Chook Chat Shack at PIX/AMC 2018
PIX/AMX 2018 was held in sunny Broadbeach, Gold Coast Australia 3-5th June, 2018. The conference program featured three days filled with the latest in innovation and information, with knowledgeable industry personnel from both Australia and overseas attending. The program was streamed into chicken meat, egg production, free range and organic farming, flour milling and feed milling for all livestock species, providing topics of interest for each and every delegate. Workshops on numerous special interest areas encompassing all aspects of the poultry industry were also run during the conference. Finishing off with the Australasian Veterinary Poultry Association (AVPA) run on the 6th and 7th June.
Over 200 booths lined the trade exhibition area making it one of the industry’s largest and most extensive trade displays. One of the highlights of the trade display this year was our very own “Chook Chat Shack” (try saying that 5 times fast), a joint initiative between PHA, Australian Eggs and Agrifutures. Dr Kylie Hewson, who was instrumental in the concept of this space commented “I really enjoyed being in the space that we’d created collectively between the poultry R,D&E organisations. It was so great to have lots of people, industry and researchers, coming into the Shack to meet, learn and discuss poultry R,D&E. It’s through this type of engagement that great R,D&E outcomes are achieved for the poultry industries. I look forward to creating the space again at the next PIX and making it even better.”
The space was unique when compared to other displays as we created a space with couches to sit and relax, small meeting spaces and a wide array of information about all the fantastic initiatives and research that all three organisations undertake. Jojo Jackson from Australian Eggs noted that “the shack was great because it provided a centralised meeting place to catch up with familiar egg industry faces and also to meet new ones and foster new connections”.
In addition to a meeting place we also used the space to showcase the great research being supported by our organisations. Following our Data Visualisation Workshop held earlier in the year we asked researchers to design posters that would encompass what they had learned at the workshop and attract a wide audience to learn about their research. Amy La from Australian Eggs remarked “The posters at the Shack provided a wonderful visualisation of current and complete projects. The exhibitors inside were friendly and patient in explaining the current projects occurring.” Dr Priscilla Gerber from the University of New England highlighted that “this was my first time at PIX and it was inspirational to connect with industry suppliers and the greater poultry scientific community. It was very helpful to learn the latest trends in the industry, discussing ideas, and getting input about my work.”
The Chook Chat Shack was a fantastic initiative and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that were involved to ensure it was a success. My sentiments on the space are summed up with the words of Samantha Munro, from Agrifutures “really enjoyed the ‘shack’ – a great initiative!”.
