July 17-18, 2012,
Tuesday-Wednesday
USDA APHIS, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 20737

Please join the USDA, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the 2012 Agriculture Stakeholder Conference: Pests, Pathways, and Partnerships.

The purpose of this two day conference is to discuss the future of Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) initiatives and to garner input on how CBP and APHIS can better serve stakeholder needs.  This conference will bring together diverse stakeholder groups representing the animal product, plant product, and shipping industries as well federal and state regulatory officials to engage in an open dialogue centered on pest exclusion efforts and trade facilitation. 

Invited speakers:

• Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Rebecca Blue *
• Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector, Douglas A. Smith
• APHIS Administrator, Gregory L. Parham *
• Acting CBP Commissioner, David V. Aguilar
• PPQ Deputy Administrator, Rebecca A. Bech,* and
• Acting CBP Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Kevin K. McAleenan *

* Confirmed

Draft Agenda

Registration Information:

Regitstration is now full. A mandatory registration fee of $40 USD per person must be paid in cash the morning of July 17 at check in.

We will be offering a Live Web Cast on the day of the conference for those unable to attend (see below for more details).

For more information regarding registration please contact Melonie Torillo at (301) 851-2269 or Melonie.J.Torillo@aphis.usda.gov.

Lunch:
Lunch, including morning and afternoon break service, will be included as part of the registration fee.  Dietary restrictions should be clearly indicated on the registration form.

Hotel Information:
Rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn in Greenbelt, MD under the name USDA-PPQ Stakeholder Meeting.  Reservations can be made directly by calling 301-982-7000.   Please make your reservations by June 18, 2012 to receive the group rate of $129.00 a night which includes complimentary breakfast buffet.  The hotel will provide shuttle service to and from the USDA APHIS building in the morning and evening each day.  Parking at the hotel is free.

The Baltimore/Washington International Airport is approximately 30 miles from the Holiday Inn.  Taxi service is available at the airport or you can make a reservation with the Super Shuttle at 1-800-258-3826 or by accessing their website http://www.supershuttle.com/

            Holiday Inn Greenbelt Maryland
            7200 Hanover Drive, Greenbelt Maryland 20110

Facility Information:
The APHIS facility in Riverdale is a secure government facility.  Conference participants will be required to register with security using a valid government ID (driver’s license). All visitors must be escorted by APHIS staff while in the building. 

Travel and Parking:
The APHIS headquarters building at 4700 River Road is ½ mile from the College Park Metro.  A free shuttle from the metro operates between 6:00-8:45AM and 3:00-6:30PM. Parking is available at the building for a nonrefundable fee of $5.00 per day.  View information on the shuttle route and schedule.

Live Web Cast:
We are offering a live webcast on July 17 and 18 for all interested stakeholders unable to attend the 2012 Agriculture Stakeholder Conference. To access the webcast, participants will be asked to sign on to Windows Live Meeting using the link and instructions provided below. To receive audio feed please use the call in number provided.

Please Note:

• The webcast will occur in real time on July 17 and 18 starting at approximately 8:00 AM and ending at 5:00 PM. No recording of the meeting will be made available; however meeting notes will be posted online following the conference.
  
• The webcast will time out during scheduled breaks.
  
• The webcast will NOT be interactive. No questions or comments will be taken from webcast participants.
  

Windows Live Meeting:
To join the meeting please click on the “Join the Meeting” link below and follow dialog box instructions on how to install and set up Windows Live Meeting on your computer. Join the meeting.

Audio Information:
Telephone conferencing [Note: all phones must be on mute during the conference]. Use the information below to connect:

• Toll-free: +1 (888) 858-2144
  
• Participant code: 3970735

First Time Users:
To save time before the meeting, check your system to make sure it is ready to use Microsoft Office Live Meeting.

Troubleshooting:

1. Unable to join the meeting? Follow these steps:
   Copy this address and paste it into your web browser:
   https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usda/join
   
2. Copy and paste the required information:
   Meeting ID: NFC2F2
   Entry Code: 6Wf/*/*MF
   Location: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usda

If you still cannot enter the meeting, contact support

Notice
Microsoft Office Live Meeting can be used to record meetings. By participating in this meeting, you agree that your communications may be monitored or recorded at any time during the meeting.

Contact Information:

Nicole Russo                                              
Chief of Staff                                                 
PPQ Plant Health Programs                       
301-851-2159                                               

Dianna Bowman
Acting Deputy Executive Director
CBP Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison
202-344-1728