Arkansas Trucking Association Business Conference to take place in Rogers

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former White House press secretary, will be the featured speaker at the annual Arkansas Trucking Association Business Conference & Vendor Showcase in August.

The Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) will host its annual business conference Aug. 17-18 at John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, attendees will be required to wear masks. The annual event previously took place in Rogers in 2017 and included a celebration of ATA’s 85-year history.

Sanders will speak at 4 p.m. Aug. 18.

“We are excited about the opportunity to have a speaker of her notoriety and experience share stories about her time in the White House,” ATA President Shannon Newton said. “As she returns home to Arkansas, I anticipate our attendees are looking forward to hearing both personal anecdotes and lessons learned about communication, leadership and making decisions during times of crisis.”

The event also will include forums on the American Transportation Research Institute’s nuclear verdicts study and the impact of those verdicts on the trucking industry with remarks by ATRI President Rebecca Brewster; international trade with The Manzella Report host John Manzella; and economic updates and predictions from analyst Jack Atkins, of Little Rock-based Stephens Inc.

Interim Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero will speak about the Arkansas Department of Health’s role and responsibilities in working with the private sector during a pandemic and provide guidance for the trucking industry.

A panel discussion will take place Aug. 18 on Issue 1 that will come to a vote in November and would extend the existing half-cent sales tax for highway infrastructure improvements.

The two-day event is expected to have fewer attendees than in past years, and the layout will be more spread out. However, an attendance cap has yet to be set, Newton said.