bedfellows of
technology leaders and dairy processors and agri-tech folks,
all in the same room, trying to align their compasses to drive
the industry forward together, " Wojno said.
This new event, which organizers hope will become an
annual part of the calendar, was a priority for IDFA, Wojno
said, because the association wants to provide members with
value through training, education and networking.
" I'm excited that as we push this conference forward and
build out further resources in this technology and innovation
sector, that we can move the industry forward by building this
knowledge base, by heightening awareness of these new tools
and solutions and by offering our members the opportunity to
network with these expert resources, " he said.
The dairy industry is expected to see more changes
in the next five years than occurred in the past 15 years,
©jdross75 - stock.adobe.com
http://www.DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Processing -March/April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dairy Processing -March/April 2022
