Hey, dairy champions. Welcome to the Bullvine
Podcast. And if you think genomic selection is
precise, wait until you hear how to hack World
Dairy Expo 2025. We're tearing open the playbook
on Madison's ultimate dairy showdown, where 650
-plus exhibitors, 1 ,600 elite cattle, and global
innovators collide. This isn't just another farm
show. It's your operation's secret weapon for
2026 profits. We'll break down the colored shaving
strategy, from timing breed shows like a lactation
cycle to extracting ROI from every trade show
aisle. You'll get the inside track on international
networking hacks, weatherproof packing, spoiler,
leave the barn boots at home, and why Thursday's
happy hour at the Tanbark could net you more
than free cheese curds. Stick around. We're serving
up more actionable insights than a robotic milkers
data dashboard. All right, let's get into it.
We're talking about the big one, World Dairy
Expo 2025 in Madison. Yeah, this isn't just any
farm show, is it? It's like the global hub for
everything dairy for a week. Exactly. Think of
it as the place where you can really get a leg
up, find that competitive edge for your operation.
It's huge. It really is. You can't just show
up blind, right? Oh, definitely not. It's like
managing your herd without any records. You see
a lot, but maybe miss the crucial stuff. That's
a good analogy. So today we're basically going
to be your guide, your insider's playbook for
WDE 2025. Right. We want to give you, the folks
who really know dairy, the essential info to
make the most of your time and, let's be honest,
your money when you head to Madison. Okay, let's
get down to the nitty gritty. First things first,
the dates. Okay, mark these down. The main event,
World Dairy Expo 2025, runs Tuesday, September
30th through Friday, October 3rd. But wait, there's
more, right? The pre -show stuff. Yeah, exactly.
Things actually start kicking off earlier on
Saturday, September 27th. That's when you've
got the youth competition, some early breed shows
starting up. So it can be a full week if you're
really keen. Good to know. Now, tickets. Everyone
wants to save a bit, right? How does that work?
It pays to plan ahead for sure. If you buy your
daily admission tickets before September 29th,
they're $15 a day. And if you wait? Then it jumps
to $20 at the gate. So a little saving there.
And if you're going for multiple days, which,
let's face it, you probably should. Yeah, there's
a lot to see. The season pass is the way to go.
It's $40 if you buy it beforehand. $50 on site.
And what about kids? Bring in the family. Good
news there. Kids under 12 getting completely
free, which is great. You know, get the next
generation fired up about dairy. Nice. And getting
the tickets themselves. Easy enough. Oh, yeah.
Super easy. They do digital tickets online. You
can print them out, show them on your phone,
or even share them digitally with your farm team
if you're splitting up the days. That's handy.
Okay, travel. How do folks get to Madison? Closest
airport is Dane County Regional MSN. Super convenient,
like 20 minutes away from the Alliant Energy
Center. Okay. Any other options if flights there
are tricky? Sure. Milwaukee's Mitchell International,
MKE, that's about maybe an hour and a half drive.
Right. And then you've got the Chicago options,
O 'Hare, ORD, and Midway, MDW. They're a bit
further, like three, three and a half hours,
but sometimes you find better deals flying into
those bigger hubs. So manageable drives. Got
it. Now the big one, hotels. I hear it gets crazy.
Crazy is maybe an understatement. You've got
over 55 ,000 people descending on Madison. Hotels
near the Expo? They book up fast. So rule number
one is book early. Absolutely. Like, really early.
Don't wait on this one. It's almost like a competitive
sport, finding a good room close by. Okay, give
us a breakdown. Where should people look? Best
convenience. Gold standard is the Clarion Suites.
It's actually connected right to the exhibition
hall. You can't beat that. Wow. But I bet that
goes instantly. Oh, yeah. You gotta be on the
ball for that one. Other really good options,
basically walking distance, are the Home 2 Suites,
the Sheraton, Holiday Inn Express. Still super
close. What if you want something downtown? Maybe
see a bit of Madison. Yeah. If you want that,
look at places like the Madison Concourse, Hilton
Madison, the Doubletree. Nice hotels, easy drive
to the expo, plus you get the downtown restaurants
and stuff. Makes sense. And for folks watching
the budget, dairy margins being what they are.
