The 2014 gathering will be held in New Bern, February 20-22.
The conference theme, 'Navigating Currents of Change', focuses attention on how aquaculture fits into emerging consumer markets.
The keynote speaker will be Debbie Hamrick, director of specialty crops for the NC Farm Bureau Federation.
Ms Hamrick has tracked macro-trends affecting consumer spending and agriculture, including urbanisation and the role of millennials as economic drivers. Her address will cover topics such as how to position farm-raised fish into a market dominated by urban consumers, and how to use metrics to determine future demand.
Ms Hamrick is an influential figure in North Carolina's booming local-foods sector. She has served on the statewide Local Sustainable Foods Advisory Council, the North Carolina Catch Board, the aquaculture conference board, and also advises more than a dozen specialty-crops organisations.
Prior to joining the Farm Bureau, Ms Hamrick spent nearly 20 years with Ball Publishing and was the founder of FloraCulture International magazine.
A preconference workshop on aquaponics will be offered on Wednesday, 19 February. The conference programme opens with tours of fish farms and facilities on Thursday, 20 February.
General presentations and the popular AquaFood Fest, featuring ample quantities of the state's finest farm-raised fish and shellfish, will be held Friday 21. The agenda concludes Saturday, 22 with concurrent workshops on the resources available to succeed in freshwater and marine aquaculture.
The conference will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel New Bern Riverfront at 100 Middle Street in New Bern, N.C. Registration and event details are available at www.ncaquaculture.org.
For additional questions, email Cathy Smith at cathy_smith@ncsu.edu.
