The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association’s 2011 Dairy Symposium will be held July 10-11 at The Landmark Resort, Door County, Wis. The Dairy Symposium is a complete and comprehensive program focusing on issues impacting all dairy processors. The event features exceptional program speakers, entertaining social events, a golf outing and the opportunity to network with leading dairy executives in an upscale, resort setting.

This year’s symposium includes:

National-caliber speakers for all dairy interests. A partial listing of confirmed speakers include:
Keith Murfield, chief executive officer, United Dairymen of AZ
Mike McCully, director, Kraft Foods
Steve Gaddis, chief executive officer, Pacific Cheese
Robert Chesler, vice president, FC Stone  

Representatives from leading dairy companies will be in attendance providing opportunities to network and interact with business peers in a relaxed setting.

Fun-filled social events, including a Sunday night reception and banquet and a golf outing at one of Door County’s premiere golf courses.  

The Dairy Symposium kicks off on July 10 with a golf outing at The Orchards Golf Club at Egg Harbor. The outing will utilize a scramble format to allow golfers of all abilities to have an enjoyable day. A shotgun start will begin at 10 a.m., with lunch, drinks and prizes included in the golf fee.

That evening, there will be a gala reception, followed by the Presidents Award dinner banquet, where the presentation of the 2011 WDPA Presidents Award will take place.

The next day begins with a breakfast and the WDPA annual meeting. Following that, the main educational program commences. The lineup of guest speakers is as follows:

What You Knew Last Year Will Not Work This Year
What a difference a year makes. Market conditions have dramatically changed. New food laws, wildly fluctuating commodity prices and tighter financial lending practices have directly impacted the dairy industry in the United States.  Hear how three experts analyze current conditions and offer their ideas on how to safely navigate in this unpredictable environment.  

* The New FDA Food Law - Rob Byrne, director, Schreiber Foods
        * The Affect of Product Pricing on the Interconnections of Commodities - Robert Chesler, vice president,         FC Stone
        * How Today’s Ag Lending is Impacting our Dairy Industry - Sam Miller, vice president, M&I Bank
        *Moderator - Phil Plourd, Blimling & Associates

BONUS SESSION: Understanding the Exchange Markets-Part 2   
This bonus session was such a hit at last year’s Dairy Symposium that it returns with Peter Turk of Rice Dairy discussing the exchange markets. This session will greatly benefit your procurement staff, as well as your mid-manager personnel.   

Executive Roundtable on Dairy Markets
A stellar panel of dairy executives have been brought together to discuss today’s dairy markets. They will share their views on how national and global economies are affecting their companies and how they are dealing with current market challenges. A discussion of how these companies are maintaining their competitiveness and how they are positioning themselves for future growth will round out this thought-provoking session.  

        - Keith Murfield, chief executive officer, United Dairymen of AZ
        - Steve Gaddis, chief executive officer, Pacific Cheese
        - Mike McCully, director, Kraft Foods
        - Marc Beck, vice president, United States Dairy Export Council
        - Moderator - Gus Jacoby, T.C. Jacoby & Co.

The 2011 Dairy Symposium concludes with a lunch and keynote speech.

To register for the 2011 Dairy Symposium, call 608-836-3336 or email info@wdpa.net. The deadline to secure a room at The Landmark Resort is June 8. The deadline to register for the Dairy Symposium is June 24.

The Dairy Symposium is held by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association, Middleton, Wis.