Registration opens for NGFA’s virtual 49th annual Country Elevator Conference

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 29, 2020 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today opened registration for its 49^th annual Country Elevator Conference and Trade Show (CEC), which will be conducted virtually from Dec. 8-10.

The agenda includes three mornings of live speakers and two days of lunch-hour breakout and entertainment segments. General sessions each morning feature live broadcast presentations from experts covering U.S.-China trade relations, the future of agricultural policy, cybersecurity threats, the economic outlook for agriculture, and more. At noon central on Dec. 8-9, attendees also can tune into live webinar-style sessions with breakout panels on grain origination, the river delivery system, and strategies to promote on-farm and on-site safety. Each day offers built-in opportunities to interact with speakers and other CEC attendees.

Virtual trade show exhibitors have access to messaging with attendees and will have their own section for profiling company and product information. 

“During what continues to be a COVID-19-disrupted year, we’re grateful for the ability to still provide a state-of-the-art virtual platform that our members will be able to use to access the great, practical program content to be conveyed at CEC, as well as to safely network virtually with hundreds of their peers in the grain, feed and processing industry during this year’s conference,” said NGFA President and CEO Randy Gordon. “Plus, this all-virtual event will give NGFA the flexibility to offer a wider variety of program content spread out over multiple days that will be tailored to each attendees’ availability and interest, with the opportunity for personal interactions with elite guest speakers.”

Confirmed speakers so far include: Jeffrey Gerrish, former Deputy United States Trade Representative; Dr. Michael Gunderson, head of agricultural research and strategy at MetLife; Kevin Van Trump, CEO at Farm Direction and founder of the Van Trump Report; and Tom Coyle, former USA manager for COFCO International. Many more speakers are to be announced in the coming weeks.

“Thanks to a new online event platform purchased by NGFA and the ingenuity of our Country Elevator Committee and staff, CEC devotees don’t have to miss out on the valuable connections or programming content they’ve come to associate with this conference, which has a well-earned reputation for being the meeting of the year for country elevator managers and their key employees,” said NGFA Vice President for Meetings and Marketing Rebecca Grubbs. “And if you’ve never attended CEC, this will be the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of one of NGFA’s flagship events. Either way, NGFA is ready to deliver a unique and engaging experience…directly to your desk. ‘See’ you virtually this December!”

Members of the press should contact Sarah Gonzalez, NGFA director of communications and digital media, for complimentary registration.

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NGFA, established in 1896, consists of more than 1,000 grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies that operate more than 7,000 facilities and handle more than 70 percent of all U.S. grains and oilseeds. Its membership includes grain elevators; feed and feed ingredient manufacturers; biofuels companies; grain and oilseed processors and millers; exporters; livestock and poultry integrators; and associated firms that provide goods and services to the nation’s grain, feed and processing industry. NGFA also consists of 33 affiliated State and Regional Grain and Feed Associations, and NGFA is co-located and has a strategic alliance with North American Export Grain Association, and a strategic alliance with Pet Food Institute.