Right. There are definitely more budget -friendly
spots just a mile or two out. Think Super 8,
America's Best Value Inn, Baymont Inn. You save
on the room, maybe put that towards something
cool at the trade show. Good point. And what
about bringing cattle or a big crew? There's
on -site camping at Willow Island. It's actually
a really good economical option. They have hookups,
facilities. Great if you've got staff staying
or you're exhibiting cattle. Keeps everyone close.
Okay. Logistics covered. Now, strategy. How do
you tackle the week itself? Because just wandering
around, probably not the best plan. No, definitely
not. You've got to think about it like... Managing
different lactation groups, right? Different
days have different focuses, different opportunities.
I like that. So those early days, the pre -Expo
weekend, was the focus there? It's really about
the future, the next generation. Saturday, September
27th, you've got the Youth Fitting Contest, Youth
Showmanship. Great stuff to see if you're involved
with young people in dairy. And admission is
free those days. Free is good. What about Sunday?
Sunday keeps that youth focus going. National
Dory H. and Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging,
plus the International Junior Holstein Show and
the Guernsey Heifers. Lots of top young animals
and skilled kids. And Monday, before the main
event really starts. Monday sees more early breed
shows, but also, critically, the Career Connections
event. Ah, okay. So good for hiring. Or finding
a job. Exactly. If you're looking for interns,
new employees, or if you are that person looking
for the next step in your dairy career. Monday
is a key day for that networking. Gotcha. Then
Tuesday, September 30th, it's officially on.
Yep. Trade show doors swing open at 9 a .m.,
run until 5 p .m. Massive. And in the show ring.
Tuesday's got Ayrshire Cows and Groups, Jersey
Cows and Groups, and the Brown Swiss Heifers.
Plus, the educational stuff kicks off. Like what?
You've got knowledge nook sessions. Those are
quick focus talks. Virtual farm tours start.
An expo on Espanol, the Spanish language sessions.
And networking. End of the day. Oh, yeah. Tuesday
has the attendee appreciation event, usually
3 to 5 p .m., and then the famous happy hour
at the Tanbark, 4 to 6. Great places to connect.
And for Jersey folks, the top of the world Jersey
sale is Tuesday night. Okay, moving on to Wednesday,
October 1st. Trade shows humming along. In the
ring, it's milking shorthorn heifers, brown Swiss
cows and groups, and red and white heifers. And
educationally. The Dairy Forge seminars start
on Wednesday. Super important for anyone focused
on feed quality at cost. Right. Feed's always
a big one. Evening events. Wednesday night, you've
got the world premiere brown Swiss sale and also
the big recognition awards reception and banquet.
Thursday, October 2nd. Sounds like a big day.
Often is. Peak networking time for many. Trade
shows still buzzing. Breed shows. Milking short
horn cows in groups. Red and white cows in groups.
And then a really big one, the International
Holstein Heifers. And networking gets serious?
Yeah, there's the International Reception, which
is a bit more exclusive, focused on global connections.
And then Thursday evening, huge events. The World
Classic 25 Holstein sale and the crowning of
the Supreme Champion Heifer. Wow, okay. And then
Friday, the final day, October 3rd. Things wrap
up a bit earlier. Trade show runs 9 a .m. to
4 p .m. The main event in the Coliseum is the
International Holstein Pows and Groups. And the
grand finale. The parade of champions, all the
breed winners, the supreme champs take a final
lap. It's a pretty impressive sight to end the
week. So lots happening each day. Any tips on
how a farm team should approach this? Yeah, definitely
think about dividing and conquering. Like maybe
the person focused on finances hits the trade
show hard Tuesday, Wednesday. While the herd
manager focuses on genetics Thursday, Friday.
