USA
March 10, 2015

To kick off 2015, Bayer CropScience attended the annual POTATO EXPO (Jan. 7 – 9 in Orlando, Fla.), North America’s largest conference and trade show for the potato industry.  As an exhibitor and platinum sponsor, the Bayer team had the exciting opportunity to demonstrate the power of the potato and engage with emerging leaders all while networking with international potato stakeholders.

At the POTATO EXPO, we showcased our commitment to the potato industry on the trade show floor with a number of exciting initiatives: 

• Through our Share the Spuds giving campaign, attendees helped us decide how to allocate our $10,000 donation to support the Society of St. Andrew’s produce salvage programs: Potato & Produce Project and the Gleaning Network. By dropping a token into one of four buckets representing key U.S. potato-growing regions, attendees selected the Mountain region as the winning region, and it will receive $5,000. The Eastern region will receive $3,000, followed by the Central region and Pacific region, each of which will receive $1,000.
   
• Booth visitors could experience an alternative power source: potato electricity. Expo attendees charged their electronic mobile devices at a 9-by-4 foot charging station powered by nearly 1,000 potatoes.  Watch this short video to see the potato charger in action!
   
• Along with fellow panelist Steve Gomme from Syngenta, I took part in a conversation surrounding biologic- and biopesticides-based compounds during the “What's New in the Development of Biologics and Biopesticides" registrant panel. The expo registrant community answered poll questions regarding biologics and biopesticides in the potato industry, while Steve and I provided our thoughts on the future of biologics and the role they play in integrated crop protection solutions.  

As a platinum sponsor, we were also able to participate in POTATO EXPO events beyond the Bayer booth:

• We were the main sponsor of the Hootenanny Hangout, a whimsical night full of live music, regional foods and refreshments, an interactive photo booth and more! To welcome each guest, we handed out Bayer branded portable phone chargers so they could “Experience the Electricity,” no matter where they went.
   
• Finally, as a part of our ongoing commitment to “Leave a Better World,” we joined Spudman Magazine in honoring this year’s Emerging Leader Award recipient, Andy Robinson, and recognizing the potato industry’s next generation of leaders at the National Potato Council Banquet.

All in all, it was wonderful to see attendees engaging with our product managers and sales representatives and learning more about our commitment to provide potato growers with necessary solutions for their growing season. We’re already looking forward to POTATO EXPO 2016 in Las Vegas next year! 

Website: http://www.bayercropscience.us

Published: March 11, 2015