Celebrating 60 Years of IEC

The IEC has come a long way in the past six decades, since it was founded in Bologna, Italy. To mark our 60th anniversary in 2024, step back in time to revisit the moments and milestones that have made the IEC what it is today.

IEC Moments & Milestones

1962	First international egg conference in Sydney, Australia, ahead of the organisation’s founding meeting.
1964	IEC officially founded in Bologna, Italy.
	IEC Constitution established.
1971	First Golden Egg Award winner – Israel.
1974	First North American IEC Conference – New Orleans, USA.
1978	First South American IEC Conference – Rio, Brazil.
1985	First African IEC Conference – Durban, South Africa.
1988	First North American Chairperson – Mr Al Pope, USA.
1996	World Egg Day founded and first celebrated.
	First conference with over 300 attendees – IEC Vienna, Austria.
1999	First Denis Wellstead International Egg Person of the Year Award winner – Filiep Van Bosstraeten, Belgium.
2002	First Clive Frampton Egg Products Company of the Year Award winner – Derivados de Ovos s.a. (DEROVO), Portugal.
2005	IEC Support Group established.
2006	MOU signed between IEC and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE).
	First conference with over 400 attendees – IEC Guadalajara, Mexico.
2007	MOU signed between IEC and International Poultry Council (IPC).
	First Oceanian Chairperson – Mr Frank Pace, Australia.
2009	IEC becomes a member of Consumer Goods Forum (CGF).
2010	First female Chairperson – Ms Joanne Ivy, USA.
2011	MOU signed between IEC and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
2014	International Egg Foundation (IEF) founded.
2015	Avian Influenza Global Expert Group established.
2016	First intake of IEC Young Egg Leaders (YELs).
2017	First top-level meeting with World Health Organization (WHO).
2018	First conference with over 500 attendees – IEC Kyoto, Japan.
	IEC adopts the Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) resolution on forced labour, making the egg industry the first global commodity group to do so.
2019	First Asian Chairperson – Mr Suresh Chitturi, India.
2021	United Nations name eggs a ‘Star Ingredient’.
2022	Vision 365 launched.
2024	Delegates unite in Venice, Italy to celebrate 60 years of IEC in the country where the IEC was born.