US Soy Global Trade Exchange & Specialty Grains Conference draws more than 1,000 attendees
By Shane Frederick, SSGA Communications Manager
Staying connected during a global pandemic has been important in all facets of life, and that includes the business of U.S. Soy and specialty grains. Last week’s U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange & Specialty Grains Conference (GTE) connected more than 1,000 buyers and sellers from more than 60 countries in a virtual event that, for years, had been held in person.
“We promised that we’d deliver the next best thing to being together in one geographical location by creating a unique online space for us all to gather virtually,” Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) Executive Director Eric Wenberg said. “I believe we did that.”
SSGA co-hosted the GTE with the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC).
“We’re grateful to our partner, USSEC, for its worldwide outreach, to all of our sponsors this week and to all of our trade partners we’ve established over years of relationship-building to make sure this critical event continued,” Wenberg said.
In total, more than 1,500 people registered for the GTE. The conference will remain open on-demand for the next month in case they missed the event or would like to see a session they missed or re-watch a presentation and one of the many other video features that were offered.
GTE speakers included: Ted McKinney, USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs; Ken Isley, USDA Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service; Gregg Doud, U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator; Kevan Hueftle, U.S. Paralympic sprinter; Emily French, ConsiliAgra Managing Director; and Will Sawyer and Tanner Ehmke, CoBank Knowledge Exchange.
Other sessions included the Pro Farmer Crop Tour Report; media sponsor RFD-TV’s “State of the Industry” premier; SSGA breakouts on container shipping, traceability and the outlook for food soya exports; and USSEC breakouts on U.S. Soy sustainability, protein and oil.
Other highlights included a daily trade show featuring 34 exhibitors; a virtual field day that included tours of farms from all around the country; a virtual kitchen featuring the recipes of Chef David Bonom and daily live chats with the chef; as well as a live band, uRequest Live, which kicked off the GTE with a pair of performances.
“This was a complex show with many different activities under one banner,” SSGA Chair Curt Petrich said. “I was fortunate enough to lead the SSGA panel on traceability, and I was impressed with the way the event came together – although not surprised. We’re fortunate to be working in a tried and true industry like soya and specialty grains produced in the United States, where there’s real commitment to make sure meetings like this continue to take place year after year to keep everyone connected.”
SSGA is grateful to the GTE sponsors, including industry-level sponsors SB&B Foods, The Delong Company, The Redwood Group and IOM Grain; and state-level sponsors Illinois Soybean Association; Iowa Soybean Association; Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council; North Dakota Soybean Council; Ohio Soybean Council; and Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.
For more about the 2020 GTE:
Day 3 recap: Virtual GTE comes to a close – sort of
Day 2 recap: Container shipping, traceability get focus
Day 1 recap: Virtual U.S. Soy GTE gets underway
GTE sponsorship remains important for industry leaders
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