Alltech’s 2011 International Symposium is intended to be an industry time-out, providing opportunities for professionals to huddle in specialised breakout sessions – including aquaculture, beef, dairy, equine, poultry, pig production, pet food, regulatory, food quality, traceability, and communication in agriculture. All sessions are dedicated to the open discussion of creative game-changing strategies for revolutionising industry practices and thus redefining its future.
Opening session
The opening session included a talk from Professor Damien McLoughlin, University College Dublin, Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School regarding How to transform a half-billion dollar company into a $50 billion company. McLoughlin highlighted several game changing companies such as Nestle, KFC, JBS, Liuhe, Zespri, Google, Apple, Food, IBM, Dell, and the Wall Street Journal. He stated, “Invest in the innovations which make you truly different.” Among his key messages were: don’t follow fashions but simply change; be different; know where your growth comes from; relentlessly pursue the right people; and embrace your full potential.
Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech, closed the opening session by discussing his six points to becoming a game changer. Lyons told his story of beginning Alltech by relocated to Kentucky on Gold Rush Road, a fitting place for the 31 year old thriving business. “Take a chance; what does it matter if you fail? You can’t make scrambled eggs without first cracking an egg. Take the chance and aim high,” said Dr. Lyons.
New to the Alltech Symposium this year was the incorporation of several new technologies, such as a Twitter feed wall displaying tweets that contain
#alltechsymposium.