Convention season kicks off
State and national associations are gearing up for a busy season of meetings and conventions throughout Wyoming and across the nation.
With hay harvested, cows gathered off of the mountain and calves weaned and shipped, fall work for many producers is winding down, just in time for them to attend this year’s schedule of events.
Fall conventions
The fall convention season lineup kicked off with the Inaugural Wyoming Water Quality Conference, held in person at the University of Wyoming Conference Center in Laramie Oct. 17-18.
In honor of the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) 50th anniversary, the Water Quality Division (WQD) invited attendees to learn about WQD permitting programs and current requirements, funding opportunities and how the division is responding to emerging contaminants, including harmful cyanobacteria blooms, just to name a few.
On Oct. 19-22, the American Hereford Association hosted their annual membership meeting in Kansas City, Mo. to bring together members from across the U.S. for a trade show, educational sessions, an honoree reception and to elect new members for the board of directors.
With the theme “Flowing Together for Shared Water Resources,” the Wyoming Water Association will hold its annual meeting and conference jointly with the Upper Missouri Water Association at the CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Ballroom in Gillette on Oct. 24-26.
During the conference, water resource professionals from Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota will discuss current water issues, share insight and exchange ideas on how to address water resource challenges.
The Virtual Rocky Mountain Soil Health Roundtable will round out conventions for the month of October. The event is free to the public and will be held online on Oct. 25.
November will give way to several more conventions, including the West Central States Wool Growers Convention in Boise, Idaho Nov. 2-4. Themed “Opportunities for American Lamb,” the convention will provide information on everything from export lamb markets, reproduction technology, targeted grazing and much more.
The 2023 Angus Convention will be held Nov. 3-6 in the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Fla., and on Nov. 8-9 the Wyoming Association of Irrigation Districts will host their first ever annual meeting at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper.
Nov. 9 will be a busy day for the U.S. ag community, as the Colorado Simmental Association will hold their 53rd annual meeting via Zoom, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will hold the Nebraska Beef Summit at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center in Mead, Neb.
UNL’s beef summit is put on each fall by the senior class of Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars and cattlemen across the state.
The event boasts a program of strong speakers addressing current industry issues, and this yearʼs schedule includes programming on genetic tools, grazing corn reside and managing severe weather events, among others.
The mid-November lineup also includes the 30th Annual Wyoming Women in Ag Symposium and Diversity Tour, held Nov. 9-10 in Worland; the 104th Annual Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Meeting, held Nov. 9-11 at the Little America Hotel in Cheyenne; the 41st Annual Governor’s Business Forum, held Nov. 13-15 in Laramie, the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union 2023 Convention, held Nov. 17-18 in Greeley, Colo. and the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districtsʼ Annual Convention, held Nov. 15-17 in Dubois.
Winter conventions
Following a long list of fall conventions, the highly anticipated Winter Roundup Convention and Trade Show, hosted by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, will take place Dec. 4-6 at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper
The theme of the meeting is “Engaging in Your Industry,” and the event schedule is jam-packed with educational programming including everything from ag promotion, wildlife, water, marketing, private and state lands and livestock health and production, just to name a few.
The convention will host Keynote Speakers Jolene Brown and Joe Goggins, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and fan-favorite events including the Make It With Wool Fashion Show and Luncheon, a live and silent auction and the Law Enforcement and AccessYes Recognition Awards Luncheon Banquet.
At the start of the new year, the American Sheep Industry Association will hold their annual convention at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver Jan. 10-13, which provides sheep producers from across the country the opportunity to meet and discuss topics and current issues in the industry.
At the end of January, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will head “Onward to Orlando” for the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 31-Feb. 2.
The convention is the largest cattle industry event in the nation and is held in conjunction with CattleCon and the Cattlemen’s College – two extensive educational programs geared exclusively toward cattle production in the U.S.
The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmer and Rancher Conference will also kick off on Feb. 2 and run through Feb. 3.
For more information on upcoming events, check out the events calendar on page 14 or visit wylr.net. Keep an eye out for coverage of these conventions in upcoming editions of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article or submit your event information to roundup@wylr.net.
