New York (Dec. 5, 2016) – The National Coffee Association (NCA) today formally announced its 2017 Annual Convention lineup. The Convention spotlights the power of “Innovation” with three visionary keynoters whose out-of-the-box thinking eyed opportunity where others couldn’t and turned it into great humanitarian and business successes. This same kind of innovative thinking echoed further in the Convention’s educational sessions, is what will put the industry ahead of a changing business environment.
“It’s a particularly challenging time to be in the coffee business, with pressures coming from new legislation, volatile markets, sustainability concerns and complex regulatory changes,” said William (Bill) Murray, NCA President & CEO. “We design our Convention programming to give industry members the knowledge and perspective they need to turn those challenges into business-boosting opportunities.” The meeting will take place on March 23-25, 2017 at the JW Marriott Austin in Austin, Texas. In line with the NCA mission, the convention – its 106
th – is the only coffee event that brings together all industry sectors.
Also planned to precede the meeting – on March 21-23 – is a 2.5-day Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PCQI) training program, leading to the PCQI certification required by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
Keynoters
Derreck Kayongo
Derreck Kayongo CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, is an accomplished orator who pioneered the worldwide Global Soap Project, wowed many with his TEDx talk listeners as he traced his rise from Ugandan refugee to civil rights icon and successful entrepreneur, and earned the distinction of being named a Top 10 CNN Hero. His Global Soap Project is a groundbreaking effort that recycles discarded bars of soap from hotels and processes them for distribution to disadvantaged populations around the world – now spanning 5,500 hotels in 90 countries. His story is a compelling and courageous one of survival, discovery, and humanitarianism, and he is known for galvanizing audiences with his approach of using the power of observation to identify issues and effectively solve challenges.
Scott Dikkers
Scott Dikkers is the founder of the groundbreaking, farcical digital media company, The Onion. He is known to captivate audiences with the unlikely story of starting a fake newspaper with friends and turning it into one of the world’s most popular humor destinations, with millions of readers and social media followers. His accomplishments have earned him a spot among Time magazine’s “Top 50 Cyber Elite,” alongside figures like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and George Lucas. His books and feature films have earned him the Thurber Prize for American Humor, a Peabody and over 30 Webby Awards.
Scott Stratten
Scott Stratten is a branding and relationship expert whose concept of “UnSelling” zeroes in on engaging customers, rather than “marketing” to them. He is a leading expert in helping audiences understand how to embrace the “age of disruption” and navigate their way through viral and social media and the ever-changing relationship marketing landscape. He has written four best-selling books, the newest being “UnSelling: The New Customer Experience, named “Sales Book of the Year” by 1-800-CEOREAD.
Stratten has also been named one of America’s 10 Marketing Gurus by Business Review USA.
Programming and Events Rounding out the Convention educational program are in-depth sessions devoted to current topics. They include sustainability, market research findings, science-based regulatory issues, crop diversity efforts, commodities market developments and directions in the U.S. economy.
The Convention’s special events provide quality networking, social and community service
opportunities. Networking is on the agenda at several special receptions – events for new members and young professionals, the welcome, farewell and theme celebrations, and the first all-attendees networking luncheon. Kicking off the meeting will be the NCA Day of Service, now an important staple of each NCA Convention, to demonstrate the industry’s volunteer commitment to the city in which it is meeting. The Convention also features a table-top exhibition, a format that combines the benefits of a trade show with one-on-one meetings with coffee executives.
Registration
Registration for the NCA 2017 Convention, “Innovation,” opens today, with early bird rates available through January 11. Accommodations at the special event rate are available at the JW Marriott Austin by calling 844-473-3959 and mentioning the National Coffee Association or NCA.
About the National Coffee Association
The National Coffee Association of U.S.A, Inc. (NCA), established in 1911, is the leading trade
organization for the coffee industry in the United States. NCA is the only trade association that
serves all segments of the U.S. coffee industry, including traditional and specialty companies. The majority of the NCA membership, which accounts for over 90% of U.S. coffee commerce, is comprised of small and mid-sized companies and includes growers, roasters, retailers, importer/exporters, wholesaler/suppliers and allied industry businesses. NCA offers a wide array of services, focusing on market and scientific research, domestic and international government relations, issues management and public relations, and education. The NCA's core purpose is to champion the well-being of the U.S. coffee industry within the context of the world coffee community.
Posted on: 2016-12-08 10:22 PM 
