One of the things that makes our work here at the National Biodiesel Board both unique and exciting is that we are never satisfied with the status quo. As the national trade association representing the entire biodiesel value chain, we continually strive to identify new opportunities to educate and engage stakeholders on the wide-ranging benefits of biodiesel. By sharing our clean-energy success story with diverse, targeted audiences, we increase awareness and support for America’s advanced biofuel, laying the foundation for industry growth.

NBB programs offer ample opportunity to make inroads with key allies, including through our communications, technical, sustainability, and state and federal affairs efforts.

New this year, NBB is proud to partner with several industry sponsors to offer five regional, one-day seminars designed to educate the supply chain about the benefits and opportunities surrounding biodiesel. We are offering NBB’s years of expertise at no cost to attendees in an effort to increase understanding of biodiesel’s place in today’s liquid fuels supply chain.

It is critical that those who handle, store, buy and sell biodiesel have a complete understanding of how the fuel can be leveraged not only as a cleaner-burning, renewable complement to diesel fuel, but as a means to increase market share and enhance an organization’s brand. Thanks to our sponsors, NBB staff and other industry experts are able to provide a comprehensive overview of all things biodiesel during these four-hour seminars, Exploring Biodiesel (XBX). 

We ask you to help spread the word and encourage participation in these educational events. The program is designed for fuel wholesalers, distributors, retailers, marketers, fleets, municipalities and other end-users who are interested in the operational, environmental and cost benefits of biodiesel. Our goal is to offer the most comprehensive biodiesel educational seminar available anywhere in the nation. 

The XBX series kicked off in Boston June 12 and the second stop was Philadelphia on July 18. The first two seminars drew strong participation from all sectors of the biodiesel marketplace. Initial attendee survey results were overwhelmingly positive, with the vast majority of respondents reporting that the seminar exceeded their expectations and indicating that they would likely attend an annual XBX event to stay updated on biodiesel.

At press time, the three remaining cities and locations are:

• Los Angeles | Aug. 7 | Long Beach Marriott

• Portland, Oregon | Aug. 9 | Billy Frank, Jr. Conference Center

• Cleveland, Ohio | Sept. 18 | DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown – Lakeside

You can find additional program details and register to attend at www.exploringbiodiesel.com.
Second, NBB recently launched our industry’s annual advertising campaign designed to educate key decision-makers, with a special focus on Washington, D.C. The launch, timed alongside our June membership meeting and D.C. fly-in, saturated the mid-Atlantic and D.C. markets with biodiesel education advertising that supports our advocacy efforts. This year’s “Innovation”-themed campaign includes highly targeted digital advertising videos and images, along with radio, print buys and a social media component continuing throughout the summer and into the fall. This is the eighth year of NBB leading a national advertising campaign, which year-after-year has been cited as a key component of our successful efforts to advance the industry. And our annual voter survey shows that the campaigns have increased awareness and positive impressions of biodiesel nationwide.

Finally, NBB’s technical team continues important outreach to OEM representatives from every market segment using diesel fuel to encourage approval of higher biodiesel blends. This includes on- and off-road transportation, heating oil, railroads, marine, power generation, and more. All segments currently approve at least B5, which could account for more than 3 billion gallons of total biodiesel consumption. And the vast majority of on-road vehicles support B20 thanks to decades of technical work by the industry.

An evolving and growing industry like ours must continually seize new opportunities. NBB is committed to developing educational programs that cultivate new allies and expand our reach to additional markets. These are just a few of NBB’s important outreach efforts that I believe will provide long-term benefits for our industry.

Donnell Rehagen
CEO
National Biodiesel Board