The IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference announced its list of speakers for this year’s event, slated for June 26-27, at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, IA. The conference features two days of education and networking opportunities and offers a mix of panel discussions, executive outlook sessions and exhibits featuring technology providers and their latest offerings.

The conference theme is “Interconnectivity: The Power of Knowledge. Shared.” Beginning the conference is a panel discussion of suppliers discussing where the future of precision agriculture and data integration are headed. Presenters include Jerry Roell, John Deere, Paul Welbig, Raven Industries, Kelby Kleinsasser from Ag Integrated and Professor Kevin Price of Kansas State University. They will cover topics ranging from systems communications and data integration to data security to how drones could be a producer’s newest crop data tool.

Other sessions include a panel where producers and dealers discuss which technologies offer the best ROI and what they’re looking to do next, and a series of panels that follow the life-cycle of a crop year to create an integrated crop management system that utilizes all the data now available to producers.

“We are very excited to offer producers a chance to interact with thought leaders of the caliber in precision agriculture, the interconnected farm, and interconnected global markets,” says Raymond L. Bianchi, vice president of expositions, IDEAg Group. “The essential element to our conference is to show the producer or farmer how their investment in advanced technologies helps them hone their competitive edge and grow their bottom line.”

IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference is sponsored by Platinum Sponsors - John Deere and Slingshot by Raven and Gold Sponsor – AgIntegrated.

Exclusive to the IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference is a series of Agricultural Outlook Sessions, which include the keynote address by Dr. Michael Swanson, senior economist with Wells Fargo, a nationally-recognized thought leader sharing his insights on the interconnectivity of land, management and producer profitability. Joining Swanson in these Outlook Sessions include:

• Dr. Elwin Taylor, Iowa State University, who will show why we may see several more years of volatile weather – and with it – volatile swings in yields, along with a sidebar discussion on the new weather sensing stations being installed throughout Iowa.

• Jay O’ Neil, Kansas State University and O’Neil Commodity Consulting, emphasizes “The Interconnectivity of Global Demand, Uncertainty and Your Need to Manage Risk.” He will also cover what long-term strategies offer promise and how to manage for day-to-day success.

• Ken Eriksen, Senior Vice President, Informa Economics, will provide background research and valuable data about the “Interconnected Issues of Weather, Transportation and Logistics” all of which has an impact on pricing and profits. Eriksen is the leader of Informa's transportation and logistics services and works with major U.S. providers of transportation services and shippers.

The IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference is an educational forum that provides information and allows discussion on the complexities of our interconnected age. Audience members include producers, leading suppliers and technology manufacturers and allied industry leaders representing technologies that will be essential for an interconnected future.

To learn more about the conference and registration information, visit http://www.ideaggroup.com/ideag-interconnectivity.