‘Orchestrating Opportunities’ theme of 2008 Beltwide
Jul 11, 2007 9:18 AM
“Orchestrating Your Opportunities” is the theme of the 2008 Beltwide Cotton Conferences set for Jan. 8-11 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville. The National Cotton Council is the primary coordinator of the conferences.
Bill Robertson, NCC manager, agronomy, soils and physiology and coordinator of Beltwide Cotton Production Conference programming, said program ideas will be gleaned from the NCC’s American Cotton Producers, the BWCC Steering Committee, the BWCC Technical Conference chairmen and NCC staff.
“We’re also making a greater effort to get ideas from crop consultants and encourage their attendance because they are playing an ever-increasing role in producers’ farming decisions,” Robertson said. “In fact, we would like to gear some of the Beltwide Production Conference workshops specifically toward consultants.”
The two-day Production Conference will focus on a wide range of timely topics — from the 2007 farm bill to insect/weed resistance management.
Robertson said that past and potential conference attendees will be mailed a flyer that includes basic information about the 2008 Beltwide. The traditional information booklets will not be printed and distributed this year but made available in early October at http://www.cotton.org/beltwide. Specific details concerning the conferences and instructions for making room reservations also will be online.
A three-year upgrade at the Opryland Gaylord Hotel will have been completed by conference time, including renovation of all rooms and suites, improvement of convention services facilities, and the addition of restaurants. For more information, visit www.gaylordopryland.com.
The property has been awarded the coveted Gold Key Elite award for the fifth straight year and the Gold Platter Elite award for the third consecutive year by Meetings & Conventions magazine, given to the top five meeting properties in the world.
The Beltwide Cotton Conferences’ overall objective is sharing information among those with a stake in a healthy U.S. cotton production sector, including industry members, university and USDA researchers, Extension personnel, consultants and service providers.
The forum’s programming is designed to inform U.S. cotton producers about innovative and effective technology and methods that can promote viability in both the upcoming growing season and for the long term.
