Mark your calendars for June 9-12 for the 2015 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Meeting and Research Symposium. This year’s event will take place in Biloxi, MS at the Beau Rivage Hotel and Conference Center. The theme for this year’s program is “Rebuilding a Cowherd.” Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Beef Cattle Improvement Association are co-hosting this year’s event.

The meeting will allow the research community and industry to meet and discuss issues surrounding the genetic improvement of beef cattle and for attendees to learn about technologies and management practices that can aid in the profitability of their operations.

Some of the topics to be covered include setting the stage for cowherd rebuilding, what sustainability means and why it matters, what sustainability data say about the beef industry, how current market incentives affect genetic selection, profitability: looking to an operation’s future, balancing novel and proven applications for female selection, cow lifetime productivity, and an adaptability panel discussion.

A link to online registration for the conference is now available. Early registration is offered at a discounted rate and ends April 15. Early registration cost to attend the full conference is $250. Day-only, student and media discount rates also are available. The meeting is approved for 14 CEUs for American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) members in attendance.