More than 230 U.S. Grains Council (USGC) delegates from across the United States are gathering in Sarasota, Florida, for meetings to assess existing programs and develop marketing strategies for the upcoming year.

The 13th International Marketing Conference and 56th Annual Membership Meeting is a once-a-year opportunity for USGC members from across the grains value chain to assemble as a group and discuss the organization’s global efforts directly with the Council’s international staff.

USGC Advisory Teams (A-Teams), which provide guidance and set priorities for the Council’s international operations, will meet over two days to review 2016 strategies and compare notes about the global grain trade.

The full group will also gather Monday for a general session and Wednesday for a business meeting and update from Council leaders.

“As a member-led organization, our delegates provide critical guidance to USGC leadership and staff who carry out our programs around the world,� said USGC Chairman Alan Tiemann. “Meeting together each year is critical to helping us identify new opportunities and priorities in a rapidly changing environment, which we then translate into the Council’s operational plans for the coming year.�

Attendees will learn about how the upcoming presidential election may impact the global grain trade; the status of trade policy priorities and their importance to U.S. grain sales; and about the world grain markets from the eyes of Argentine partners in MAIZALL, the international maize alliance.

The Council’s winter annual meeting will conclude with Wednesday’s session focused on the Council’s operations, with the USGC Board of Delegates and Board of Directors holding business meetings.

More about the ongoing annual meeting is available online at http://grains.org/news-and-events/events/13th-international-marketing-conference-56th-annual-membership-meeting or on social media using the hashtag #grains16.