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The PDPW Business Conference will continue as planned for March 18-19, 2020, Madison, Wisconsin. We encourage all participants to maintain proactive health and hygiene regiments , such as hand washing. We will continue to monitor the situation and listen to the recommendations of the CDC and our state officials.

 

At this time, no federal restrictions are in place in response to the COVID-19 virus that would prevent meetings and travel in the United States, including travel to Madison. PDPW is monitoring the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Travel Association and the Department of Public Health for Madison and Dane County.  

DREAM, ADAPT, INNOVATE. Take a fresh look at business opportunities with innovation and marketing expert Doug Hall. He will share insights on how Proctor & Gamble and other leading companies took creativity and innovation to a new level. [Opening Session Keynote, Day One, 11 to 11:50 a.m.] Follow up with Doug to take a deeper dive into proven systems for building and launching new innovations during his Day One Afternoon Breakout Sessions, too. 

TAKE TIME TO LAUGH. During the evening session on Day One, we’ll slow down from the hectic pace of the past few years and enjoy time with friends and colleagues. Author, columnist and speaker Greg Schwem will help us relax and reflect on some of the silly ways we think, work and act. [Day One Evening Keynote, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.]

WHEN WEATHER AND MARKETS COLLIDE. Atmospheric scientist Eric Snodgrass and economist Dan Basse team up to address the most complex and interrelated topics in agriculture today: ag markets and increasingly erratic weather patterns. Don’t miss this timely and insightful session. [Day Two General Session Keynote, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.]

CHALLENGES REVEAL OUR STRENGTHS.  Mark Nutsch , former Green Beret commander whose story was portrayed in the movie “12 Strong,” will share his harrowing experiences and challenge us to focus on our mission for success in business and daily lives. [Day Two Closing Session Keynote, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.]

WHAT IS YOUR REPLACEMENT STRATEGY?    Dr. Mike Overton, DVM , dairy analytics advisor with Elanco Animal Health, will review scenarios to help determine the optimal strategy for replacement heifers for your operation. Dr. Overton will provide tips and tools to sort through the endless possibilities of raising, outsourcing and selling heifers. [Day One Morning Specialty Session]

BLOCKCHAIN, 5G, MACHINE LEARNING … OH MY!  Learn about the newest technologies under development and what potential they can offer to address some of agriculture’s most pressing challenges.  Dave Saunders , CEO of Silicon Valley-based Palo Alto Venture Architects, and Walt Cooley, editor-in-chief of Progressive Dairy magazine, will dive into the newest tech tools and what the biggest breakthroughs will be for the dairy industry. [Day One Morning Specialty Session]

BOOST PERFORMANCE BY APPROACHING WORK WITH TACTICAL PURPOSE .  Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance, Inc., will provide practical tips and techniques that can help build buy-in, improve team ownership, morale and loyalty on your farm. [Day Two Morning Specialty Session]

OPTIONS FOR RESTRUCTURING DEBT.  Hear from a panel of consultants about options for restructuring and other alternatives when cash is scarce. Panel discussion will include Jay Joy, founder of Milk Money, LLC, and Dave Becker , founding partner in Dairy Business Group, and be facilitated by Andrew Skwor from MSA Professional Services, Inc. [Day One Afternoon Breakout Session]

WHAT IMPLICATIONS DOES ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE HAVE ON YOUR DAIRY? Hear from Dr. Mike Apley, DVM, PhD , Kansas State University, what the term antibiotic resistance really means and what it can mean in your herd. He’ll also walk through how antimicrobial stewardship can protect your herd’s health and production. [Day Two Afternoon Breakout Session]

PREVENTING AND CURING HOOF AILMENTS will save your cows, time and profits.  Dr. Gerard Cramer, DVM , University of Minnesota, will answer questions and bring his years of experience to share multiple strategies for maintaining good hoof health on your dairy.   [Day Two Afternoon Breakout Session]

GETTING CREATIVE WITH FEED OPTIONS.  Winter kill, a late spring and erratic weather all growing season have played havoc with feed crops and limited feeding options for many farmers. Eric Snodgrass will facilitate panel discussion with Corey and Clint Hodorff of Second Look Holsteins from Eden, Wis., and Brian Schaal, dairy farmer from Racine County, Wis. [Day Two Afternoon Breakout Session]

EFFECTIVE GENETIC STRATEGIES FOR REPRODUCTIVE PROGRAMS. The Lodi Veterinary Care team will lead participants through manipulating data, collecting genetic samples and observing oocytes under the microscope. The session will cover best ways to determine genomic traits to emphasize in your herd and options for semen type and opportunities for embryo transfer and in-vitro fertilization. [Four session times offered over both days]

“CLOSE ENOUGH” DOESN’T COUNT IN CALF CARE. Using an Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) meter, we’ll explore what “clean” really means when sanitizing calf equipment and test the efficacy of chlorinated alkaline detergent on common equipment. Participants will leave will practical advice and hands-on practice you can put to work on your dairy right away. Session will be led by Lodi Veterinary Care team [Four session times offered over both days]

UNDERSTAND HOW CATTLE LEARN. Dr. Don Höglund , DVM , will show in a live animal demonstration how dairy animals interpret and respond to their surroundings. He’ll explain how knowing cows and their reactions will maximize your herd’s potential and wellbeing. [Four session times offered over both days]

GET A SNEAK PEEK OF CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH AT PREVIEW STAGE.  World-leading researchers and their UW-Madison Master and PhD students will highlight new research that is underway. Presentations will be held over both days in the Hall of Ideas, with topics including mechanisms of the mammary gland, milk and starter feed strategies, and minimizing embryo loss.

INNOVATIONS AND IDEAS IN THE LEARNING LOUNGE.  Three Learning Lounge areas in the Hall of Ideas will feature fifteen 30-minute sessions across both days of the conference. These up-close and personal sessions provide an opportunity to interact with presenters and gather information about some of the hottest topics in today’s industry.

·        3-2-1 BACKUP – PROTECTING YOUR CLOUD DATA.  Do you need to backup data that exists in the cloud? Learn from IT and cybersecurity expert Jeremy Cherny , about critical backups and get to the bottom of falsehoods that may put your data at risk. [Day One 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. in the Green Lounge]

·        WHAT’S NEW IN THE DAIRY INNOVATION HUB? Dr. Heather White, PhD , UW-Wisconsin, will share some of the updates in research and shed light on how it will impact your future. [Day One 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. in the Green Lounge]

·        SOLUTIONS FOR SOGGY SOILS.  Francisco Arriaga , associate professor and extension soil scientist at UW-Madison, will share strategies to manage the saturated and compacted soils that 2019 rutted up in fields far and wide. {Day Two 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. in the Blue Lounge]

·        REVIVE YOUR PASSION AND FILL YOUR CUP. In order to help others you must first be inspired and “fill your own cup” so that you can live a life of service and find joy in work.  Tom Thibodeau will share ways to find that inspiration. [Day One 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. in the Blue Lounge]

THANK YOU TO OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS.  We are truly grateful for the sponsoring companies who make the conference possible. Please thank these companies for supporting the Business Conference, PDPW mission and the dairy industry.  Click here for a list of 2020 Business Conference Sponsors. If you or a company you know is interested in participating as a sponsor, please contact one of our team members at [email protected] or call 800-947-7379.