GEAPS Delivers on Mission With Outstanding Virtual Conference
GEAPS Delivers on Mission With Outstanding Virtual Conference
The Grain Elevator and Processing Society completed its first ever virtual conference yesterday, executing the organization’s mission to advance grain industry knowledge and information sharing through a network of global agriculture professionals. The event drew 340 attendees from seven countries and 159 companies together for education sessions, a virtual trade show and networking lounges.
GEAPS International President Jeff Jones, MKC, is proud of the way GEAPS pivoted to producing an online event. His company had 16 employees attend the event.
“This conference was filled with opportunities for self-improvement and personal growth, as well as industry tips and tricks. I’m excited to take several of the ideas back and implement them with my team,” Jones said. “MKC put an emphasis on training like this. Our team has already had several conversations around implementing what we learned.”
Top-Attended Education Sessions
- Opening Keynote: BE! ICONIC OR BE! GONE – BE! UNIQUE
- Virtual Idea Exchange
- Leadership Workshop: Change is Fuel
- Solving the Biggest Challenges in Agribusiness Through Innovation and Technology
In addition to the education, attendees exchanged 650 messages on the virtual platform and attended 309 appointments with exhibitors. GEAPS First Vice President Barb Grove, Central Valley Ag Cooperative, was impressed by the energy of the opening keynote every morning and the positive energy in the sessions. Over the course of three days, she attended a balance of leadership and operations sessions that helped her grow in different ways.
“I loved the interactive nature of the education sessions. We were able to ask questions as they came up and interact with other attendees,” Grove said. “One person’s question or comment could spur conversation from others and it was a very supportive environment for feedback. I think there is a lot of opportunity for GEAPS chapters to build off this event and host more virtual chapter meetings. We could really drive engagement by embracing more technology.”
GEAPS Executive Director Steve Records noted how the online conference delivered on GEAPS’ mission to advance grain industry knowledge through a global network of agricultural professionals.
“Two-thirds of our attendees were GEAPS members,” Record said. “It was excellent to see our network come together on this virtual platform, building their skills together. The conversations and the encouragement felt just like a GEAPS meeting on a grand scale. We are going to continue planning ways for the industry to connect virtually and we are very excited to host our in-person conference this summer.”
GEAPS Exchange 2021 is scheduled to take place Aug. 6-9 in at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
About GEAPS
The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) is an international professional association of grain handling and processing professionals. GEAPS addresses the industry’s critical grain handling, storage and processing operations needs by providing networking, professional development programs and access to a global marketplace of industry suppliers. GEAPS’ global network includes more than 2,500 individual members from about 1,050 companies. Join our network today!
