b'CSTA /SEEDINNOVATION.CA / REGISTER NOW FOR OUR VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETINGWERE GOING VIRTUAL IN MORE WAYS THAN ONEITS A YEAR OF firsts, and as our indus- format. The committee meetings will take place in the try embarks on the creation of thestyle of a podcast, with an overarching theme of Past, National Seed Organization (NSO),Present, Future. were doing something else weveWeve already kicked off our podcasting adventure never tried before. with the first episode of The Kernel, CSTAs new podcast Our 97th annual meeting will takeseries. We view this as the beginning of a new way of place online for the first time ever.serving members. Even once our regular in-person meet-While we are disappointed not toings continue we will continue to use the digital realm to connect with our members in personcommunicate with our stakeholders. in Winnipeg as planned, we look for-ward to offering our annual business Lauren Martin,meeting and committee meetings Manager,virtually this year.Government andTaking place July 15, the first half Industry Relations of the meeting will feature remarksHOW DO YOU GO ABOUT TURNING AN ANNUAL from President Georges Chauss and CSTA staff members, alongMEETING FROM SOMETHING PEOPLE KNOW AND with the usual approvals of minutesLOVE INTO A NEW, UNTESTED FORMAT?and finances. The second half of the meeting will focus on the Seed Synergy Collaboration Project, outlin-ing the next steps and answering member questions.It was a hard decision to cancelIts already bearing fruit. Weve had a great response to our in-person meeting. At the time ofour virtual meetinga lot of new names are popping up coordinating the event, we werenton the registration list. People who dont usually attend sure how the pandemic would playour regular meetings are coming out for the virtual ver-out. Would things be back to normalsion. This can only help us to get more people interested Kristen Hendricks,by July? Should we proceed with plan- in their industry and get more involved in it.Executive Assistantning the Winnipeg meeting or cancel?Perhaps most importantly, this could be our last and Meeting Planner We bit the bullet and cancelled,annual meeting as the Canadian Seed Trade Association. deciding it would be in everyonesAs we move closer to the formation of the NSO, this vir-best interests to hold a virtual annualtual meeting could go down in the history books as the meeting. But how to do that? How dolast meeting of the CSTA.you go about turning an annual meet- We hope youll join us for this momentous event! ing from something people know and love into a new, untested format?CSTAs committees have always been a hallmark of the annual meet-ing. Since this years AGM will take place online, there is an opportunityRegister for the CSTA Virtual Annual Meeting atto host more committee meetingsseedinnovation.ca/agm2020/than usual, and in a more accessible 32GERMINATION.CAJULY 2020'