Annual Meeting 2024
April 14-16, 2024
We have an exciting agenda planned for this year’s event including a keynote from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Capitol Hill visit and an exclusive tour at the EU Embassy.
Our current working agenda includes the following:
Sunday - April 14
1:30 -4:00 p.m. - Smithsonian Behind the Scenes Tour of Agricultural Exhibits
Meet at the entrance at 1300 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
6:00 p.m. - Dinner
New Heights Restaurant - 2317 Calvert St NW, Washington, DC 20008
This will be an informal gathering of those who are in town. NAAJ will pay for drinks and appetizers, and dinner is pay-on-your-own.
8:00 p.m. Fireside Chat with Clarisa Diaz, interim executive secretary-treasurer at the Cosmos Club lobby
Monday - April 15
Cosmos Club
2121 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. - Reignite your regulatory watch: Insights from top Biden administration officials
Ron Snyder, EPA ag advisor (confirmed)
Robert Bonnie, USDA undersecretary (confirmed)
Jim Jones, FDA deputy commissioner of human foods (invited)
9:45 - 10:45 a.m. - AI, automation and emerging technology impacting food
Walt Duflock, Western Growers senior vice president innovation
Richard Hung, Assistant Director, Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics team, U.S. GAO
Peter Liebhold, former Smithsonian historian
11:15 - 11:45 am Farmer Goes To Washington: Pennsylvania farmer Bill Beam
12 p.m. - Lunch
12:30 Lunch Keynote Speaker USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (confirmed)
1:30-2:30 p.m. - Farm to Fork: How Sustainability and ESG is transforming the food industry
Mike Aquino, International Dairy Foods Association, director ESG
Dan Christenson, PepsiCo senior director of government affairs
Eric Mittenthal, Meat Institute chief strategy officer
2:30-4:30 p.m. - Business Meeting
6-9 p.m. - Networking and Awards Reception
National Press Club - First Amendment Room and Holeman Lounge
Awards will start at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 16
Capitol Hill press conferences - SVC 214
10 a.m. - Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman, R-Ark.
11:00 a.m. - Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
11:30 a.m. - House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa.
JUST CONFIRMED!
12:30-2 pm - The EU Embassy is preparing an exclusive NAAJ press event as part of our annual meeting with the newly appointed EU Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė including a tasting of EU food and drink specialties on April 16, from 12:30 to 2 pm. Please make your travel arrangements accordingly. (More information below)
Food Tasting and Press Briefing on European Union’s “More than Food” Initiative
The Delegation of the European Union to the United States invites members of the media to a food tasting and press briefing on the campaign “More than European Food and Drinks, Savoring Stories.”
European Union Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė introduces the three-year campaign that seeks to promote agricultural food and beverage products from the European Union in the United States. The campaign highlights the immense variety, diverse and rich nature of ingredients and agricultural products as well as the common food and farming standards that guarantee authentic, high quality, sustainable and safe products all over the world. The EU is the third largest supplier of agricultural and agri-food products to the U.S.
Please join us at the EU Delegation (2175 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037) on Tuesday, April 16 at 12:30 p.m. The program includes:
Welcome drink
Opening remarks from EU Ambassador Neliupšienė
Presentation of the “More than Food” communication campaign
EU food and drink tasting
Rooms May Still Be Available
Reserve your room today at the Cosmos Club located at 2121 Massachusetts Ave, NW Washington, DC 20008. Standard rooms are available for $205/night. Mid-size rooms are available for $275/night or large rooms for $350/night. Please call the Cosmos Club directly at 202-387-7783 or email fd@cosmosclub.org and request to book in the NAAJ 2024 group block. This rate is available until March 13, but rooms may still be available.