Save the date for co-located 2013 Soy & Grain Trade Summit and Women in Agribusiness Summit

BOSTON, Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The eighth annual Soy & Grain Trade Summit, Oct. 21-23, and second annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, Oct. 22-24, will take place in Minneapolis, Minn., at the Hyatt Regency, in the heartland of agricultural production in the U.S.

Soy & Grain Trade Summit

The Soy & Grain Trade Summit brings together commodity and ingredient buyers and sellers from around the globe to network with their industry peers and potential business partners and discuss key issues facing the industry, including strategies for sustainable growth in agricultural production, new processing technologies, transportation challenges, and developing trends in the commodity, food, biofuels and animal feed sectors.

The 2012 event included over 65 exhibitors and hosted nearly 800 attendees from 38 U.S. states and 45 countries from around the world. Attendees, like Jim Sutter, U.S. Soybean Export Council, designated the summit as "one of the must-attend events in the industry."

"We in the meat industry try to speak with a cross-sector of agricultural commodities all the time because we use so many of those commodities in our production cycles that it's important for us to educate others as to what's happening in our industry," said 2012 Summit attendee and speaker Stephen Sothmann, Director of International Affairs for the American Meat Institute. 

"You might know what's going on in your regional area, your farm, your production facility or processing facility, but it's a very good idea to find out what's going at the macro level, the global level and the national level, and that's what this conference provides."

The 2013 Summit will include updated topics, such as new approaches to addressing food safety and quality, new options for managing risks, and a new panel on Sustainability in the Global Ag Supply Chain. "This event is a perfect blending of key information, thought-leadership presentations, and sought-after networking opportunities with colleagues from around the world," said Mark Dineen, conference director.

Women in Agribusiness Summit

Met with rave reviews at its inaugural event in 2012, the Women in Agribusiness Summit will expand this year, adding a full day's worth of programming to allow for additional break-out sessions, extended time for in-depth Q&A and roundtable discussions, and an expert line-up of female executive presenters.

Director of the event, Joy O'Shaughnessy, describes the event as an interactive platform for women to discuss their unique experiences within the industry and hear from women leaders regarding cutting-edge industry trends, and discuss best practices for recruiting, retaining and promoting women within agribusiness. 

"Our initiatives are aimed at helping the Ag/food sectors become top career destinations for talented female professionals, and we welcome women from all career levels, from top executives to those just starting out, to attend and enhance their careers through meaningful and pertinent content, peer-to-peer discussions and networking opportunities," said O'Shaughnessy.

Based on positive feedback from the first event, organizers are planning for double the attendees this year and have added panels such as Innovation in Agribusiness and Strategies for Recruiting and Advancing Women in Agribusiness.

Attendees to the 2013 event will gather critical information, like first-year attendee Amber Northcut from Agrium, who said, "I had a chance to meet some great, intelligent women and I learned important information about initiatives in other companies," or Megan DeVelvis from Dow AgroSciences who said that the conference, "exceeded my expectations.  The networking was in full force and was amazing, and the content was great."

For details and early-bird registration – before Jan. 31, 2013 – information on these events, visit www.soyandgraintrade.com or www.womeninag.com. Register using code PRSGTS/WIA-01.

Michelle Pelletier-Marshall
978.887.8800, x117, [email protected]

SOURCE Soy & Grain Trade Summit and Women in Agribusiness Summit