Approximately 250 delegates rendezvoused in Long Beach, Calif., this week for the U.S. Grains Council’s 11th International Marketing Conference and 54th Annual Membership Meeting. Headquartered at the Hyatt Regency just a block from the boardwalk of the nation’s second busiest port, the winter annual meeting was three days of meetings, speakers and conversation dedicated to developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives.

While California’s sunny Mediterranean climate beckoned outside,the real action was indoors, as the Council’s Advisory Teams tackled dozens of issues preparatory to developing the USGC’s Unified Export Strategy for Fiscal Year 2015. From biotechnology to trade negotiations to market development strategies in key countries around the world, the A-Teams provided the expertise and strategic guidance that keep the Council ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing international marketplace.

A keynote address by IBM’s Dr. Bob Sutor on cutting edge technology trends … discussions of logistics and a review of current developments in China … and detailed market assessments from the Council’s international directors were among the highlights. Martin Fraguio, executive director of MAIZAR, Argentina’s corn and sorghum association and a partner in MAIZALL, offered a South American perspective on the challenges facing corn exporters today. The Council paused also to pay tribute to Dr. Owen Newlin, whose leadership over more than 40 years has been second to none in establishing and maintaining the status of the United States as the world’s most reliable supplier of feed grains.

This edition of Global Update touches on a few of the highlights from Long Beach. It is also a reminder to mark your calendar today for the Council’s summer gathering, the 55th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting, which will be held in Omaha, Neb., on July 28-30, 2014. We hope to see you there!

Click here to view photos from the Council’s winter annual meeting.