MEETING: 2011 Biodiesel Conference & Expo, orga- nized by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) at the Phoenix Convention Center on Feb. 6–9. About 1,100 attendees and 90 exhibitors participated — representing everyone from biodiesel producers and suppliers to fuel marketers and farmers.
CHALLENGES: In addition to the lingering economic downturn, last year NBB’s members faced the loss of a federal tax credit that, according to Chief Operating Officer Donnell Rehagen, “helped provide some demand and support for the biodiesel industry.” The tax credit was
restored for 2011, but the climate of uncertainty throughout 2010 presented a challenge when it came to marketing this year’s confer- ence simply because it falls so early on the calendar. “We had to create a lot of balance in all of our work for the conference,” Rehagen said, “so people receiving those promotions understood that we recognized the challenges facing our industry, but for our industry to continue to move forward there are things we need to do, and one of those things is to gather.”
Another challenge — not unique to this year — was NBB’s all-inclusive mem- bership, which represents “everybody in the supply
OPENING REMARKS: NBB CEO Joe Jobe urged attendees to “get back to business” at the eighth annual Biodiesel Conference.
chain,” Rehagen said, from farmers who grow soybeans to “biodiesel plants that will produce anywhere from 20 to 100-plus million gallons of biodiesel a year.” Rehagen said: “It’s a pretty big market, so it’s difficult to bring all those pieces together.”
INITIATIVES: NBB began promoting the 2011 confer- ence when registration went live last August — and it prioritized timeliness. “Each printed piece, each electronic communication,” Rehagen said, “was developed in the days right before it went out.” That allowed NBB to highlight how conference program- ming would address the tax-credit situation and other up-to-the-minute develop- ments, he said, and helped potential attendees “under- stand that we’re bringing the smartest, the brightest people to visit with them.” Those people included
Michael Shermer, found- ing publisher of Skeptic
magazine, who presented the opening general session. “As we’ve tried to make every- body aware of the benefits of biodiesel,” Rehagen said, “we feel there are those on the other side of the issue who are playing around a little bit with the science of the issue.” In addition to holding
the biodiesel industry to a high standard, that kind of programming helped NBB appeal to its member groups — as did specialized tracks for technical, regulatory, and marketing issues. “Across the board, between the three tracks, the general sessions — people who came could get in as deep as they wanted to,” Rehagen said. “And we also provided plenty of net- working times where the goal was to let people connect with each other and talk and do business.” n
— Christopher Durso
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.biodieselconference .org
Biodiesel
Conference & Expo
2010 Dallas
1,400 Q
Attendees 100 Exhibitors 2011 Phoenix
1,100 Q
Attendees Exhibitors 90 pcma convene April 2011 21