AEM member company representatives and staff joined a record-setting gathering of 70,000 attendees from across the United States in Indianapolis, Indiana, last week for the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo.
The four-day event brought FFA youth leaders from nearly 9,000 chapters – representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands – together to advance the shared goal of driving change and influencing how the world grows.
“AEM is proud to participate in this year’s FFA Convention and support an organization so committed to developing the next generation of leaders and advancing a bright future for agriculture,” said AEM Senior Vice President Curt Blades.
The week’s convention festivities kicked off Wednesday afternoon with a sold-out General Session at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. The high-energy session included remarks from Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, the presentation of state flags and performances by the FFA National Band and Chorus.
The four-day event also featured several other notable highlights, including:
- National Days of Service
- FFA For All Experience
- FFA Celebration Breakfast
- The Student Showcase stage
- Competitive FFA events
- Delegate events
- Student and teacher workshops
- Career success tours
- Award recognition ceremonies
Check out a few photos from this year's 96th National FFA Convention & Expo:
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In addition to representing the equipment manufacturing industry and the customers it serves in Indianapolis this week, AEM and its members work to champion the efforts of FFA through the activities of the association’s FFA Fan Group. Led by AEM Agriculture Services Director Austin Gellings, the group is comprised of member company representatives who work together to accomplish a number of goals aligned with AEM’s support of FFA, including:
- Helping foster collaboration between FFA chapters and other ag organizations
- Highlighting FFA alumni and showcasing how involvement in the organization helped advance their careers
- Identifying and recruiting AEM members to engage with FFA
- Building a network of individuals to represent the organization at events like this week’s FFA Convention in Indianapolis
“There are so many ways to give back, and it’s through our ongoing work as an FFA Fan Group that we’ll be able to find ways to help others connect with the organization in a meaningful way and – ultimately – make a considerable difference in fostering greater engagement with FFA and supporting the development of the leaders of tomorrow,” said Gellings.
For more information on AEM’s support of FFA and the association’s FFA Fan Group, contact AEM’s Curt Blades at cblades@aem.org or AEM’s Austin Gellings at agellings@aem.org.
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