Tampa Bay on the First Day

Well, all the preparation and excitement has all come down to this- the 2007 Commodity Classic in Tampa, Florida. I can’t explain how glad I am to be here, enjoying beautiful weather and a great atmosphere, while leaving all the winter weather behind. In fact, on my way to the airport extremely early this morning (before 5 a.m.), I heard on the radio snow could be headed Missouri’s way tomorrow. I know Iowa is supposed to get some more as well, and after the bad winter storm that hit recently, many Iowa residents are still trying to recover. Also on my way in, we ran into a hailstorm. So, needless to say, I was glad to finally touch down in Tampa Bay and see gorgeous weather with sunny skies.

As soon as I got to Tampa, I decided to head over to the Convention Center, which is where the majority of the events for this year’s Classic will be held. I actually have a perfect view of the Center from my hotel room, which is pictured above.
When I got to the media room, I met Bob Callanan, Communications Director for the American Soybean Association. He was very helpful with getting me registered, and while he was helping me get squared away, we were talking about his involvement with Commodity Classic and what kind of preparation goes into an event like this. With a total of 5,000 people expected, I can’t even imagine what goes on behind the scenes. So, I did an interview with Callanan to not only talk about the preparation involved, but to provide you background information on what the Commodity Classic is all about. He has been with ASA for 13 years and has been helping with Commodity Classic for 11 years.

This is a picture of a yacht I could see from my hotel room. I just added this in for your viewing pleasure. And that little circle on the back – yes, that is a hot tub. So, I may go try to find the proud owners of “Just Lucky II” and see what they do for a living, because whatever it is, I think it might be my calling.