The Chair of the Banff Pork Seminar says the 2018 edition of the annual event was a tremendous success attracting a sold out audience.
The theme of the 2018 Banff Pork Seminar, held last week, was “looking ahead to the next generation.”
Mark Chambers, the Production Manager with Sunterra Farms and Chair of the Banff Pork Seminar, says this year’s seminar attracted 770 registrants, a sold out audience, and included people from all over Canada, the United States and around the world representing a lot of production people as well as industry representatives from genetic companies, nutrition companies and equipment companies, consultants and veterinarians.
I think in general, based on the attendance, it’s been really good because the agenda, when folks looked at it, though that’s something I want to come to and see and from the comments that I’ve had from folks it’s been very very positive.
The seminar itself has evolved over time. It’s grown from the original size. I think it was 100 people so up to 770 today and it’s reaching out nationally across the globe. And we do attract some high level speakers to try and address the things that are important to our sector now and in the future.
As you this year’s theme was the next general and communicating and we had some really good speakers, especially the opening plenary was talking about communication and how we need to talk to the public, especially reporters when we’re being interviewed and with our closing plenary with Greg Peterson from the Peterson Brothers, it’s the next generation and how they’re communicating and advocating for agriculture.
Because our industry is under the spotlight and we need to know how to address that and how to move forward in the future.
~ Mark Chambers, Banff Pork Seminar
Chambers notes, just as important, is the networking opportunities the Banff Pork Seminar provides. He says folks come from all over the world so networking is a huge part of the event. He adds, when organizers hold their wrap up meeting for this year’s seminar they will be analyzing where people came from and which parts of the of the sector were represented.
