Youth News
More than 60,000 Expected to Crowd Into Downtown Indy for 2016 National FFA Convention and Expo
Thu, 13 Oct 2016 09:37:02 CDT
The 89th National FFA Convention & Expo will celebrate its first year of a nine-year commitment in Indianapolis beginning October 19. More than 60,000 FFA members and guests from throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are expected at this year's event, which runs through October 22.
The convention and expo will bring an estimated economic impact of $36 million a year. Attendees will stay in 135 hotels in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas.
Convention and expo events will take place at several venues in downtown Indianapolis and other locations. FFA members and advisors will meet in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where eight of the nine general sessions will be held. At the Indiana Convention Center, members can explore the expo or expand their minds by attending a variety of workshops or participating in educational and career success tours.
This year, the theme of the convention and expo is "Transform Purpose to Action," and the national officer team is excited to share this with all of those in attendance.
"FFA members transform their purpose into action by making their voices heard and by educating others on the importance of agriculture and growing our resources every day," 2015-16 National FFA President Taylor McNeel, a student at Southern Arkansas University, said. "During the convention and expo, we can learn from one another how we can continue to grow leaders, strengthen agriculture and build our communities."
The convention and expo will kick off with the National FFA Band leading a grand march down Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis on Wed., Oct. 19. The march will end at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and usher in the start of the opening session. Eight general sessions will be held in the fieldhouse. On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 22, the eighth general session will be held in Lucas Oil Stadium where American FFA Degrees, the highest degree for an FFA member, will be bestowed upon more than 3,000 members.
Throughout the week, convention and expo attendees will also be lending a helping hand to the greater Indianapolis area as part of the National Days of Service. Areas where students will be giving back to the community include Gleaners Food Bank, MapleLawn Farmstead, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Indy Read Books, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Woodruff Place Civic League and more.
Coverage of the 2016 National FFA Covention is being sponsored on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and on the BlueGreen Gazette by ITC, Your Energy Superhighway. Learn more about ITC Great Plains, LLC by clicking here. We also appreciate the support of the Oklahoma FFA Association and the Oklahoma FFA Alumni Association. Click here for more information about one of the top states in the US in the FFA- the Oklahoma FFA Association. Oklahoma FFA impacts the lives of 27,154 members in 357 chapters across the state, ranking fourth nationally in total membership.
The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 649,355 student members who belong to one of 7,859 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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