CattleCon 2026: NCBA Announces High-Energy Keynote Speaker Lineup
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is gearing up for CattleCon 2026, and this year’s event brings exciting updates to the convention experience. We caught up with Kristen Torres with NCBA to learn what attendees can expect from the general sessions and the impressive roster of keynote speakers.
According to Torres, one of the biggest changes for 2026 is the shift to an all-inclusive registration model. “A couple of things with the general sessions, we have a great lineup of speakers, but one of the things that we changed this year is we went to an all-inclusive model with registration. So now everybody gets an opportunity to go to these general sessions, all the meetings, all the education.” This streamlined approach ensures that every attendee has full access to sessions, meetings, and educational programming without additional fees.
High-Profile Speakers Kick Off CattleCon 2026
The convention will open with a major highlight: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Torres shared the excitement, saying, “So we’re going to kick off the convention with Dale Earnhardt Jr. We are super excited to have him at the opening general session.” As a celebrated NASCAR driver and well-known public figure, Earnhardt Jr. brings instant energy and broad appeal to the opening session.
Day Two: Leadership, Local Talent, and Market Outlook
The second general session features Jon Acuff, a dynamic speaker with a strong connection to Nashville. “General session two on the second day is a gentleman by the name of John Acuff. His family has a lot of history in the country music world. He’s local to Nashville and he has a great high energy session that’s really talking about leadership and it’s just a unique, different kind of session that’s going to be happening.”
Attendees will also hear from CattleFax, where Randy Block will deliver a forward-looking analysis of cattle markets. “Randy Block will be there to tell us all about what we can expect in the cattle markets over the next 18 months or so.”
Closing Session: Storytelling Through Music
CattleCon 2026 brings back its closing general session, featuring award-winning Nashville songwriter Jimmy Yeary. Torres notes, “His name is Jimmy Yeary. He’s an award-winning singer-songwriter, also based in Nashville, and he talks about storytelling through music. Great, fun, interactive session.”
For updates, schedules, and registration details, attendees can visit convention.ncba.org and follow NCBA on social media.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.