The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

World Dairy Expo® is pleased to announce Crystal Ripp’s return to the Expo team as Trade Show Manager. In this position, she will oversee all aspects of the World Dairy Expo Trade Show, including booth sales, on-site management and daily communication with more than 850 exhibiting companies. She will also work alongside fellow Expo staff in management of the Dane County Fair, an entity managed by WDE.

Ripp previously worked for Expo, beginning in 2013, as the Trade Show & Project Coordinator and later Trade Show Manager. After three years on staff, she accepted a position as Staff Educator with Southwest Health. While returning to WDE as Trade Show Manager, she remains involved with McNett Grain Farms as an owner and operator with her family in Belmont, Wis.

Ripp not only has prior knowledge of WDE, but also a lifetime of dairy experiences that make her a valuable addition to the Expo team. Growing up on her family’s dairy and grain farm in southwestern Wisconsin led her to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she received degrees in Dairy Science and Agricultural Journalism with a Business emphasis. Along with her previous work experience at Expo and Southwest Health, Ripp has also worked for Select Sires Inc. and Agri-View.

With Ripp’s return to Expo, Kayla Sonnenburg will transition to the role of Sponsorship Manager, where she will manage all aspects of the World Dairy Expo sponsorship program and provide top-notch customer service to Expo’s valued partners. Additionally, Sonnenburg will manage sponsorships for the Dane County Fair.

For over five decades, the global dairy industry has been meeting in Madison, Wis. for World Dairy Expo. Crowds of nearly 75,000 people from more than 100 countries attended the annual event in 2016. WDE will return Oct. 3-7, 2017 as attendees and exhibitors are encouraged to “Discover New Dairy Worlds.” Visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@WDExpo or #WDE2017) for more information.