The blue jackets are here: FFA National Convention kicks off at expo center

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Tim Harris

An FFA band composed of students from Missouri wait outside Freedom Hall to have their photo taken.

Marty Finley

Reporter- Louisville Business First

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Blue jackets are marching on Louisville today as the National FFA Convention & Expo kicked off at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Business First staff photographer Tim Harris and I visited the expo center today to check out the convention's grand opening and meet some of the advisers and students in town.

As Business First reported yesterday, more than 60,000 visitors from across the country are descending on Louisville this week to attend the convention. I spotted the trademark jackets from numerous states during the visit, including Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Tennessee.

The jackets are the most visible sign of the convention, but they don't really reflect the representatives of companies, organizations and public universities who traveled to Louisville and set up booths at the convention — aiming for the attention of thousands of young people attending convention events.

The convention, which started today and runs through Saturday, has an estimated economic impact of $40 million for restaurants, hotels and other area businesses. But, as I learned, not every chapter in town is staying overnight.

While I was waiting for media credentials, I spoke with Christy Blauvelt, who was there in a supervisory role with the Miami Valley Career Technology Center FFA chapter in Clifton, Ohio. There are about 200 students in the FFA Chapter there, 86 of whom were in Louisville today.

The group was hustling to its destinations because the chapter was here for only one day. Although they were unable to check out many of Louisville's attractions, the group did venture out to the Louisville Zoo, Blauvelt said.

Marty Finley covers economic development, commercial real estate, government, education and sports business.