Special Events and Tickets
A complete list of special events is included on the registration form. Please indicate which events you would like to attend. There will be limited tickets available for sale on-site, so to ensure that you are included, please pre-register. Tickets are required for entrance to all fee events and will distributed on-site with your registration materials. Tickets for banquets and luncheons are non-refundable and no ticket exchange will be operated by AAEA.

Opening Reception
The Opening Reception (and sometimes also called the AAEA General Reception) of the AAEA Annual Meeting takes place annually on Sunday evening to celebrate the opening of the Annual Meeting. This event will follow the Fellows Recognition Ceremony and Keynote Address. This year, the Reception will begin at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 24. The Reception is free for all meeting registrants. Be sure that your guests are registered for the meeting! Although the reception is free, it is still a ticketed event, which means that GUESTS MUST BE REGISTERED in order to attend!

Awards Ceremony
Join your peers in honoring the achievements and accomplishments of AAEA members over the past year. In addition to the awards ceremony, this event will feature the AAEA Student Section's Academic Bowl. Awards will be granted in many areas of the agricultural economics discipline, including research, teaching, extension, policy, communication and other areas. Join us for the ceremony starting at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, 2004. There is no charge for the awards ceremony.

Fellows Recognition Ceremony
The 2005 Class of AAEA Fellows will be recognized on Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. with the Keynote Address immediately following the Fellows Recognition Ceremony. This leaves time during the rest of the meeting for all AAEA members to congratulate the winners of this year's prestigious Fellows title.

Tuesday Evening Clam Bake Dinner
Enjoy the best that the Rhode Island waters have to offer at the Tuesday evening Clam Bake Dinner. Cooked fresh under the stars you will enjoy a buffet of clams, mussels, lobster, little necks and chicken. Join your friends in the big white tent for a relaxing evening of conversation and great seafood. The event will begin with a reception at 7 pm and the buffet will be served at 7:30 pm. Price is $65.00 per participant.

An Evening in Newport
Newport charms its guests. Whether it's your first trip or your fiftieth, the legendary seaport--with its historic ambience, sailing heritage, classic architecture, and world-class hospitality--will welcome you, seduce you and leave you eager to return. Spend an evening with AAEA friends or on your own as you experience the shops, restaurants, historic sites and the seaport that is Newport. Transportation is only $20 per participant. Buses leave the Rhode Island Convention Center on Saturday evening at 5:30 and 6:30 pm and return at 9:30 and 10:30 pm, respectively.

Galbraith Forum Luncheon
The third annual John Kenneth Galbraith Forum Luncheon will take place at the 2005 AAEA Annual Meeting on Monday from Noon to 1:30 pm. The award is given annually to individuals who, like Galbraith, combine outstanding scholarly contributions with social and policy leadership. The winner last year was Nobel Laureate, Joseph Stiglitz, and this year's recipient is Professor Michael Porter from Harvard Business School. The award is given by the AAEA Foundation, and is part of the larger AAEA Foundation initiative commemorating outstanding agricultural economists who have made significant contributions to humanity through their leadership, research and achievements and is also part of the AAEA centennial celebrations.

Industry Banquet
The Industry Banquet is one of the highlights of the AEM Section Track. It provides an opportunity for networking with colleagues and hearing from an industry leader. The speaker this year will be Mr. David Warren, CEO of eMerge Interactive, who will discuss the challenges and opportunities in bringing new traceability and supply chain information technology to the agricultural market. His company is also the focus of the Graduate Student Section Case Study Competition, and he will be participating as one of the judges in the final round of that competition.

International Banquet
The International Banquet is part of the newly established International Section (formerly International Committee) track at the Annual Meeting. The event will give section members and other meeting attendees an opportunity to network and listen to a high profile speaker. Dr. Franz Fischler, former member of the European Commission responsible for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, is this year's International Banquet speaker. His speech is entitled "Future European Strategies for Agricultural Polices: Implications for International Trade."

CWAE and COSBAE Luncheon
CWAE and COSBAE are honored to have Dr. Clifton R. Wharton, Jr., Former Chair and CEO of TIAA-CREF and AAEA Fellow speak on the "Reflections on Diversity and Human Capital." Dr. Wharton's presentation ties in with the Track on Diversity in the Workplace. Dr. Wharton has been a Black pioneer. Among his previous pioneering positions are President of Michigan State University (1970-78); Chancellor of the State University of New York System (1978-87), and Chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation (1982-87). The son of a career Foreign Service Officer and Ambassador, Dr. Wharton has served six presidents in foreign policy advisory posts and in 1993 was appointed by President Clinton as Deputy Secretary, the second highest post in the U.S. Department of State.

CWAE Reception
The purpose of CWAE (Committee of Women of Agricultural Economics) is to represent women, reports on their status in the profession, and voices their concerns to the AAEA Board at the annual meetings. CWAE collaborates with other AAEA subcommittees and sections. Membership is only $10.

The CWAE Reception will immediately follow the CWAE business meeting. This year CWAE and the Graduate Student Section (GSS) will be co-sponsoring the reception with beverages and food. Come and join us for refreshments and libations. All are welcome.

Senior Section Breakfast
The Senior Section will have a breakfast/business meeting at 7:30 am on Monday, July 25. The cost is $5.00 reflecting a subsidy from dues and a grant from the Farm Foundation to help establish the Senior Section. Section activities include the development of a session(s) for the professional meetings, a special opportunity for social interaction with other seniors at the breakfast and a newsletter. All AAEA members, ages 55 or older, are invited to join members at the breakfast and to join the Senior Section. For further information, contact Les Manderscheid by e-mail or phone at 517.332.6307.

Extension Reception
The Extension Section will be holding its annual business meeting on Sunday at 2:30 pm. Following the meeting, a reception will be held for members and guests. The reception is co-sponsored by the Center for Farm Financial Management and Farmdoc. Please come and enjoy the fellowship with your colleagues.

Extension Luncheon
This year's Extension Section Luncheon is honored to feature Dr. Kathleen Merrigan. Dr. Merrigan is with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and is Director of the Center for Agriculture, Food, and Environment at Tufts University. The title of her luncheon presentation is: "Immigrant Farming in the Shadow of the City." The Extension Luncheon will take place on Tuesday, noon to 1:30 pm.