When the FFA Blue Room launched at the 2018 National FFA Convention & Expo, it was an instant hit. Attendees waited in lines circling the building for a chance to get an exclusive look at the latest innovations from key industry players.
“It was limited because it had to be because of the physical space we were in,” says Kate Wehby, an education specialist with the National FFA Organization who coordinates the FFA Blue Room. While a small space invited one-on-one conversations integral to the experience, it meant a cap on both people and time.
That changed with 2020. The FFA Blue Room, like convention, went entirely online — and that’s where it will stay. Instead of a game of luck to see if you can get a spot in the FFA Blue Room, it’s a video game that anyone with login credentials can play. “Thousands more were able to experience it,” Wehby says, bringing the FFA Blue Room closer than ever to its mission of exposing everyone to the future of ag tech.
Here’s a snapshot of what’s inside.
1. Future of agriculture
This is the big one. The primary goal of the FFA Blue Room is to “connect from now to the future,” Wehby says. “In general, ag is hugely tech-driven,” she adds, so sponsors and speakers will showcase their latest STEM advancements. (See “Who’s Inside?” at right.) This year, that includes innovations in recyclable plastic food packaging, radio-frequency identification (RFID) animal tracking, soil health and clothing fibers. A separate “Innovation Station” will spotlight the work of notable start-ups and young companies.
2. Urgency for sustainability
The services presented highlight how to protect and maximize resources. “We want students to ask, ‘OK, what do I do?’” Wehby says. The FFA Blue Room can show them it might mean choosing a different career or developing an aptitude for a certain technology, she adds.
3. Virtual adventure through the value chain
Set up like a 3D video game, each virtual booth of the FFA Blue Room is a step on the agriculture value chain: starting with research and development, then to preproduction, production, supply chain, end product, sales, service and support, and ending with the consumer. Sponsors will have displays inside
the section their companies serve, and you’ll be able to snag rewards for completing games and activities they offer.
4. Expanded career ideas
By listening to and interacting with various speakers, “You could discover a career you didn’t even know was connected to agriculture,” Wehby says. Some students have even discovered new ideas that have led them to explore a different career path or a cool new internship.
5. Innovative classroom experience
“Our goal is to make the FFA Blue Room an evergreen tool” that teachers can use year-round, complete with comprehensive lesson plans, Wehby says. Minus live functionalities, such as Q&A sessions, the virtual experience will remain open for any educators who want to bring this piece of convention to their classroom.
Visit Convention.FFA.org/The-Blue-Room for the most up-to-date FFA Blue Room offerings.
WHO’S INSIDE?
The 2021 FFA Blue Room is sponsored by Microsoft. Other companies presenting their latest and greatest include:
- AEM
- BASF
- Bayer
- Cargill
- Elanco Animal Health
- Firestone Ag
- General Mills
- John Deere
- Merck Animal Health
- Sealed Air
- Syngenta
- Valent
