Against the backdrop of the US Presidential election on November 5, 2024, this year’s edition of the US Industrial Pellet Association (USIPA) annual conference is already different. Indeed, the name is short and sweet – USIPA 2024 – and the graphics and coloring reflecting Miami sunrise, warmth, and perhaps a subtle nod toward better gender equity and representation within the industry.
The official program is available both on paper and in the conference app, the latter of which is certainly one of the best if not the best the undersigned has come across to date.
Integrated with the conference registration, and made available to registered attendees a week or so in advance, it is very intuitive – perfect for even the most analog and unsmart smartphone users such as the undersigned.
Beyond the panels and presentations, this conference is an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and build lasting relationships, writes Elizabeth Woodworth, Interim Executive Director of USIPA in the program’s welcome address.
Being held at the same venue as the 2023 edition, the changes to the layout keep a high people per sq. ft density, increasing the likelihood of (almost) physically bumping into someone.
The compressed agenda, two full conference days instead of two and a half seeks to address attendee dropout, an issue shared by most trade event organizers. The agenda itself is packed with intel goodies and highlights the thematic shift from industrial wood pellet production and export for power to other aspects, uses, and benefits.
To illustrate, a session on November 5 will present key findings of the 2023 Billion-Ton Report.
An observation is that Elizabeth Woodworth has already served as Interim Executive Director longer than the previous Executive Director. While recruitment is ongoing, under her interim tenure thus far, USIPA has grown with the addition of a Vice President of Global Policy who is based in Europe – timely with the European Commission’s proposal to postpone the implementation deadline of EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The challenges we face as an industry are complex, but together we can chart a path forward that ensures sustainability, innovation, and resilience for generations to come, continues Elizabeth Woodworth in the address.
And that is what the USIPA 2024 conference, on paper, and the floor is set to be all about.
