The 2021 Cattle Industry Convention will hit all the right notes when country music stars, inspirational speakers and hot topics converge in Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 10-12, 2021. New to this year’s convention is an additional general session, which provides even more value to registration.
“We are excited to bring people together once again to learn and be inspired,” says Kristin Torres, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association executive director of meetings and events. “We’ve crafted a program that will give attendees an exceptional experience as well as a great value.”
Buzz Brainard, host of Music Row Happy Hour with Buzz Brainard, will emcee convention events. Brainard is a familiar face in Nashville and his voice is well known on SiriusXM radio, Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel.
The Opening Session on Tuesday, Aug. 10, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, will kick things off with country music singer and songwriter, Kix Brooks. Brooks, who was recently recognized as the National On-Air Personality of the Year by the Academy of Country Music, will talk about his experiences in country music as well as his passion for creating award-winning wines.
CattleFax will present its U.S. and Global Protein & Grain Outlook Seminar on Wednesday, Aug. 11, exploring factors driving the market, and Dr. Art Douglas will discuss evolving weather patterns and provide a weather forecast for the United States and the world. This session is sponsored by Zoetis and Purina Feeds, LLC.
The final day of convention includes two general sessions, featuring a panel discussion on sustainability, sponsored by Roto-Mix, LLC. Sustainability continues to be a hot topic, with environmental stewardship often making the headlines, but economic viability and social responsibility play roles as well. Session speakers will discuss how the cattle industry offers solutions to the climate change conversation.
The Closing General Session on Thursday, Aug. 12, celebrates the industry’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program. In addition to honoring recipients of the BQA Awards, sponsored by Cargill, the session features speaker Jason Brown, a former professional football player who turned in his cleats for a tractor. Brown left the NFL to serve others through farming and he will talk about his life-changing journey from the football field to the vegetable field.
Additional educational opportunities can be found throughout the three days including the Learning Lounge, which offers “lightning sessions” on the trade show floor providing busy attendees valuable educational tips. The Stockmanship and Stewardship demonstration arena provides unique educational experiences featuring sessions on adding value to calves at sale time and horseback handling to improve the bottom line. And, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association “State of the Industry” session, which will be held in the general session room, will feature CEO Colin Woodall, and Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane, discussing the current climate in Washington.
For those arriving early, Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Zoetis, will highlight cutting-edge topics and top industry leaders such as Tuesday’s keynote speaker, Dr. Jayson Lusk from Purdue University who will discuss industry impacts from COVID-19 and keeping beef at the center of the plate.
“Nashville is open for business, and we look forward to seeing everyone in person this August,” says Torres.
While the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention is being held in person, a virtual option is available for those who can’t attend. The CattleCon Remix ticket provides live streaming of all general sessions as well as on-demand options for other educational events. For more information and to register and reserve housing, visit https://convention.ncba.org/.