Background on the Annual Meeting: The Agri-Growth Annual Meeting is our organization’s marquee annual event, consisting of a day-long program. The day typically begins with a morning membership meeting to review policies, elect new Directors to the Board, and hear organizational updates. Nationally and locally recognizable speakers make up the day’s conference program, with a mid-day luncheon and address. An evening dinner banquet with keynote address follows a social hour where the crowd usually swells to it’s largest point – over 500. 
Past speakers:
- Tim Pawlenty, Governor, State of Minnesota (The sitting governor gives a "State of the State on Agriculture" address at the Agri-Growth Annual Meeting each year.)
- Norm Coleman, U.S. Senator
- Dr. Michael Swanson, Chief Economist, Wells Fargo Bank
- Thom Fladung, Editor, St. Paul Pioneer Press
- Jerry Hagstrom, Assistant Editor, CongressDaily and the National Journal, Washington, D.C.
- Kevin McGrath, CEO, Digital Angel Corporation
- Ron Fagen, CEO, Fagen Inc.
- Mike Tolbert, President, Jennie-O Turkey Store
- Mike Helgeson, CEO, Gold’n Plump Poultry
- Gil Gutknecht, U.S. Congressman
- Michael Sommers, Assistant to the President for Agriculture Affairs, The White House
- Bob Dole, U.S. Senator
- Jim Weismeyer, Informa Economics
- Bob Dineen, President, Renewable Fuels Association
- Joe Jobe, CEO, National Biodiesel Board
- Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director, Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy
- Dr. Robert Bruininks, President, University of Minnesota
- Kim Perry Butler, Consul General, Canadian Consulate General
- Chris Thompson, Consul General, Canadian Consulate General
- Anne Venemann, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
- Dan Glickman, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
- Charles Conner, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (Acting) and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
- Charles Stenholm (D-TX), former Member of Congress
Audience: The Annual Meeting hosts state and national leaders of the agriculture business and producer communities. Every year this event brings together around 500 representatives from Minnesota companies like Cargill, Hormel Foods, General Mills, Land O’Lakes, CHS Inc., EcoLab, U.S. Bank, and many more, with others from the University of Minnesota, and state farm and commodity organizations including their farmer members. Congressional, state, and legislative leaders and staff are also frequently in the audience. The meeting is a "who’s who" of the Midwest agriculture industry.
 
Media: The Agri-Growth Council will distribute press releases prior to the event to explain the agenda and encourage media coverage. The Annual Meeting is often covered by industry reporters from the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Associated Press, and agriculture publications including AgWeek, Agri-News, and other weekly papers. Agriculture radio also covers events throughout the day.
Trade show: Exhibitors, typically more educational and informational in nature, set up in the foyer of the hallway outside the general session rooms. This area also provides a backdrop to the social hour at the conclusion of the speakers program.
Opportunity: The Agri-Growth Annual Meeting prides itself on providing a diversity of industry speakers to educate, stimulate, and impart knowledge on a target rich audience base. Addressing the Annual Meeting affords a speaker the opportunity to share wisdom with a highly influential audience, and to promote certain ideas among a mixture of producer, industry, and academic leaders from the Upper Midwest’s food and agriculture sector.
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