Exactly. Or someone focused on employee development
attends Career Connections on Monday. Match the
day's focus to your team members' responsibilities.
It just makes sense. Right. Okay, let's dive
into that trade show. 650 companies. That's intimidating.
It can be. You absolutely need a strategy. First
step, before you even get there, hit the World
Dairy Expo website. They have an interactive
exhibitor directory. So you can search? Yeah,
search by company name, product category, whatever
solutions you're looking for. You should really
make a list. Maybe like 15 or 20 must -see companies
that solve your immediate problems. And then
maybe a nice -to -see list. Exactly. Another
10 or 15 to just explore, see what's new, what
might be coming down the pipeline. Keeps you
ahead of the curve. And speaking of new stuff,
innovation unveiled. Tell me about that. That's
a specific area dedicated to showcasing brand
new products and research. Things launched since
the last expo. It's like your first look at the
next big thing in dairy tech. Kind of like getting
early genomic data, seeing what's coming. Yeah,
good comparison. And often those innovations
get discussed in more detail in the knowledge
note sessions, too. Smart. Should folks only
be looking at equipment, though? Oh, definitely
not. The trade show covers everything. Financial
services, sustainability advisors, labor and
workforce development companies, export groups.
So think holistically about the farm business.
Absolutely. It's not just about the milking parlor
anymore. It's the whole system. OK, so you're
at a booth. You found someone interesting. What
kinds of questions should you ask beyond how
much does it cost? Good question. Go deeper.
Ask things like. What's a realistic implementation
timeline? Or can you connect me with another
farmer using this? Or maybe, how does this specifically
address my challenge with X, Y, or Z? Exactly.
And a great one is, what do your most successful
customers do differently? You learn a lot from
that. Talk to the technical specialists, not
just the sales reps. Get the real scoop. Smart.
Okay, let's shift gears to the heart of the expo.
For many, the cattle show. The Coliseum. Ugh,
the colored shavings. Yeah, it's iconic. That's
where breed history is often made. And they've
got that new two -breed rotation for 2025. Should
make watching smoother. Over 1 ,600 head of elite
cattle. It's impressive. We talked about the
daily schedule, but watching the show, it's more
than just pretty cows, right? Yeah. Especially
for commercial producers. Absolutely. The visual
appraisal is one thing, but the real value often
lies in the data behind the animals and the conversations
around them. So where do you find that? Get into
the New Holland pavilions, the cattle tent. Get
up close. Use the WDE mobile app. It's essential
for finding specific animals, locating exhibitors.
And then talk to people. Yes. Talk to the exhibitors.
Ask about the things that matter on a commercial
dairy. Component percentages, feed efficiency
data, daughter fertility, calving ease. Connect
that show ring style to real world performance.
Makes sense. Bridging that gap. And what about
buying genetics? Big opportunity there too. You've
got three. Major elite sales. The top of the
world jersey sale on Tuesday. The world premier
brown Swiss sale on Wednesday. And the world
classic 25 Holstein sale on Thursday. So direct
access to some top tier genetics. Yeah, kind
of like getting early access to the highest genomic
young sires. It's a chance to acquire genetics
that can really move your herd forward. Okay,
Expo isn't just about cows and tech. It's also
about learning. Let's talk educational ROI. Right,
because you want knowledge you can actually take
home and use, WDE's educational program is really
geared towards that practical, implementable
stuff. You mentioned the Knowledge Nooks sessions.
Tell me more. They're great. Quick 45 -minute
talks, usually held right in the exhibition hall
atrium. They focus specifically on recent innovations,
often tying back to those innovation unveiled
products. Easy to fit into your schedule. And
the virtual farm tours. Always popular, right?
Hugely popular. They showcase really well -managed,
interesting dairy operations each day. You get
a video tour, then a live Q &A with the farm
managers or owners. We're like getting real -world
case studies. Exactly. You hear about their successes,
their challenges, how they adapted. It's like
benchmarking your own place against some of the
best. What about feed? You mentioned forage seminars.
