Registration Deadlines Approaching for USMEF Spring Conference in Fort Worth

Register now to attend the USMEF Spring Conference, May 21-23 at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas. Wednesday, April 23, is the last day to receive the discounted registration rate and the USMEF room block closes Friday, April 25.

REGISTER HERE

The meeting agenda is filled with timely and insightful topics. Kicking off the event, keynote speaker Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, will deliver an update and outlook on cattle and beef production, along with his expert analysis of both the international and domestic protein markets. Blach will also address grain supplies and the key farm and ranch operating costs shaping prices and profitability.

Featured speakers will also include John Newton, Ph.D., executive head of Terrain. Formerly serving as a USDA economist and as chief economist for the Senate Agriculture Committee and the American Farm Bureau Federation, Newton provides unparalleled insights on agricultural policy. He will discuss the challenges involved in developing the new Farm Bill, as well as the latest on agricultural appropriations, tariffs and trade, and other critical policy issues.

Also on the agenda is Rick Stott, president and CEO of Superior Farms, who will highlight how the meat and livestock industries are rallying together to overcome challenges posed by anti-agriculture activists. In November, voters in Denver rejected – by nearly a 2-to-1 margin – a ballot initiative that would have banned slaughterhouses within the city limits. The ban would have forced closure of Superior Farms’ lamb processing facility, which employs about 160 workers in Denver and provides essential services for lamb producers.

Throughout the conference, USMEF’s international team will be available to share insights from their regions on consumer trends, market conditions and the competitive landscape. At Friday's closing session, Jihae Yang, USMEF VP for the Asia Pacific, Latin America Representative Homero Recio and Gerardo Rodriguez, regional director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic, will update members on trade challenges in their respective markets, including USMEF's efforts to address customer concerns about how trading partners may respond to new U.S. tariffs.

In addition to our general sessions, USMEF’s Beef, Pork, Exporter and Feedgrain/Oilseed breakouts will offer detailed discussions on topics pertinent to each sector. All registrants are welcome and encouraged to participate in any breakout sessions, regardless of their membership sector.

The Omni Fort Worth is conveniently located in the heart of downtown, within walking distance of historic sites, restaurants and the Sundance Square entertainment district.

If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please email John Hinners, senior vice president of industry relations, or Jackie Boubin, vice president of operations, or call 303-623-6328.