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The Banff Pork Seminar (BPS) is breaking new ground in 2022 with a hybrid conference Jan. 11 to 13. Delegates will have the option to either attend in person or they can participate virtually online.
“Those choices mean the 2022 Seminar is truly one not to be missed,” says Ashley Steeple, BPS Coordinator. Organizers have a strong slate of speakers lined up that will be an energetic and useful experience regardless of which option delegates choose.
“This pandemic has been a time of significant change that has required patience from all the industry in planning events,” says Steeple. “The safety of our delegates is of utmost importance and we are taking steps to ensure that in-person delegates have a well-managed and safe experience in keeping with mandated COVID 19 protocols.
“All delegates should read the information on BPS COVID 19 safety measures and restrictions posted on the Seminar website.”
While rooms are already being booked as delegates and companies make plans for the week, Steeple says her group is also expecting the online option to attract strong interest. Plans are for the plenary sessions to be broadcast live and for breakout sessions to be taped and provided following the Seminar.
The event is also a delayed 50th anniversary show celebration planned for last year so that will add a reason to consider attending.
Program and registration details are posted on the Seminar website www.banffpork.ca. In fact that’s the best place to follow the latest news on all developments as the Seminar nears, says Steeple.
Banff Pork Seminar’s popular Aherne Prize entry deadline Oct. 31, 2021
It is a celebration of grassroots innovation in the pork industry that has become one of the most popular in North America. The entry deadline for the 2022 FX Aherne Prize for Innovative Pork Production is Oct. 31, 2021.
“The prize is awarded at the annual Banff Pork Seminar (BPS) and the Seminar’s reputation for excellence is one of several reasons for the Prize’s popularity,” says researcher Ben Willing of the University of Alberta, who chairs the awards selection committee.
Another reason for its popularity is the range of entry sophistication and the diversity of those who submit them, he adds. Innovations can be big or small, simple or complex. The contest is open to owners, production managers, herdspeople, consultants, or anyone who has developed an innovation relevant to the North American pork industry.
Entries can apply to any segment of the industry including feeding, breeding, ventilation, disease control and prevention, transportation, manure management, animal handling, facility and enterprise management and pork quality and food safety.
“The selection committee is always impressed by the creativity and innovation of participants,” says Willing. “We are pleased to offer a prize of significance. The winner receives complimentary registration to the 2022 Seminar, accommodation at the world-renowned Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and travel assistance. That’s a value of approximately $2,000.
“If past experience is any indication, winners appreciate the chance to spotlight their innovation and be recognized as an innovator by their peers, the pork industry and the Seminar attendees,” he says. “It is something the award namesake, Frank Aherne, a long-time industry research leader, would appreciate.”
The Banff Pork Seminar is coordinated by the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, in cooperation with Alberta Pork, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry and other pork industry representatives from across Canada.
October 13, 2021 - Banff Pork Seminar
