.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&crop=faces&fit=crop&h=48&q=70&w=48)
Country elevator operators will soon converge on St. Louis for the National Grain and Feed Association’s 42nd Country Elevator Conference and Trade Show (CEC). The CEC is the largest gathering of country elevator personnel in the United States. The show will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency hotel next to the St. Louis’ Arch. The tradesshow portion opens on Sunday Dec. 8th at 4:00pm with doors closing on Monday Dec. 9th at 7:00pm. The Confrance portion will be going on any time the show floor is closed including the morning of Tuesday DEC. 10th from 8:00am to 11:30am.
The Conference
The Leadership Conference will feature speakers throughout the industry, and informative sessions targeted specifically to people who manage grain elevators and their highest level staff. The talks will cover a wide range of topics, including the effects of legislation and potential market trends.
Speakers include…
- The director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), Patrick Westoff, will take a look at the potential farm bill in his presentation “2013 Farm Bill—Changes in How Farm Programs Will Operation in 2014.”
- Marty Ruikka a principal at The ProExporter Network will take a look at the future of biofuels at “Biofuels Industry—Where it’s Headed and Implications for Grain Handlers.”
- Brandon Willis, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency, will talk about crop insurance at “Future Direction of Federal Crop Insurance Program.
- The Andersons’ Robert Marlow, will have quality maintenance advice in “Maintaining Grain Quality in Big Harvest Year.”
- There will also be major sessions on the 2014 market outlook, futures market customer protection rules and high-frequency trading, and sustainability initiatives and impacts on grain handlers and producers.
The Trade Show
The trade show, that opens when the conference is not in session, is expected to attract more then 500 visitors and will feature almost 100 booths occupied. Both attendees and presenters will consist of industry leaders and their most trusted staff, offering a great place to network with a group of peers and discuse the direction of the industry.
Registration has already begun for the industry’s primer event at ngfa.org/CEC13. The Country Elevator Conference and Trade Show is your best chance to get the pulse of the industry for the coming year.
