Certified Angus Beef hosted its annual conference in Music City USA, aka Nashville, Tenn. Hardly anybody was singing the blues or crying in their beer at this show, though. With plenty of awards to hand out and record sales to boast about, it was filled with good news and big opportunities for the brand and its member companies to grow even more in the coming year. This year’s event was held September 27-29 at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

The show started off with the Sysco Corp. Mick Colvin Scholarship Classic at the Gaylord Springs Golf Course. For those who didn’t bring their clubs to town, there was a tour of Deer Valley Farm in nearby Fayetteville, Tenn. Deer Valley Farm was started by Dr. Fred Clark, who turned to ranching after years spent working as an engineer for the U.S. space program. The 5,000-acre farm is home to about 2,500 head of cattle, along with 2,000 acres of crops to feed them. One of the highlights of the bus tour was the chance to see a newborn calf take its very first steps.

The rest of the event was packed with enthralling speakers and, naturally, many fine dishes made with Certified Angus Beef products. Processors set up booths at the Taste Drive to showcase many of their most popular products, as well as their newest innovations. Industry experts discussed the latest trends in the retail and foodservice worlds. Futurist Anders Sorman-Nilsson advised attendees how they can win the digital minds and analog hearts of consumers. Steve Battista of Under Armour told the story of how the athletic apparel maker grew to become one of the industry’s powerhouse brands by crafting a message that connected with consumers. Rancher Mark Gardiner of Gardiner Angus Ranch delivered a powerful session about his family ranch and the terrible wildfires that struck his Kansas community. Rather than focus on the destruction from the raging fires that destroyed homes, fencing and whole herds, he spoke of the community spirit among the agricultural community. As the survivors were taking stock of the situation, farmers from across the country came with needed supplies to help the rebuilding efforts.

These photos show some of the highlights of the Cab Conference. For more information about the conference, read the news stories below.

Certified Angus Beef honors fabricator, processor stars

The Certified Angus Beef brand marks 11th consecutive year of record sales