New ag show will give attendees international connection

AEM's AG CONNECT Expo to debut in January 2010

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) today announced a new international agriculture event that will showcase the latest industry innovations, products and technology and offer access to leading industry experts worldwide. The inaugural AG CONNECT Expo is slated for January 13-15, 2010 (preview day January 12 by special admission) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Manufacturers, dealers, distributors and producers from almost every sector of agriculture want to be globally competitive. At AG CONNECT Expo, they will have knowledge-sharing opportunities to better evaluate their position in the world marketplace while networking in a global environment and learning how to gain a competitive advantage.

"Agriculture today is global and dynamic," said AEM President Dennis Slater. "Industry professionals want access to the best information and the best people possible, without boundaries. That's why the member companies of AEM felt the perfect time to initiate AG CONNECT Expo is now."

Charlie O'Brien, AEM Vice President Agricultural Services, explained that the data supports this effort. "Research reveals that producers and other industry professionals really want more substantive discussions with industry leaders and to learn more about how agriculture around the world will affect their businesses," O'Brien said.

AG CONNECT Expo will provide industry professionals with insights into U.S. and international ag policies as well as management best practices that producers are using around the world. "Our goal is for AG CONNECT Expo to become the forum for sharing global agricultural ideas and management trends," O'Brien noted.

Education is a key focus of the show. In addition to showcasing a wide variety of new equipment, technology and services, AG CONNECT Expo will offer information on some of agriculture's most important business management issues. Internationally recognized speakers will address topics such as high-tech farming, safe equipment operation, alternative fuels, alternative energy sources, general management issues for efficiency and issues pertinent to family-run businesses.

Leading agricultural companies support AG CONNECT Expo 2010, including AGCO, Case IH, John Deere, Krause, Krone, MacDon, McCormick and New Holland. These, along with other equipment, crop protection, seed, fertilizer and allied industry firms, will gather at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando January 12-15, 2010 for what's planned to be a biennial event. AG CONNECT Expo will also be held in 2011, but then will switch to the every-other-year format to better align with other global ag events. Show organizers estimate that the inaugural 2010 AG CONNECT Expo will have 700 exhibitors using more than 250,000 net square feet of exhibit space, and an attendance of approximately 20,000 industry professionals.

"AEM has a long and storied history in trade show ownership and management, and is known for its philosophy of producing shows that are run by the industry and for the benefit of the industry," Slater said. The association presently has an ownership stake in and/or manages several world-class exhibitions, both in the United States and internationally. These include CONEXPO-CON/AGG, one of the world's largest gathering places for the construction and construction materials industries. AG CONNECT Expo, like most other AEM shows, is directed by a management committee comprised of AEM member companies and exhibitors.

AEM is the North American-based international trade group representing the off-road equipment manufacturing industry, and its members manufacture equipment, products and services used worldwide in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors. AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has offices in the world capitals of Washington, D.C.; Ottawa, Canada; and Beijing, China; with a European presence in Brussels, Belgium.

Editor's Note: For more information and/or a show logo, contact Rich Jefferson at AEM – email rjefferson@aem.org or phone 414-274-0655.

###

« Back to News Release List