For the first time in its 53-year history, World Dairy Expo, an annual trade show in Madison that attracts tens of thousands of people from around the world, has been canceled.
The event’s organizers said they made the decision Thursday based on COVID-19 travel restrictions and health orders issued by the City of Madison and Dane County.
World Dairy Expo was to have taken place Sept. 29 through Oct. 3 at the Alliant Energy Center. In 2019, the event attracted more than 62,000 people from nearly 100 countries. Some in the industry have described it as the Super Bowl of dairy, where the world's finest cows compete for prestigious awards.
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“Our collective heart is heavy as we share with you that World Dairy Expo 2020 has been canceled,” Scott Bentley, the event’s general manager, said in a statement. “We know how much this hurts; we feel it, too. Please know other options were explored and considered by the World Dairy Expo Executive Committee and staff.”
The event will return in the fall of 2021, according to the organizers. But there are no plans to reschedule for this year.
“Unwaveringly, we recognize our responsibility is to maintain the health of our community and the safety of all of you as exhibitors, attendees and volunteers, and to adhere to the orders dictated by Dane County and the national guidelines from the CDC as they relate to COVID-19,” Bentley said.
The exposition has been a flashy affair at times.
Step into the coliseum and you could have seen cattle judges in tuxedos and "princesses" from the various breed associations. Even the cows were treated like royalty as they sauntered along on a fashion runway of colored wood shavings meant to look like a red carpet.
Virtual farm tours gave attendees in the auditorium, and anyone else with an internet connection, an opportunity to learn about a variety of farms and management styles. It was considered an honor to host one of the tours — the equivalent of a Parade of Homes in dairy farming.
Last year, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue made headlines at World Dairy Expo when, at a town hall meeting, he addressed dairy farm expansions.
“Now what we see, obviously, is economies of scale having happened in America — big get bigger and small go out,” Perdue said.
The message disheartened some farmers struggling to remain in the industry.
“I went to Madison feeling financially scared and emotionally depressed, but hopeful," said Paul Adams, who had a 500-cow organic dairy farm in Trempealeau County.
"I came home feeling financially scared, emotionally depressed, unwanted and unneeded," said Adams, who has since quit dairy farming.
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