Alexandria, Virginia, USA
September 23, 2009
Source: American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Seed E-News Vol. 9 Issue 19
Anyone associated with the seed industry knows that Fall is a busy time of year. Seed is harvested, business is speculated and ASTA offers two conferences that are dedicated to sector specific research, issues, networking and business, the ASTA 2009 Farm & Lawn Seed Conference in Kansas City and the CSS 2009 & Seed Expo in Chicago. Below are some highlights - but to get your greatest value, mark your calendars and watch for future announcements in Seed E-News on speakers, networking opportunities and registration.
2009 Farm & Lawn Seed Conference
Don't miss ASTA's 2009 Farm & Lawn Seed Conference, held in conjunction with the Western Seed Association's (WSA) Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 7-10, at the Westin Crown Center Hotel. ASTA's program begins on Sunday, Nov. 8 with meetings of ASTA's Invasive Species Working Group and the Environmental and Conservation Seed Committee. The Farm Seed and Lawn Seed Divisions will meet on the morning of Monday, Nov. 9. ASTA has lined up a full agenda, including speakers such as Dr. Shaun Bushman, a research geneticist at the Forage & Range Research Lab at Utah State University, who will speak about orchard grass genomics and breeding efforts. This conference is also an opportunity to learn about the many critical issues facing the seed industry with an update from ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne and a session on the wheat seed research pipeline.
Registration is now open for the 2009 Farm & Lawn Seed Conference. Click here to access the convention registration form and hotel information. To reserve a room in the WSA room block at the Westin Crown Center Hotel, please call 816-474-4400 or log on to the Westin web site for the group block, which is listed as the Western Seed Association. Room rates start at $120 and rooms must be reserved by Oct. 5, 2009.
NEW for the conference this year is the addition of exhibit and sponsorship opportunities at the convention, marketing your company or product to nearly 600 seed industry professionals focused in the lawn and turf seed industry. Visit the exhibit information and the sponsorship link to review the available opportunities and reserve yours today.
Further information on the convention agenda will be available on the 2009 Farm & Lawn Seed Conference Web site. We hope to see you in Kansas City!
CSS 2009 & Seed Expo
(2009 Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Seed Research Conference & Seed Expo)
Chicago in December? Some would say you are crazy, but those in the corn, sorghum or soybean business, know that Chicago will be the hub of the seed industry Dec. 8-11, 2009, for CSS 2009 & Seed Expo, the largest seed industry convention in the country! ASTA has designed a tremendous venue at the 64th Corn & Sorghum Seed Research Conference, the 39th Soybean Seed Research Conference and Seed Expo 2009 so that attendees can gather information on the latest research and issues facing the seed industry while networking and conducting business all in one location, the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Registration will open soon for CSS 2009 & Seed Expo and can be found on the convention Web site. Hotel rates start at $123 and are available until Nov. 16. In addition to the wealth of valuable programming outlined on the Research Conference Schedule, ASTA has a few new featured sessions within the overall convention schedule that are open to all full conference registrants that you won't want to miss.
On Dec. 9, the Biotechnology Committee will discuss new regulatory and trade issues related to biotechnology, including an update on activities addressing adventitious presence. The session will also feature a panel discussion among participants in the pilot project of the Biotechnology Quality Management System (BQMS), a project of the Biotechnology Regulatory Service (BRS) of USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Committee will convene on Dec. 9, providing an in-depth session on ASTA's IPR-related international programming in China and India along with a discussion on 2010 planned activities. The committee will also be briefed on any outcomes of the mid-term meetings in November of the International Seed Federation. Discussion will continue on options related to seed dispositions for expired Plant Variety Protection certificates for hybrids.
This year's Joint General Session on Dec. 10, which serves as the transition point between the Soybean Seed Research Conference and the Corn & Sorghum Seed Research Conference, is nothing short of blockbuster! The session begins with a program on agriculture's economic outlook, featuring experts from Doane Advisory Services and the Office of the Chief Economist at USDA. The second half of the session offers cutting edge reports from a variety of small biotechnology firms working on new innovations coming down the pipeline, from the U.S. to Europe to China and into your near future!
When you attend a convention, is your team taking all of the right steps for your maximum ROI? Convention and trade show veteran Fred Fox of The Exhibitor Institute takes you on a 90 minute journey on Dec. 9, from the pre-show marketing to the on-site connections to the post-show follow-up steps you should be taking to get the best value out of attending CSS 2009 & Seed Expo or any convention or trade show. You might be amazed at the simple things that make all the difference to your bottom line!
Can't make it to Chicago to attend the foremost convention in the seed industry? ASTA has made it possible for you to experience CSS 2009 & Seed Expo virtually! ASTA is proud to unveil a new registration category for seed industry professionals who want to take part in all of the networking and education that the convention has to offer but might face travel limitations due to scheduling conflicts or budget constraints in the current economy. Virtual Access offers access to convention materials, speaker and exhibitor information and attendee rosters - and also connects you with all convention registrants through the conference's new Facebook presence - to help meet others in your industry before the convention or just online! Full convention registrants will have access to the Virtual Access community automatically, so your on-site appointment making just got much easier!
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