February 11-14, 2007 Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Tucson, AZ
This event will address the crucial business issues facing the producers and users of sweeteners.
| Saturday, February 10 | |||||||||
| 3:00 - 5:00 pm | Registration | ||||||||
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| Sunday, February 11 | |||||||||
| 8:30 - 10:15 am | SUA Board Meeting | ||||||||
| 10:00 am - 12:30 pmAnd 5:00 - 8:00 pm | Registration | ||||||||
| 11:00 am - 5:00 pm | Golf Tournament Play will take place on the Canãda championship golf course at the Hilton El Conquistador (ranked as one of the best golf courses in Arizona). | ||||||||
| 3:00 - 5:00 pm | International Guests' Special Briefing (Invitation Only) | ||||||||
| 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Reception Sponsored by: New York Board of Trade | ||||||||
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| Monday, February 12 | |||||||||
| 7:00 am - 12:00 Noon | Registration | ||||||||
| 7:30 - 8:30 am | Session I — Breakfast and Keynote Address
Is ethanol tipping the sweetener sector into a new paradigm? Has it already happened? Dr. Sergio Trindade is one of the world's foremost experts on ethanol. He has done extensive work on the subject for the governments of Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, and Thailand, and major corporations in Brazil and Mexico, U.S. and The Netherlands. Come hear an expert's overview of the impact of ethanol in the domestic and international fructose and sucrose markets.
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| 8:30 - 9:45 am | Session II — Supply and Demand
Is the bull dead or just resting? Sugar markets affected by acts of nature and government policy were wild through most of 2005/06 and then calmed down a bit as the year drew to a close. But plenty of risks remain — from the worldwide diversion of sugarcane to make fuel ethanol, to the unfolding integration of the U.S. and Mexican sugar and corn sweetener markets, to the ever-present uncertainty of how weather and governmental actions will affect crops in Brazil, India, China and other key countries. Our experts will fill us in on how 2007 is likely to unfold.
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| 10:00 - 11:30 am | Session III — The Future of the Sweetener Industry
What will the North American caloric sweetener sector look like three or four years from now after integration of the U.S. and Mexican markets, a new Farm Bill, the ethanol boom, tougher competition from high-intensity sweeteners, changing consumer preferences and further rationalization of capacity? This panel of industry experts will gaze into the crystal ball and suggest what the future may hold.
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| 11:30 am - 12:30 pm | Session IV — Administration of the Sugar Program
A year-and-a-half after three hurricanes threw the sugar market into turmoil, how is the sugar program working? What is the outlook for future decisions on price supports, marketing allotments and tariff rate quotas? How will the U.S.-Mexico sweetener agreement affect sugar program operations for the remainder of the current farm bill?
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| 2:00 - 5:00 pm | Tennis Tournament | ||||||||
| 6:00 - 7:00 pm | Session V — Happy Hour with Nick Kominus, Editor, The Dyergram Few people have as much experience in the sugar industry as Nick Kominus. Relax, have a drink(s) and listen to a 45-year veteran of sugar take a historical view of the industry and tell some good stories. | ||||||||
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| Tuesday, February 13 | |||||||||
| 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | Registration | ||||||||
| 9:00 - 10:15 am | Session VI — Dead or Alive? What's the Status of the World Trade Organization Doha Development Agenda Negotiations?
The United States had offered a 60% reduction in its amber box subsidies, which included its domestic sugar program, but a number of WTO members wanted the U.S. to cut more. This was one of the sticking points that lead to the suspension of the Doha negotiations. Former U.S. trade negotiators will forecast what will happen next. Will Doha be revived? Is the sugar program on the chopping block? Is there a possibility that our trading partners will challenge our sugar program?
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| 10:45 am - 12:00 pm | Session VII — Balancing Food and Energy
Paradigm shift or fad, biofuels are attracting attention and capital investment. Hear our expert panel discuss the potential consequences of the rush to this new energy source, including food costs and potential disruptions of the food ingredient supply chain; environmental, natural ecosystems, water utilization, and climate change; availability of energy, costs of government subsidies, and the net energy; efficiencies conversion to food crops to energy crops; and U.S. and world sugar markets.
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| 12:00 - 12:45 pm | Golf & Tennis Awards Luncheon | ||||||||
| 1:00 - 2:15 pm | Session VIII — The U.S. - Mexico Transitional Agreement: Are these Two Sweetener Markets Going to Be Fully Integrated when the Clock Strikes Midnight on December 31, 2007?
Come hear our experts opine on the progress of integrating these markets and discussion of the next steps. What pitfalls should be expected or have the stars finally aligned for the NAFTA dream of free sugar trade to become a reality?
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| 2:15 - 3:30 pm | Session IX — More Free Trade, More Sugar!
The Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement is almost in full effect and the free trade deals with Peru and Colombia have concluded. What do more trade agreements really mean for the sugar program? Is the sugar program really under pressure? Come hear from trade experts as they analyze the current and future status of our domestic sugar market.
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| 3:30 - 3:45 pm | Break | ||||||||
| 3:45 - 5:00 pm | Concurrent Session X-A — Alternative Sweeteners: What are the Latest Developments and the Future of this Alternative World?
Sugar has been around for centuries, but technology is opening the door to many new sweetener options. Our panelists will give you the complete lay of the land of how alternative sweeteners are being used today and what is on the horizon. Splenda, HFCS, polyols and much more will be discussed during this informative session.
Concurrent Session X-B — Food Ingredient Market Outlook Man does not live by sugar alone. It takes a lot of other ingredients to make the full complement of food and beverage products on today's menus, and the markets for these ingredients are quickly affected by the latest change in the weather, in energy prices, in governmental policies or in a host of other factors. Come and get the latest expert opinions on how grain, oilseed and dairy markets will evolve during the 2007 Farm Bill year in this hands-on session for purchasing managers.
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| 6:00 - 7:30 pm | Reception | ||||||||
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| Wednesday, February 14 | |||||||||
| 7:30 - 8:30 am | Session XI — Coffee with...Charlie Cook
Hear from one of the nation's top election analysts, Charlie Cook. He will provide an in-depth analysis of Senate, Congressional and Gubernatorial races, along with a look ahead at 2008 and the practical impact of the elections on the White House and Congress. Charlie Cook is the publisher of The Cook Report and a political analyst for the National Journal Group (where he writes weekly for National Journal magazine and CongressDaily AM) and for NBC News.
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| 8:30 - 10:00 am | Session XII — Farm Bill
Non-traditional interests have ambitions to revamp the Farm Bill, but many commodity groups are well pleased with current programs. In the absence of a world trade agreement, will Congress choose the status quo or move toward big changes? This session will look at broad farm bill themes and specific sugar policy options.
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| 10:00 am | Adjournment | ||||||||
The deadline to secure a room is Tuesday, January 16, 2007. We have secured a large block of rooms, but once all the rooms have been reserved, we cannot guarantee that additional space will be available.
Reservations will be confirmed if accompanied by one night's room deposit or with a major credit card. Check-in time is 3:00 pm, and check-out time is 12:00 pm.
Appropriate Attire Casual resort attire (ties are not required) is appropriate during the day. Sport jackets are appropriate for most activities during the evening. Ladies will be comfortable in resort casual wear dresses or slacks for daytime, dresses or dress pants for the evening. The temperature will range from the mid 60's to mid 70s during the day and to the low 50's at night. Please make sure to bring a sweater or jacket for the evenings.
If you have any questions, call IDFA's registrar at 202-220-3557.