World Dairy Expo continues to serve as a platform for learning, networking, business development and career opportunities across the global dairy industry. Ahead of the 2026 event, Progressive Dairy spoke with three individuals whose careers have been significantly influenced by their involvement with the annual dairy showcase in Madison, Wisconsin.
One of them is Kyle Welk, a 22-year-old professional dairy cattle fitter. Welk attended his first World Dairy Expo in 2021 after growing up showing dairy cattle and placed in the top 10 of the junior show. During that visit, opportunities to help clip cattle sparked his interest in professional fitting.
With support from his family and mentorship from Tom Arrowsmith of Hillacres Jerseys, Welk developed his skills and eventually turned the interest into a full-time career. He now works as a self-employed cattle fitter for sales and shows across the U.S., Canada and New Zealand, building a client base and business connections through the dairy industry.
Welk's achievements at World Dairy Expo have also included competitive recognition. In 2024, he won the senior male division of the World Dairy Expo fitting contest and received the Micheal Heath Overall Fitter Award as the contest's overall winner. In 2025, he received the Merle Howard Award, which recognises an accomplished youth exhibitor.
Another career shaped by the event is that of Carolina Pinzón-Sánchez, a bilingual dairy outreach specialist with the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has participated in nearly every World Dairy Expo over the past 24 years, initially working as a translator for international groups before becoming an educator and presenter.
Pinzón-Sánchez contributes to Expo en Español, helping Spanish-speaking dairy producers and employees access evidence-based education covering areas such as milk quality, udder health, animal welfare and milking systems. Her presentations are designed to translate research into practical farm-management practices.
She also describes World Dairy Expo as an important environment for exchanging ideas with producers and extension professionals. Conversations and collaborations developed through the event have contributed to educational initiatives, including her bilingual trainer certification programme “Milk Quality from the Udder World.”
The third example is Tim Abbott, a longtime World Dairy Expo cattle exhibitor who, together with his wife Sharyn, has developed businesses including Borderview Genetics and Showbox Sires. Abbott first encountered World Dairy Expo as a 17-year-old participant in the national 4-H judging contest.
Nearly 25 years ago, he returned to the event as a cattle exhibitor and has participated almost every year since. Abbott says the visibility generated at World Dairy Expo has become an important part of his business presence, helping promote his cattle and genetics to customers.
His family has been part of three Grand Champion Holsteins at the event. Beyond the competition itself, Abbott uses the expo as a major marketing platform for his cattle, including embryos, semen and live animals. He says the event has helped generate business relationships with people around the world interested in U.S. genetics.
The experiences of Welk, Pinzón-Sánchez and Abbott illustrate the different ways World Dairy Expo can connect people with career development, education, mentorship, marketing and international business opportunities. For young exhibitors, educators, producers and genetics businesses, the event provides opportunities that can continue beyond the annual show.
The 2026 World Dairy Expo, themed “Opening New Doors for Dairy,” is scheduled for September 29 to October 2 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The event is positioned as a global forum for the dairy community to learn, share, create commerce and showcase competition.
Source: Dairynews7x7 27 Sep, 2026 Read full story here
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