Yes, the dairy forage seminars. These happen
on their own stage, focused entirely on, you
know, improving forage quality, cutting down
shrink, boosting nutrient density. They often
share data showing actual cost savings. It's
like fine tuning your TMR for better results.
Crucial stuff. Anything else education wise?
Definitely need to mention Expo en Español again.
Dedicated sessions in Spanish covering important
topics for Latino dairy professionals. It's a
really valuable part of the program. So a tip
for navigating all this learning. Identify maybe
two or three specific challenges you're facing
back home before you go. Then use the WDE mobile
app seriously. Download the app to find and schedule
the sessions that directly tackle those issues.
Be strategic about your learning. Makes sense.
All right. Networking is a huge part of WDE,
maybe sometimes overlooked. It shouldn't be.
The sheer concentration of people there, industry
leaders, researchers, top producers from all
over the world. It's unparalleled. So how do
you tap into that effectively beyond just collecting
business cards? WDE sets up specific opportunities.
Those attendee appreciation events Tuesday through
Thursday afternoon are great. Relaxed, free refreshments,
easy to strike up conversations. And the tan
bark happy hour. Legendary. Same days, 4 to 6
p .m. Always a diverse crowd. Very social. Good
place to meet folks. Any others? For global connections,
the international reception on Thursday is key,
though it's geared towards international guests
and commercial exhibitors. And don't forget career
connections on Monday for talent scouting or
job hunting. Okay, so you're at these events.
How do you make the conversation count? Don't
just do small talk. Think beforehand. Have a
couple of thoughtful questions ready about industry
trends, challenges you're seeing, maybe something
specific you learned in a seminar. And share
your own perspective, too. Yes. Offer your own
insights. Position yourself as someone knowledgeable,
someone worth connecting with. It's a two -way
street. And then the crucial step. Follow up.
Absolutely critical. Like consistent heat detection,
right? You've got to follow through. Make notes
on business cards right after you talk to someone.
Then... Within a week or two, send a personalized
follow -up email referencing your conversation.
That's how you solidify the connection. Good
advice. Let's talk about the world part of World
Dairy Expo, the international aspect. Yeah, it's
huge. Attendees come from nearly 100 different
countries. It really gives the event a global
feel. So for us domestic folks, what's the benefit
of that? It's a fantastic chance to get fresh
perspectives, hear how farmers in, say, Europe
or South America are dealing with challenges
similar to ours, maybe feed costs, labor, environmental
regs. You can pick up some really innovative
ideas. And for the international visitors coming
to Madison. WDE really rolls out the welcome
mat. They offer help with visa invitation letters.
Make sure to request those early. There's a dedicated
international registration desk, a special international
lounge for relaxing and networking. Do they offer
language help? Yep. Interpreters are usually
available for several languages, Chinese, French.
German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, others.
And they organize tours to local dairy farms,
which is a great experience. Anything new international
folks should know for 2025. There is an important
note, especially for Canadians staying over 30
days. There might be new U .S. registration requirements,
like needing an I -94 form or doing an online
registration. Best to check the official U .S.
Customs and Border Protection website for the
latest before traveling. Good heads up. And biosecurity
always important with international travel and
livestock. Extremely important. Anyone coming
from abroad who has had contact with livestock
needs to follow the APHIS guidelines strictly.
