Previously dubbed “Five Cities, One Vision,” the Exploring Biodiesel (XBX) regional seminar series has added two new cities to its coast-to-coast tour—Newport, Rhode Island, and Syracuse, New York. Organized by the National Biodiesel Board with funding from the Nebraska Soybean Board and Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, the XBX regional seminars are one-day programs designed to educate fuel wholesalers, distributors, retailers, marketers, fleets, and municipalities on the current benefits and opportunities surrounding biodiesel. 

The conference series will head to Newport, Rhode Island, as part of the Southern New England Energy Conference Sept. 24 at the Newport Marriott. For more information, or to register for the Newport event, click here.

Three days later, on Sept. 27, the one-day XBX workshop will make its final stop for the year in Syracuse, New York, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Syracuse Destiny USA. For more information, or to register for the Syracuse event, click here.

As to why additional cities and dates were added, Paul Nazzaro, XBX conference developer, president of Nazzaro Group LLC and petroleum liaison to the NBB, said the answer is quite simple. “Because the sessions, which are being touted as ‘practical,’ are hitting it out of the park,” Nazzaro told Biodiesel Magazine. “People love the simplicity, the comprehensiveness of the subject matter and they love following the story from production to consumption.”

The free sessions are practical in that they convey information that can help buyers and sellers of middle distillates, including biodiesel, have a positive experience. 

“Nothing [in the agenda] is over attendees’ heads, and many feel compelled to advise us they would like to see XBX be an annual event,” Nazzaro said. “I elected to do a modified program in Newport, Rhode Island, in concert with the Southern New England Energy Conference because it is a heavily attended heating oil dealer event. Immediately following Newport, we head up to Syracuse to wrap up the series with partner Mirabito Energy. Jason Mirabito, vice president of Mirabito Energy, was excited to assemble a large group of fleets and diesel fuel users to get the comprehensive story told one time at one place. We are excited about that event and already know it will likely be equally as successful as the prior events we hosted.”

The XBX series has already completed workshops this summer in Boston; Philadelphia; Long Beach, California; Portland, Oregon; and Cleveland, Ohio.

For more information on the XBX regional seminars, click here.