Innovation – NCA 2017 Convention

The NCA’s 2017 Convention will focus on innovation, an imperative in the rapidly changing U.S. coffee industry. The meeting will feature keynote speakers who used innovative thinking and techniques to spearhead change in their professional endeavors. Innovation also suffuses the Convention’s extensive educational and networking programming. The meeting will take place on March 23-25, 2017 at the JW Marriott in Austin, Texas’s capital city. A pre-meeting training seminar – March 21-23 – will certify participants as Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQI) under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Keynoters

• Derreck Kayongo is a Top 10 CNN Hero who pioneered the Global Soap Project, which delivers re-processed soap otherwise discarded by hotels, helping thousands in the third world maintain disease-fighting hygiene. A refugee from the Ugandan genocide, Kayongo, CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, galvanizes audiences in TEDx talks by showing how the power of observation can identify and overcome challenges.

• Scott Dikkers

Scott Dikkers is the founder of renowned, farcical digital media company, The Onion, and one of Time magazine’s “Top 50 Cyber Elite.” He is known to captivate audiences with his cybernetic rags-to-riches story of turning a fake newspaper into one of the world’s most popular humor destinations. His books and films have earned him the Thurber Prize for American Humor, a Peabody, and 30+ Webby Awards.

• Scott Stratten

Scott Stratten is known for his disruptive technique of “UnSelling” to “engage” rather than “sell” to audiences. He speaks passionately to convince audiences to embrace the “age of disruption” and navigate viral and social media. Named one of America’s 10 Marketing Gurus by Business Review USA, he has written four best-selling books, including 1-800-CEOREAD’s “Sales Book of the Year.”

Programming and Events

The Convention also offers educational programs that dig deeply into current topics and issues confronting the industry. Special events also deliver quality networking, social and community service opportunities. First-time events include an all-attendee networking luncheon and special events for new members and young professionals. The Convention also houses a tabletop exhibition that combines the visibility of a trade show with an intimate setting conducive to one-on-one meetings with coffee executives.

Registration  

To register for the 2017 NCA Convention, and to secure your accommodations at the special event rate, visit www.ncausa.org. For more information, contact Thrisha Andrews at tcandrews@ncausa.org.