It was a response not only to the coronavirus pandemic but also to a precipitous fall in the attendance rate. As members canceled because of company travel bans and meeting restrictions, the Association recognized that the networking value of the meeting would not be what participants deserve.

鈥淭he speed at which things developed鈥攖hroughout the United States and in this office鈥攚as stunning,鈥� said Executive Vice President Vernon Schmidt. 鈥淥n Tuesday night, canceling the meeting was only a possibility. On Friday morning, the decision was obvious. The dominoes just continued to fall.鈥�

If you have not yet communicated with someone from the Association about your Summit registration refund, call us at (314) 878-2304. If you have received a reminder from the hotel about your reservation, worry not. Your room reservation has been canceled.

The global outbreak that ultimately caused the cancellation of this meeting is expected to continue to disrupt supply chains and the workforce. The Association is committed to providing members information that helps them navigate these unprecedented circumstances.

If you are experiencing supply chain disruptions and seeking alternatives, access the Association鈥檚 online database to find supplier member companies who offer what you need. Go to the 鈥渞esources鈥� tab at , and search by product. You will need a user name and password to access this members-only benefit. Call (314) 878-2304 if you need user name or password information.

While we wait for calmer days, let鈥檚 look ahead. The Association will host its 2020 Marketing & Distribution Convention in Orlando from Oct. 27 to 29. In the meantime, we will explore options for bringing content to you that we had hoped to share with you next week.

Each Summit comes together in partnership with the Supplier Board of Governors, who host the networking opportunities and think creatively about new ways to engage. Here鈥檚 what’s in store in Albuquerque.

Receptions

Attendees gather as a complete group for the first time at the Welcome Party and Dinner in the evening Wednesday. Feel free to arrive casually dressed. This is a travel day for many, and others will have spent it at the golf course or shooting range.

First-time attendees are invited to join Association leadership for a pre-reception to get to know one another and ask questions about the Summit, the Association, and membership.

Golf

University of New Mexico鈥檚 Championship Course has been named by Golf Digest as one of the top 25 public courses in the country. It is a 7,248-yard, par 72 course.

Attendees pay $120 to golf and more to rent clubs. If you need to rent clubs, please let the Association know in advance.

The golf course prefers that golfers wear shirts with collars; jeans and shorts are OK. The Association will provide transportation. See who鈥檚 signed up to golf at .

Trap

Albuquerque Trap Club offers eight trap fields, 50 clay targets, and 12- or 20-gauge ammunition.

The club has a limited number of guns available to rent. Attendees who bring their own are allowed to store them in their rooms at the Albuquerque Hyatt. If you plan to bring your own shotgun, please contact the office at (314) 878-2304, or email Tricia at Tkidd@FarmEquip.org.

Participants pay $99 to shoot. The club will provide ear and eye protection as well as shells. The Association will provide transportation and lunch.
See who has signed up for the trap shoot, or sign up yourself, at .

Walk/Run

Thursday is a long day for Summit attendees. Start yours with the shot of energy that comes from a little fresh air, a brisk walk, conversation with others in the industry, and a continental breakfast. Participants receive a t-shirt. There is no additional cost.

Crawl

Albuquerque has unveiled a new entertainment complex that developers believe is the first of its kind in the nation, and members of this Association will be among the first to raise their glasses in it during the Summit鈥檚 fifth annual exploration of nightlife, otherwise known as 鈥渢he crawl.鈥�

Developers literally raised the roof on this former Sports Authority and invested more than $12 million to transform it into an under-one-roof entertainment venue.

Participants in the crawl will socialize at Draft Day Sports Bar, The Lobby Bar, and Uptown Funk Dueling Piano Bar. (For members who were on the crawl in 2017, you were part of an especially memorable stop at a piano bar in Little Rock. We have been looking for another ever since.)

Attendees pay $25, which includes transportation and a t-shirt. The t-shirt entitles you to happy-hour prices all night.

Ax Throwing (Pre-Summit)

In its pursuit of hosting fresh and fun networking events for members, the Supplier Board of Governors has organized an ax-throwing event for early arrivals in Albuquerque. The group invites you to ABQ Ax on Monday.

(About the timing of this event, the Association is always striving for the right balance when it schedules conventions. Everyone鈥檚 expectations are different. So, in the spirit of trying new things and preserving time-tested favorites, we have stretched the schedule this year to test interest in this trend.)

To join ax-throwing, call the Association at (314) 878-2304, or send an email to TKidd@FarmEquip.org.

Because this event is outside the classic Summit schedule and organized independently, details such as cost will be handled separately.

Gomes has been active in the digital transformation of agriculture for more than 25 years. He has worked with sensing technologies such as optical, sonic, and positioning sensors to improve field efficiency. He is a co-inventor on patents for aspects of auto steering, sensors and user interface and a founding board member of the Ag Data Coalition.

Gomes will offer an overview of the digitization of agriculture and how sensors, specifically in the tillage process, can create value for manufacturers, dealers and farmers.

The day will include a walking tour of Old Town Albuquerque, which was founded in 1706 and remains the city鈥檚 cultural center, lunch at a local hot spot, and an afternoon exploring the Albuquerque Museum, which boasts of masterworks by artists such as Georgia O鈥橩eefe, Ernest Blumenschein, and Raymond Jonson.

While the Association is in Albuquerque, the museum will also host a special exhibit on the life and work of Muppet creator Jim Henson.

This is a practice known as 鈥渞oom poaching.鈥� Do not be fooled by these services. They often leave convention-goers without a room reservation or book a room at an inconvenient hotel.

Summit attendees who book at save significantly on the hotel room price. You will never receive a legitimate communication from a third party about booking a hotel room. Please be vigilant.

As the schedule has taken shape, we have tweaked the dates of the meeting to extend it by one. Networking events kick off Wednesday, March 25. The next day is filled with more networking, the showcase, and speaker sessions. The Summit concludes Friday, March 27, a final speaker session, breakout sessions, and a Tillage Council meeting.

Commitments for elected leaders begin Tuesday, March 24.The winter issue of Ag Innovator magazine will contain specifics about the meeting, but preliminary plans include:

• The return of the 鈥淟earning from Legacies鈥� series, which will bring generations of businesses on stage for a discussion on succession planning;
  
• A political analyst to discuss what the various presidential candidates may mean for agriculture;
  
• The kickoff of a speaker/webinar series on improving processes in manufacturing;
  
• A series of breakout discussions on taxes, hemp regulations, compliance issues on trade, product liability, and safety standards.