AgWired

I would dare say that Alltech is one of the most multi-media savvy companies I’ve worked with and I’m sure it’s because of the talent the company has invested in. I’m just proud to be working alongside them here in Lexington at their Symposium in my own little way.

As an example of one thing they’re doing that is just plain “cool,” is the digital signs positioned around the convention center.

In the photo you can see an avatar of a real person (Liz Broomall, Alltech intern) who greets and talks to participants as they wander around the exhibits. I’m going to try to interview her about the project later.

Post Update: I did interview Avatar Liz and you can listen to her describe the project here: alltech-symposium-08-liz.mp3

This morning the latest video in the Alltech YouTube account is one that features highlights from the opening sessions yesterday:

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

One of the challenges of holding an international educational symposium is language. We wish everyone spoke English but that’s just not the case.

So here at the Alltech Symposium you’ll find very talented translators in booths at the back of each session room.

I’m not sure how many translators are working here but with separate concurrent session rooms for dairy, poultry, beef, equine and aquaculture and multiple ones needed for each, it’s quite a few.

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

This evening Alltech treated Symposium attendees to Kentucky Night which is far different than the formal International Dinner of last night. We’ve gone from opera to cowboy bbq and buffalo.

These are two Irish agricultural journalist friends posing in front of where the buffalo were roaming out at Alltech ranch.

The international group had some beautiful weather for Kentucky Ale and steaks and a good band.

Tomorrow it’s back to business with more seminars and and an afternoon session with a former U.S. Sec. of Ag.

The Symposium photo album has almost 200 photos in it now.

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Dr. Pearse Lyons is the founder and the President of Alltech. This is his show and it is quite a show. I’ll have more on that later.

I think I heard someone say there were less than a hundred people at the first Alltech Symposium. The fact that we’re near 1,700 here is a testament to how well marketing by education has worked for him.

Speaking at the opening general session this morning he addressed the theme of the Symposium, The Greenest Generation, head on. While a lot of people are expressing dismay and concern about the challenges of feeding the world at the same time as we reduce our impact on the environment by such things as the production of biofuels, he sees this as a time to step up to the challenge. I think it’s interesting to see how a company like Alltech handles the issue of food vs. fuel since it has customers on both sides. I like his approach to talk about how we’re going to solve things instead of worry about what might happen, “if.”

The photo is courtesy of Alltech photographer Tim Webb.

Alltech Symposium Photo Album