RFA packs Fuel Ethanol Workshop with networking and learning events
RFA turned FEW into a policy-and-networking hub, with St. Louis sessions on E15, the RFS, carbon markets and 45Z alongside heavy attendee draw.
The Renewable Fuels Association is packing the 2026 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in St. Louis with a June 2-4 schedule built around policy, technical problem-solving and relationship-building. Geoff Cooper said FEW is in RFA’s backyard, a fit for an association that has served the industry for more than 45 years and wants the show to sharpen knowledge, strengthen ties and keep the ethanol sector moving.
Why St. Louis matters
The 2026 event marks the 42nd annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, and BBI International continues to bill it as the largest and longest-running ethanol event in the world. The homecoming angle is real: BBI says the first FEW was held in St. Louis in 1984 with between 38 and 40 attendees and no exhibitors, while the event has grown from 188 attendees and 13 exhibitors after BBI took ownership in 1995 to more than 2,500 attendees and nearly 400 exhibitors today.
That growth is part of the story RFA is leaning on this year. The association is using the show to underline how much more complex the business has become, from blending and policy implementation to carbon management, feedstock strategy and rail safety. FEW also keeps its global reach, with BBI saying it typically draws industry professionals from every U.S. state and more than 30 countries.
A full networking slate on the show floor
RFA is treating the workshop as more than a stage program. On Tuesday morning, June 2, the association scheduled a Women’s Pilates Power Hour, followed by a luncheon for members of the Veterans for Renewable Fuels initiative and an RFA Member Reception at 2 p.m. The format makes clear that networking is not an afterthought at FEW, it is part of the agenda.
When the trade show opens Wednesday, June 3, at 11 a.m., St. Louis Cardinals legend and Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is set to appear at the RFA booth, No. 901. Later that afternoon, RFA’s Young Professionals Network is set to gather with ag-focused social media influencer Laura Farms, who is also scheduled to stop by the booth at 4:30 p.m. to talk about her work educating new audiences about American agriculture.
The booth strategy shows how RFA is trying to stretch the industry conversation beyond its core audience. Veterans, young professionals and social media-led outreach all point to the same pressure point, the sector needs to keep building its talent pipeline and public case while policy debates get more complicated. A private reception for RFA’s Board of Directors rounds out the association’s closed-door agenda.
Where the technical and policy talks land
RFA’s onstage lineup is aimed squarely at the industry’s current decision points. Robert White, RFA senior vice president for industry relations and market development, is scheduled for the Tuesday morning Ethanol 101 session with a presentation titled “Turning Policy into Market Reality: Insights from Two Decades of U.S. Ethanol Development.” That framing reflects the sector’s central challenge, translating federal and state policy into actual gallons, blending demand and project economics.
White is also set to return to the main stage Wednesday afternoon for a discussion on California’s ethanol market, one of the most important state-level demand centers for the fuel. Troy Bredenkamp, RFA senior vice president for government and public affairs, is slated to join the executive roundtable during Wednesday morning’s General Session, where the policy discussion is expected to track the latest fights over year-round E15, Renewable Fuel Standard implementation, carbon markets and 45Z clean fuel tax credit rules.
### Technical sessions tied to plant performance
RFA’s technical slate is just as pointed. Tad Hepner, RFA vice president for strategy and innovation, is set to moderate a Wednesday afternoon panel on “Optimizing Fermentation Performance Through Sorghum Utilization,” a reminder that feedstock flexibility remains a live commercial issue as producers look for ways to manage margins.
Justin Schultz, RFA director of environment, health and safety, has two separate sessions focused on plant risk. He is scheduled to present on “Low-Probability, High-Consequence Events in Ethanol Plants and How to Actually Prevent Them,” then return Thursday afternoon for “Loadout and Shipping: Reducing Non-Accidental Release Risk at the Ethanol-Rail Interface.” Those topics track the operational pressures that continue to matter in a mature industry, especially as terminals, rail logistics and incident prevention sit closer to the center of the conversation.
### Co-located events widen the focus
The 2026 program also layers in co-located events that broaden the workshop beyond conventional ethanol production. FEW’s agenda includes the Sustainable Fuels Summit for SAF, renewable diesel and biodiesel, the Carbon Capture & Storage Summit and the Ethanol 101 Summit. That mix reinforces how ethanol companies are now operating in a wider low-carbon fuels ecosystem, not a standalone market.
The expo schedule itself is tightly packed. The grand opening and welcome reception are set for Tuesday, June 2, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The expo runs Wednesday, June 3, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with dedicated expo time and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., then finishes Thursday, June 4, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What RFA is signaling about 2026
RFA’s broader message entering FEW is that U.S. ethanol producers are operating in a dynamic and ever-changing industry with unprecedented opportunities ahead. That message is not abstract, it is anchored in the policy fights and market openings now shaping the business: year-round E15, RFS implementation, carbon markets and 45Z. The organization’s presence across networking events, technical sessions and policy discussions shows where the pressure points are in 2026, and where the next gains are likely to be made.
The return to St. Louis gives that agenda an added layer of symbolism. FEW started there, the industry has scaled dramatically since, and RFA is using the 2026 show to argue that ethanol’s next phase will be decided by how well the sector connects policy, carbon intensity and market access to the practical realities of plant performance and exports.
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