FFA Members Amplify Their Voices at 88th National FFA Convention & Expo

Randall Weiseman Alabama, Aquaculture, Cattle, Citrus, Energy, Field Crops, Florida, Forestry, General, Georgia, Industry News Release, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Seeds, Specialty Crops

From the National FFA Organization:

ffa-logoINDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Oct. 26, 2015/National FFA Organization) – This week, FFA members from across the country will arrive in Louisville, Ky., to celebrate the 88th National FFA Convention & Expo. It is a time when students, advisors and guests will celebrate the top achievers in the organization, give back to the community and work together to promote the message of agriculture and agricultural education.

Convention events will take place at several venues in downtown Louisville, the city’s suburbs and beyond. Nine general sessions through Saturday, Oct. 31 will bring together thousands of FFA members under one roof at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Students will have countless opportunities to engage exhibitors from more than 450 corporations, organizations and colleges Oct. 28-30 at the expo, inside the center.

The convention and expo will kick off on Tuesday, Oct. 27 with the Welcome Lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Kentucky Exposition Center, where present and former FFA members will share how FFA has impacted their lives.

On the afternoon of Wednesday Oct. 28, the first general session will feature a video tribute to the 85th anniversary of the FFA Creed. Special thanks to Jackson Tiffany, Jimmy Carter, the Georgia FFA Association and Branch Carter, Easton Corbin, Travis Bradshaw and the FFA members who helped make the tribute a reality.

The evening of Thursday, Oct. 29, USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Hardin will give remarks during the third general session. The four American Star Awards will also be presented to FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of a supervised agricultural experience program.

Throughout the week, students will attend more than 70 leadership and personal growth workshops. FFA members will also tour industry destinations. In addition, students will roll up their sleeves and participate in several planned community service initiatives during the week, as part of the National Days of Service.

The convention and expo will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 31 with the conferring of the American FFA Degree in the morning and the election of the 2015-16 National FFA Officers in the afternoon.

The convention and expo will bring an estimated economic impact of $40 million, making it the largest convention for Louisville this year. Attendees will stay in 136 hotels within a 60-mile radius of Louisville. This will be the last year for the event to be in Louisville, as the convention and expo will be in Indianapolis from 2016-2024.

For daily updates on the convention and expo, visit FFA.org, or sign up to receive email alerts at FFA.org/subscribe. The convention app can be downloaded by visiting www.FFA.org/Guidebook.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 629,367 student members who belong to one of 7,757 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.