Staying a step ahead of a changing world is an unending challenge. That’s the job of the U.S. Grains Council, and the Council’s Advisory Teams (A-Teams) will be a key part of that effort at the Council’s 10th International Marketing Conference and 53rd Annual Membership Meeting Feb. 11-13, 2012, in Charleston, S.C.

“Our long-time members know what to expect,” said USGC President and CEO Tom Sleight. “But we want to be sure that our new members, who don’t already serve on an A-Team, take full advantage of the meeting to become familiar with this key aspect of the Council’s work.”

In Charleston, the A-Teams will meet with the Council’s U.S. and international staff to review strategy, assess new market developments, and set course for the new year. A-Team deliberations, in fact, will be the lion’s share of the Charleston agenda.

The A-Teams have a full plate. Key issues include the impact of the drought and rising competition on U.S. export markets; the continuing effort to improve international acceptance of biotechnology; trade policy barriers in many markets around the world; and membership and communications initiatives.

But new members who do not yet serve on an A-Team should not feel left out. “New delegates are strongly encouraged to observe the A-Team discussions,” Sleight said. “This is the chance for new members to get involved in the discussion, and figure out where they would like to serve in the future.”

The A-Teams are appointed by the Chairman for two year terms and are composed of delegates who have submitted an application expressing interest in a particular area. Applications for next year’s Team appointments will be going out shortly after the Charleston meeting.

“Don’t leave Charleston without a plan,” Sleight concluded. “Although new appointments won’t be made until the next Chairman takes over, it’s never too early to start identifying areas of interest.”

The Council currently has six A-Teams, for Asia, the Rest of the World (ROW), Trade Policy, Biotechnology, Value Added, and Membership & Communications.

Click here to register for Charleston. Additonal information on the meeting can be found at www.grains.org.