Grain Journal - January/February 2009 - (Page 8) GEAPS Exchange 2009 FEB. 28-MARCH 3 • AMERICA’S CENTER CONVENTION COMPLEX • ST. LOUIS, MO Educational Program Along with a record-setting trade show, this year’s educational program will feature more than 50 speakers and 36 hours of educational programming. Expo Pods. Expanding on the success of the pod concept that started with the 2007 Exchange in Grapevine, TX with one pod, there will be 12 pod sessions in St. Louis focusing on conveyors and related equipment. “People go because the pods provide real-world information that you can’t get in one venue anywhere else,” says Education Programming Committe Chair Kathy Reading. “People will be able to get right up to the equipment and try it. They’ll find out how it works, what the key features are, and how it should be maintained. For many people in the industry, that is a golden opportunity.” Each pod session will be held to a maximum of 30 people to maintain a small-group setting. (See the graphic below for pod session times and speakers.) Opening Workshop The Exchange’s Opening Workshop, “Grain Bin Engulfment: Causes, Human Costs, and Prevention” will take place Sunday, March 1 from 7:30 to 11 a.m. The workshop will focus on how grain bin engulfment occurs, examples of incidents, consequences and victims, and prevention. Four speakers with personal engulfment experience will address the topic, and the workshop will conclude with an hour-long panel discussion, followed by a question and answer session. Speakers include: • Keith Rezba, superintendent, CGB; engulfment survivor. • Laverne Meier, retired; engulfment survivor. • Chris Frye, facility support, Topflight Grain; engulfment survivor. • Roger Ward, plant protection administration, The Andersons. Program Highlights Idea Exchange. The Idea Exchange will feature 14 presentations on innovative ideas or products new to the grain industry. The program will take place Sunday, March 1 from 3 to 5 p.m. The Idea Exchange includes two types of presentations: • “What’s New?” features eight grain industry equipment suppliers describing their new equipment or service (see pages 16-17). • “I Did! Why Don’t They?” will feature six grain industry operations personnel describing innovations they have implemented at their grain facilities. Annual Meeting. The association’s annual meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 3 from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. and will include the GEAPS Safety Awards presentation. Monsanto Chesterfield Village Reseach Facility Tour. A tour on Wednesday, March 4 from 9 to 11 a.m. will provide info about Monsanto plant biotechnology at the facility. It didn’t take long to sell out the trade show booths for the 2009 Grain Elevator and Processing Society’s 80th annual Exchange in St. Louis, MO. Even before GEAPS packed up and left the 2008 Exchange in Omaha, NE, all booths spaces at the St. Louis Exchange had been sold—a first. Booth demand has been so strong that GEAPS has set up an adjacent hall to the main exhibit area in the America’s Center Convention Complex to handle the overflow. All told, over 245 companies taking 382 booth spaces will show their products and services, breaking last year’s record of 243 companies in 371 booth spaces. Attendance also could surpass last year’s record of 2,380. 8 GJ J/F
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