Focus on Success Through OABA Industry Conference General Sessions

The upcoming Ohio AgriBusiness Association Industry Conference is packed with widely-respected speakers and industry professionals, sharing their expertise on a variety of topics relating to agronomy, grain and feed, safety, risk management and more.

The Industry Conference, Jan. 29-31, 2020 in Columbus, is designed to allow participants to choose session topics most relevant to their profession. In addition to these breakout sessions, the conference will feature four general sessions focusing on broader issues in agriculture and leadership.

This year’s general sessions speakers include:

• Michael Swanson – Wells Fargo Bank; The Renormalization of U.S. Agriculture and Its Impacts on Ohio. For the last ten years or so, biofuels have shaped U.S. agriculture. With slowing growth in biofuels, protein production and exports will reemerge as the drivers of U.S. agriculture and agribusiness. Ohio should position itself for this development.
• Janette Barnard; The Amazon Era in Agriculture. The food value chain is transforming as data unlocks value from farmer to consumer. This session will explore the key drivers, risks and opportunities for value chain participants.
• Jim Canterucci – Constituent Hub; Strategically Innovating Through Turbulence. In this session, participants will discuss the catalysts of Personal Brilliance (Innovation) Awareness, Curiosity, Focus, and Initiative in order to break through the overwhelm that can occur in these turbulent times.
• Scott Caine – Aimpoint Research; Farmer of the Future. Propelled by a perfect storm of market dynamics, innovation, demographic shifts and new management philosophies, the farmers of the future will quite simply defy conventional wisdom and conventional business models. Some estimates indicate just 5% of farms will produce 75% or more of America’s agricultural output by 2040. While the forces of consolidation and transformation are well known to industry leaders, what will this truly mean for Ohio agriculture?

Continuing education units (CEUs) are available for both Certified Crop Advisers and state licensed pesticide applicators that attend the conference. An agenda is available at www.oaba.net/events_conference.

All-inclusive registration for the event covers admission to the two main days of educational programming (Jan 30-31), the pre-event Safety & Risk Management Day (Jan. 29) and all meals, including the Industry Networking Reception & Dinner and the OABA Annual Meeting. Registration fees are as follows:

• Member: $350 
• Non-Member: $500 

Individual day and reception/dinner-only registrations are also available, as are exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities. Visit www.oaba.net/events_conference for more information and to register.

Hotel accommodations for the Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris Hotel can be made online by visiting www.oaba.net/events_conference or by calling 1-888-236-2427. The OABA hotel block reservation deadline is Jan. 10, 2020.