It’s time for my first Livestock Marketing Association annual meeting and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. I’ll begin my coverage tomorrow with the opening general session and continuing through Saturday when the auctioneer championship competition ramps into high gear. I’ll be sharing lots of photos, interviews and other media content throughout the event.

Taking a look ahead at the schedule, we’ll get to hear from Alabama Governor Robert Bentley during the opening session. Then we have an afternoon of workshops before an evening reception in the industry showcase and LMA PAC auction. Friday it’s back to business with the LMA Board and Membership meeting. In the afternoon I’ll be on the team doing the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship interview competition. After that we will have party time hosted by the Montgomery Stockyards. Saturday is the big day of the 50th Annual World Livestock Auctioneer Championship which will be kicked off by Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture John McMillan.

For the world champion auctioneer title, 31 semi-finalist auctioneers will be competing. The interview competition can be viewed live on www.LMAAuctions.com starting at 2 p.m. (CST). The Saturday, June 15, auctioneering competition at Montgomery Stockyards begins at 8 a.m. (CST) and is a live sale where the contestants auction cattle to actual bidders in the seats. The auctioneering competition will also be broadcast live on RFD-TV starting at 8 a.m. (CST), as well as streamed online at www.LMAAuctions.com.