New Year’s meeting 2023 themed “Onwards together”
The annual New Year’s meeting of the DPC and VIV was held on Wednesday 11 January at Boerderij Mereveld in Utrecht, after an interruption of three years. While enjoying food and drinks in an excellent atmosphere, we looked back and especially ahead.
A new year and new plans and that includes best wishes. This is how the welcome speech by DPC chairman Jan Wolleswinkel at the joint New Year’s meeting of the DPC and VIV can be summarised. Those best wishes are sincere and necessary given the challenges the Dutch poultry sector is facing. According to him, the nitrogen problem and bird flu largely determine the social and political agendas. In addition, animal welfare and the environment continue to be important subjects that determine the image and that easily lead to framing. The latter was discussed extensively during the Autumn Meeting, as mentioned by Wolleswinkel, and it became clear that the livestock sector (including poultry farming) doesn’t have the best of images and that change is only possible through close cooperation in marketing the sectors in the media and politics. The opponents (environmental and animal welfare organisations) are doing much better in that area and that requires a new strategy in which all parties within the sector must be intensively involved.
Exhibitions back on again
As representatives of VNU Exhibitions, Renate Wiendels and Zhenja Antochin, VIV event managers, also wished all attendees a healthy and successful 2023. Zhenja proudly said that VIV Asia 2023, held in Bangkok between 8 and 10 March this year, is fully booked, despite the move to the larger Impact exhibition complex. This good result is partly thanks to the new sales team for this trade fair, which succeeded in keeping all participating companies from previous (including cancelled) editions on board after the cancellations due to corona. Renate looked back on the success of the November 2921 VIV MEA trade fair in Abu Dhabi. This success is partly due to the good cooperation with the local government. The next edition of VIV MEA will take place this year between 20 and 22 November, again at the ADNEC in Abu Dhabi. Companies that want to exhibit at this trade fair can book from 18 January. After dealing with formal business, we celebrated the New Year. While enjoying food and drinks we exchanged the latest news and strengthened mutual ties. The atmosphere was good and everyone is looking forward to another successful poultry year.