Clean and disinfect footwear and clothing. Declare
livestock contact. It's like basic on -farm disease
prevention, but on an international scale. Protects
everyone. Makes sense. Okay, you're in Madison
for a week, maybe. Should people get off the
Expo grounds, see the city? Oh, absolutely. Madison's
a great city. Don't just stay holed up at the
Alliant Energy Center the whole time. What's
good to check out? Food scene. Yeah, Madison
has a really good food scene. Everything from
classic Wisconsin supper clubs, got to try one,
to really nice farm -to -table places. Grab the
Destination Madison visitor guide they usually
hand out at Expo. Lots of tips in there. What
about sites? The UW -Madison campus is beautiful
right on the lake. The state capitol building
is impressive and usually offers tours. State
Street is the main pedestrian mall with shops
and restaurants. And the city's right between
two lakes, Mendota and Monona, so it's pretty
scenic. Any quick side trips if people have an
extra day? Sure. You could pop down to New Glarus,
famous for its brewery and Swiss heritage, or
visit the National Historic Cheesemaking Center
in Monroe. Even Milwaukee isn't too far for a
day trip. Adds a bit of variety, like rotational
grazing for your brain. Nice one. Okay, let's
bring it all together. The bottom line for World
Dairy Expo 2025. The bottom line is it's a serious
investment of time and money, but the potential
return on that investment is massive if you plan
strategically. So recap those key actions for
maximizing ROI. Okay, number one, book early.
Hotels, tickets. Try to get that sorted by, say,
July 2025 at the latest. Number two. Plan strategically.
Use the website. Use the mobile app. Map out
who you need to see, what you need to learn.
Don't just wing it. Three. Divide and conquer.
If you have a team, assign different people to
focus on different areas. Trade shows, specific
breed shows, education. Four. Set specific objectives.
What are the three to five concrete things you
want to walk away with? A new piece of tech identified.
A solution to a forage problem. key genetic connections.
And finally, number five. Follow through. Implement
the ideas you learn. Nurture the connections
you make. The value doesn't end when you leave
Madison. It really is about gaining that competitive
advantage, isn't it? Finding ways to improve
components, efficiency, genetics, labor. WDE
touches all of that. Absolutely. In today's dairy
economy, you need every edge you can get. WDE
is where you find a lot of them in one place.
So the big question we asked earlier, will we
see you on the colored shavings this fall? Hope
so. Okay, just a super quick run -through of
the absolute key takeaways again. Planned early
July booking deadline is a good target. Prioritize
your time, know which shows, tech areas like
Innovation Unveiled, or educational tracks like
Virtual Farm Tours matter most to you. Network
smarter. Use those specific events like attendee
appreciation, happy hour, career connections,
international reception. Use the tech tools that
WDE mobile app is your best friend. And prepare
for variables. Pack layers for Wisconsin weather.
Could be anything. And remember those biosecurity
points. Right. So to sum it all up. WDE 2025,
September 30th to October 3rd, Madison. It's
the Global Dairy Gathering. Huge trade show,
elite cattle, practical education. Strategic
planning is non -negotiable. Book early, use
the app, have goals. Key things to check out.
Innovation unveiled for new tech. Dairy Forge
seminars for feed insights. Parade of champions
for the grand finale. Plus, great support for
international guests and tons of chances for
ROI -driven networking. If you're serious about
dairy, you... Kind of got to be there, right?
Pretty much sums it up. It's a must attend. Well,
thanks for diving deep into the World Dairy Expo
2025 plan with us today. We really hope you start
putting these steps into action now. Yeah, start
thinking about it. What specific tech are you
hunting for? Which bloodlines are you interested
in? Who do you need to connect with? And for
ongoing insights, more discussions about WDE
and everything else happening in the dairy world,
definitely check out the Bullvine website. That's
www .thebullvine .com. Lots of good stuff there.
We're already looking forward to Madison this
fall. It should be an exciting week. So there
you have it, your 2025 Expo game plan, sharper
than a fresh hoof trim. Remember, book tickets
and hotels early and save money and headaches.
Willow Island camping beats downtown hotel rates
and that Holstein heifer sale Thursday night?
That's your genetic jackpot. Three key takeaways.
Book lodging by July. Download the WDE app like
it's your new herd management software. And pack
layers. Madison weather's more unpredictable
than a fresh heifer in the parlor. If you found
this utterly essential, share it with your dairy
team and subscribe. For the full article with
cattle show schedules and international visa
tips, hoof it over to thebullvine .com. Until
next time, keep chasing that 40 ,000 -pound dream.