You’re Invited to the 2008 Citrus Industry Annual Conference
Dear Florida Citrus Grower and Industry Supporter: I would like to personally invite you to the 2008 Citrus Industry Annual Conference which will be held June 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, Fl. Last year was a tremendous success drawing 450 attendees for three days of fun, education and camaraderie. We fully expect to put on another world-class conference this year. We’re very proud of the agenda we’ve put together for 2008. Of course giving attendees information they can use is a key part of the Conference. The 2008 Educational Sessions are titled “Greening: What Every Grower Must Know.” As part of the sessions, Harold Browning of IFAS and ARS’ Calvin Arnold will give an overview of citrus research being conducted in Florida to address canker and greening. Specifically, they will cover the HLB pathogen, psyllid transmission, suppression techniques, guava, SARS and transgenic plant usage. The educational sessions are sure to be a rigorous affair so we thought we would lighten things up a bit at lunch on Thursday. Our keynote speaker will be Coach Terry Bowden. Bowden, formerly head coach at Auburn University and now a popular television commentator, is known for his entertaining, high energy presentations sprinkled with humorous anecdotes. Also on Thursday we’ll have a nice break for spouses: a cooking class with renowned chef Kyle Shaddix. Once again the Conference will host several events designed to strengthen the voice of the Florida citrus growers in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. The fundraisers include a fishing tournament, silent and live auctions and a golf tournament at the top rated Raptor Bay Golf Club. Expect a big prize for any holes in one! A special addition to this year’s agenda will be a celebration of Florida Citrus Mutual’s 60th Birthday with a dinner, DJ and dancing on Friday night. The party will include a program where we’ll honor Mutual’s history and share a few laughs together. This is an opportunity to celebrate Mutual’s heritage among friends, so please plan on attending. Registration forms have already been mailed the first week of March. But don’t worry if you haven’t received one: you can register and pay online at www.flcitrusmutual.com. We’re looking forward to a great event and I hope to see you there! Sincerely,
Mike
Michael W. Sparks is the Executive Vice President/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, the state’s largest citrus grower organization.
Column Sponsored By Florida Citrus Mutual