Beltwide Organizers Gear Up for Atlanta
December 28, 2010
Organizers of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences took a different mindset into the planning of this year’s event.
In past years, the Beltwide has featured an overall theme — one topic that would get the most attention in general sessions and group breakout meetings. From weed resistance to pricing, Beltwide organizers have often tried to focus on a timely hot topic heading into the Conferences.
But when growers and other industry professionals descend on Atlanta, GA, on January 4 – 7, 2011, they’ll find the focus this go ‘round is squarely on them.
“We’re trying to facilitate the interaction, or the networking between producers and consultants at a venue like this. I think that’s the real strength of a meeting like the Beltwide,” says conference organizer Dr. Bill Robertson of the National Cotton Council.
Robertson says the idea behind this year’s conference is to truly reward those who make the trip to Atlanta by offering them information they can’t find anywhere else.
“If you’re a grower from Arkansas, you’re going to hear from specialists like Tom Barber, Gus Lorenz and Ken Smith at state level meetings, area level meetings and county meetings. By the time they’re getting ready to plant, the growers will be able to give their talks for them,” Robertson says.
“So when people are going through the time and expense of traveling to the Beltwide, we need to offer them something different than what they can get at home.”
Focus on the Farmer
One surefire way to introduce growers to new content is to allow them to tell their own stories. Robertson says the focus this year will be on allowing growers to interact with each other in smaller groups while discussing the hot topics of the coming year.
To accomplish that goal, the Council will limit its general session to two hours on Wednesday morning and immediately break into smaller focus groups.
“Some of the things we give up with having a shorter general session are some of the producer panels and things like that, but we’re able to have more producer workshops,” says Robertson.
“What we’re trying to do is have more interaction, producer to producer, in a smaller meeting space than we would in a large meeting space. If you’re in a small group of folks, it’s a lot easier to get the participants and the speakers to interact with one another. You get more questions from the audience that way.”
Hot Topics
Though the format may change some this year, the Beltwide will still focus on those topics that growers value the most.
Much like last year, this year’s conference will feature many sessions that focus on weed resistance management. Cotton pricing will also be examined, as will the coming changes in Washington D.C., and how they cold affect farm policy.
“With the midterm elections coming up there’s going to be a big change in D.C. There’s all types of debate happening right now on what’s going to happen in the lame duck session, so we’ll have some time dedicated to what’s going to happen in regard to that,” says Robertson.
Beltwide Conference attendees should continue to check www.cotton.org/beltwide for a finalized schedule.
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