The appointment of Lynn Harte as Commercial Director earlier this month marked an important milestone for Dairy Connect as the business moves towards its official launch in October. Now, industry delegates will have their first opportunity to meet Lynn in person at the International Cheese & Dairy EXPO on 24–25 June at the Staffordshire County Showground.

Based on the response to her appointment, there is no shortage of interest in what comes next.

Over the past few months Dairy Connect has quietly assembled a growing portfolio that already includes Dairy Mail, Dairy Connect Ireland, alongside plans for expanded market intelligence, leadership forums and research programmes.

For visitors attending this year’s EXPO, Stand 1384 will provide an opportunity to explore those plans in more detail and discuss some of the commercial challenges and opportunities currently shaping the dairy sector.

More importantly, the EXPO will also see the exclusive launch of Dairy Connect’s new Protein Series. Few themes are currently receiving more attention across food and drink than protein.

Retailers are expanding protein ranges. Brands are reformulating products. Investors continue to focus on nutrition-led growth categories. Meanwhile, consumer demand for higher-protein foods shows little sign of slowing. Yet much of the conversation remains focused on younger consumers, sports nutrition and social media trends.

Dairy Connect’s new Protein Series takes a different view.

The programme will explore how protein is reshaping consumer behaviour across retail, foodservice and dairy processing, with particular attention paid to demographics often overlooked by the market. The first reports will examine healthy ageing, the growing importance of protein among consumers aged over 50, the role of dairy in satiety and nutritional density, and the implications of GLP-1 medications for food and beverage manufacturers.

In many respects, protein represents one of the biggest commercial opportunities available to dairy.

The sector already possesses many of the nutritional attributes consumers increasingly seek. The challenge is no longer whether dairy can participate in the protein trend. The challenge is how businesses position themselves to capture greater value from it.

A Conversation Worth Having

For Lynn Harte, the EXPO provides an opportunity to continue the conversations that began at Dairy Connect Ireland earlier this year and to engage directly with processors, producers, suppliers, retailers and foodservice operators from across the globe.

Whether the discussion centres on routes to market, consumer trends, export opportunities, innovation, sustainability or the future direction of Dairy Connect itself, the objective remains the same: creating stronger connections across the industry.

Visitors are invited to call in to Stand 1384 throughout both days of the exhibition. The coffee is on Dairy Connect.

The conversation is on whatever matters most to your business.

Meet Lynn Harte at Stand 1384 during the International Cheese & Dairy EXPO, Staffordshire County Showground, 24–25 June 2026. The first insights from the Dairy Connect Protein Series will be available exclusively during the event.