The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has taken the decision to alter the format of Dairy-Tech 2021, due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns, by instead hosting a series of online events over a fortnight from February 3 to February 17.
Dairy-Tech Online will feature some of the popular attractions of the live event. These include the Innovation and Dairy Hub, a foot trimming demonstration as well a series of online workshops, webinars, conferences, new product briefings and debates.
International speakers will feature in many of the sessions, due to the increased accessibility moving online brings.
Together with experts from the UK, they will showcase content relevant for all farming systems covering the latest dairy innovations, timely policy updates as well as practical workshops – including sessions on mental health in farming and Brexit.
Delegates can tune in from the comfort of their own home, with the daily online sessions starting every day after morning milking at 10:30am as well as being available to view afterwards.
‘We have a duty of care to protect our visitors’
Commenting on the move, RABDF’s managing director Matt Knight said:
We have a duty of care to protect our visitors, those exhibiting as well as our staff and we felt given the ongoing uncertainty with Covid-19, the best option was to rethink Dairy-Tech 2021.
“We are not simply running Dairy-Tech Online because we feel we should. There is a genuine interest from both visitors and exhibitors for something to take place next year.
“Out of the exhibitors already signed up for the live event, there are about 55 new products to launch.
“With technology constantly developing we feel it is important to continue to provide a platform from which we can showcase the latest innovation as well as keeping the industry abreast with what is happening and for knowledge sharing to take place.”
‘Nothing can replace a face-to-face event’
Knight continued:
While nothing can replace a face-to-face event like Dairy-Tech, Dairy-Tech Online still has lots to offer. We can more readily access some of the leading experts from across the world as travel is not an issue, and delegates can pick and choose which sessions they tune into without having to leave the comfort of their own home – and this is all for free.
“During Dairy-Tech Online we will also be awarding the prestigious Royal Innovation Award; Dairy Student Award; Farm Health Planning Award as well as finishing on a high with 100th Year of the NMR/RABDF Gold Cup Award.”
The plan is for Dairy-Tech to return to Stoneleigh in 2022.
Knight added:
We have worked hard over the last three years to make Dairy-Tech a success. In that short space of time, it has become recognised as the event that meets the needs of a modern dairy professional, offers farmers support, information, and advice to run sustainable and resilient dairy businesses and being the place that showcases innovation.
“We want to continue to run that in the live event form and we hope that Covid-19 permitting, in 2022 we will be back at Stoneleigh again,” Knight concluded.
