The American Horse Council (AHC) posted the registration details and tentative schedule for its annual Washington, D.C., meeting and forum, which will take place June 10-13, 2018.

“Let’s Capitalize On It!” will be the theme for this year’s National Issues Forum. The forum “will focus on ways the equine industry can learn and grow from both equine and outside industry segments, as well as expanding technology beneficial to both humans and equines,” according to a press release.

“We have some exciting and engaging speakers lined up to talk about a variety of issues such as public perception of an industry, emerging technologies that benefit our industry and our horses, how other sports segments grew their youth pipeline and of course a deeper dive into the results of our 2017 Economic Impact Study,” says AHC President Julie Broadway.

Luis Benitez, director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, will kick-off the forum by explaining how states can follow Colorado’s lead in dedicated Outdoor Recreation Industry offices. Afterward, a panel on recent data trends seen in the equine industry, as well as a panel on youth engagement, will follow Benitez.

Other speakers will include researchers Anne Poulson, Dr. Yuval Neria and Dr. Prudence Fisher from the Man o’ War Project and Columbia University Medical Center; Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; journalist Fran Jurga and congressional representatives.

The National Issues Forum will be Tuesday, June 12, 2018. Both AHC members and non-members are invited to attend the forum.