Education, Problem-solving will Highlight 2005 Cattle Industry Convention/NCBA Trade Show

DENVER (September 28, 2004) – Cattlemen and their families who come to the 2005 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in February will find all the things they’ve come to expect from this annual event – education, problem-solving, networking, information, entertainment, and more. The event will take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, from Wednesday, Feb. 2 to Saturday, Feb. 5. Registration and housing opens Oct. 14.

The theme for the convention and trade show is “Riding Point for the Industry,” says NCBA President Jan Lyons, a Kansas beef producer, because “We indeed are charged with managing those issues that surround us all the time – it’s a leadership role we should embrace and welcome.

“Keeping ahead of the issues and on top of the challenges isn’t always easy for those of us in the cattle and beef industry,” says Lyons. “If we’re going to stay in business, though, that’s what’s expected.”

More than 6,000 cattle industry participants are anticipated at the annual convention and trade show, which will be hosted again by five organizations: the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, American National CattleWomen, Inc., National Cattlemen’s Foundation and Cattle-Fax.

Pocketbook issues will be examined in an effort to enhance producers’ profitability as part of the many educational and informational offerings at this year’s event. The popular Cattlemen’s College® kicks off the convention on Feb. 2 with a series of education sessions sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health that will examine various areas of the cattle industry and seek to keep cattlemen and women up-to-date on the many changes going on within the industry. Included are sessions in the areas of marketing, resource management and production.

Always a highlight is the Cattle-Fax Outlook Seminar, which will look at trends, strategies and management opportunities for 2005 and beyond. The Outlook Seminar is free with paid registration to Cattlemen’s College®.

This year’s Opening General Session, sponsored by Fort Dodge Animal Health, features keynote speaker Chris Wallace. Wallace is host of Fox News Sunday, a former veteran of ABC News as senior correspondent for Prime Time Thursday, a frequent substitute host of Nightline, and former chief White House correspondent with NBC News and anchor of Meet the Press.

Other special convention guests will include cartoonist Leigh Rubin and country musicians Michael Martin Murphey and Mark Chesnutt.

More than 250 companies and organizations will be showcasing their goods and services at the NCBA Trade Show, which is free with registration and runs through Saturday.

Meetings on Thursday and Friday will cover all aspects of the cattle industry and address issues affecting all producers. The meetings will be used to review policy that protects the business climate for cattle producers and helps develop and build on checkoff programs designed to help improve the beef market.

For more information about the 2005 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio, please contact the Convention Department at 303/694-0305.

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