Angus National Conference heads to Ballarat
#GROWANGUS
Angus Australia is excited to announce that in 2017 the Angus National Conference will be heading to the Mecure Hotel in Ballarat VIC, on the 18th and 19th of May.
The Venue
The Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre is an upscale hotel and conference venue, set amongst three hectares of beautifully manicured gardens, complete with its own ornamental lake. Conveniently located just 75 minutes from the Melbourne CBD, Mercure Ballarat is situated opposite the multi-award winning Sovereign Hill, with close proximity to the historic centre of Ballarat.
The Program
The program boasts an impressive line-up of high-level speakers from a diverse range of backgrounds. Sessions will cover topics in the areas of communication across the beef supply chain, genetic technologies, commercial supply chain, market technologies, technology in agriculture.
Sessions will run across two days at a relaxed pace, with ample time allowed for refreshments and socialising between sessions.
Various trade stands will also run throughout the conference with many opportunities for networking and interaction with other producers and industry service providers.
A gala dinner event will be held on Thursday the 18th of May and will incorporate entertainment and a fundraising auction for the Angus Foundation.
Speaker Highlights
We are very excited by the line-up of speakers that we have planned for our members, and will list just a few here to whet your appetite and give you a taste of what to expect.
Dr. Dan Moser is the President of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), and Director of Performance Programs for the American Angus Association, headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri. Dan was raised on a small seedstock cattle operation in northeast Kansas. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Kansas State University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Beef Cattle Genetics from the University of Georgia. For twenty years, as a faculty member at the University of Georgia, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Kansas State University, he taught courses in animal management, genetics and animal breeding, conducted applied research, advised undergraduate and graduate students, and coordinated university seedstock cattle herds. In his current role, he oversees genetic evaluation programs, genomic testing services, business activities and member education efforts for AGI and the Angus association. He has served the beef industry in a variety of leadership roles, and is currently a director of Beef Improvement Federation.
Ben Thomas is the Market Information Manager at MLA, where he has been employed since 2012. Ben’s responsibilities include writing the quarterly beef and lamb industry projections, along with regular market analysis. Prior to working for MLA Ben completed a cadetship with Twynam Agricultural Group and spent two years working on a Canadian cattle farm. He has the qualifications of a Bachelor of Rural Science at the University of New England.
Tom Maguire is currently General Manager- Corporate Services with Teys Australia, a 50/50 joint venture between the Teys family and Cargill. Teys Australia is a substantial part of Australia’s beef industry, operating six beef processing plants, three cattle feedlots as well as other businesses in the value chain located across Australia’s eastern seaboard. Tom has been involved in the Australian meat industry since 1997. Tom holds post graduate qualifications in Economics, Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management. He has also completed a Master in Business.
Some of the other speakers include:
- Brad Hine, CSRIO, – Immune competence
- Susan Bibby, Specialised Breeders Australia , – How genetic technology is used in the poultry industry
- Berry Reynolds, Mort & Co – The value of relationships and supply partnerships
- Jon Condon, Beef Central – Digital disruption and the social media evolution
- Ben Simpson, OGA Marketing – Marketing Angus in the digital age
- Drew Ferguson, CSIRO – Remote sensing/eCollars
- Ramesh Segaran, University of Adelaide – Use of drones in agriculture
- Troy Setter, Consolidated Pastoral Company –Future of Angus genetics in Northern Australian beef production
- Sophia Edwards, Vetoquinol – The latest and Future Developments in Artificial Breeding
- Greg & Scott Farquharson – Bushy Park Angus – What has #GrowAngus meant for Bushy Park, past, present & future
- Kev Sullivan – Bell Vet Services – Importance of pre-feedlot entry preparation
- Garry Edwards – CEO, AAM Investment Group – The Evolution of livestock selling systems
- Andrew Howie – Group Marketing Manager, MLA – Nutritional Health benefits of beef
- Andrew Byrne – Angus Australia – Modern genomic technology for Angus breeders
- Liz Pearson – Angus Australia – Commercial Initiatives & CAG
More information on the conference will be available from www.angusaustralia.com.au as it becomes available
