The world of agriculture is no stranger to competition. Advancing technology creates a need for cutting-edge products to amaze buyers and surpass opponents.

At Plugfest, friends and competitors alike come from around the country to put aside that competition and work together for the good of their customers. In a remarkably beneficial version of round robin, partners pair their new applicable tech to the machines that receive them, checking for communication problems and potential miscommunications. At the end of the conference, both those making the machines and those developing tech for them walk away with new data and an invaluable understanding of how to better their respective products.

Hosted twice a year by The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) in the spring and winter (in both Europe and North America), Plugfest serves as an interacting point between invention and efficiency. Fostering hundreds of working interactions between dozens of high-end manufacturers in a matter of days, Plugfest spearheads a uniquely customer-driven initiative within the industry. Nowhere else can a consumer be so sure that their pairing of technologies will work exactly as intended by the creators, because they’ve already paired it themselves.

Along with providing opportunities for testing, AEF fosters educational lectures and panels, designed to promote informational bridges and greater communal efforts in the world of agriculture. And though AEF membership is required to present, visitors can observe and are encouraged to attend.

Plugfest Spring 2018 will be held at the Embassy Suites Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, May 14-18. Those wishing to present must register with the AEF ISOBUS Database. Registration details can be found here. Presenters must also register any products they wish to showcase and test with the AEF ISOBUS Database.

The Embassy Suites Lincoln can be reached at 402-474-1111 or 1-800-EMBASSY for reservations, or here. For additional information, visit the Plugfest 2018 Announcement online.

For registration information, contact the AEF office at office@aef-online.org.

For more information on AEF, contact AEM Technical Director Mark Benishek (mbenishek@aem.org, tel: 414-298-4118).

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