GEAPS Exchange took place in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, from February 25 to 28 Kansas City convention centre. The grain elevator and processing society held another successful event in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
With over 350 exhibitors at the show, Expo Hall – the atmosphere was truly buzzing from beginning to end. GEAPS announced recently they welcomed 3333 attendees overall, 364 exhibitors, from 45 US States and 20 Nations. The social and extremely educational event was prosperous and productive for all those wanting to create and maintain great business relationships.
Geaps, aka the Grain Elevator and Processing Society, are a professional association, a knowledge resource comprised of individuals working in the grain handling and processing industry.
The event included many different mixers and social events, and sessions took place in training rooms and the expo hall, showcasing trends and innovations in the industry, from operations to management. Innovation stations held throughout each day, talks and demonstrations on safety, grain operations and maintenance, as well as employee development help.
The itinerary was full of inspirational and informative talks and demonstrations. Sunday was opened with a keynote session from Dan Cnossen (Navy SEAL and 7-time Paralympic Medallist). Each day included a grain entrapment rescue demo in the expo hall that consistently gathered crowds. Tuesday closed with a closing celebration, including a talk from ‘Strongman’ Eric Moss (Author and World Record Holder).
“Exchange is an opportunity for all our exhibitors to tell their own stories about what new things they have. Our exhibitors take a lot of pride in their booths and really work to give our attendees a great representation of what they do and how they can be of service,” said Adrianne Fjerstad-Miller, GEAPS’ Conference and Expo Director.
“Yes, Exchange is about relationships and connecting with customers but it’s also such a wonderful opportunity for our exhibitors to showcase the best of themselves.”
It was standing room only when Kansas native Dan Cnossen delivered his keynote speech Sunday morning. Cnossen (ka-na-sen) is a true patriot, a Navy SEAL, a war veteran, a survivor, a Harvard graduate and Paralympian with the medals to prove it! His presentation was a wonderful way to begin Exchange.
The event featured four education tracks this year designed to meet the needs of grain professionals. Maintenance; Employee Development; Safety; and Grain Operations. Attendees packed training rooms as they were able to focus on one track or sample them all.
In addition to great education, GEAPS Exchange 2023 included an Expo Hall filled with technology and services to make grain operations safer and more efficient; education on the latest trends and best practices and social events that help reinforce business relationships.
Milling and Grain met with many new and familiar faces, including Essmueller, i-Grain, Vibrafloor, Tapco, and Vortex, among many more. We had the pleasure of talking to Johnny Wheat, President of 4B Components, who showed us around the companies new exciting Codaflex 1024. As well as being small and compact, this encoder can function to all three outputs, and is calibrated from the outside; a feature that will save a lot of time in the process and make operations much easier.
We also spoke to the new Chief Technology Officer for OPI Systems, Adam Weiss, who told us about the benefits of their Grain Moisture and Temperature Cable. OPI systems, a pioneer of digital cables since 1984, handles grain management solutions, and their moisture and temperature cable doesn’t have nodes pulling it down, working well to prevent harvest loss. OPI are currently rebranding, with a renewed focus on the US specifically.
Exchange 2024 is scheduled for February 24-27 back at Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, MO. Booth sales for the event open later this year, with registration opening later in the fall.
