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The Society of American Business Editors and Writers fall conference will be held in September in Kansas City at the Kaufman Conference Center, and there are speakers no business journalist wants to miss.

On Monday afternoon, Sept, 8, T. Boone Pickens, (right) the Texas energy billionaire, will talk about his provocative alternative energy plan and his forthcoming book, “The First Billion is the Hardest.”

At noon Monday, Joe Hinrichs, Ford Motor Co.”™s group vice president for Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs, and the architect of Ford”™s changeover to more fuel-efficient vehicles, will talk about the importance of manufacturing and its relationship to technology development (R&D) in this country.

Hinrichs, who became the youngest vice president at Ford in 2005, is now focused on how to squeeze cost out of Ford’s manufacturing operations and better align its factories with growing demand for fuel-efficient cars and shrinking demand for trucks.

Other Monday highlights include a biofuel debate, blogging, Ag 101 for journalists, small business and health care, the truth about food safety, and the ethics of technology.

On Tuesday morning, Sept. 9, Hugh Grant, CEO of Monsanto Co., will speak on the agriculture giant”™s changing role in the era of biofuels, rising food prices and seed piracy.

Also on Tuesday, as previously announced, Duncan Niederauer, CEO, of New York Stock Exchange/Euronext Niederauer, former Goldman Sachs executive, rose to the top job in 2008 after the departure of John Thain. He”™ll address entrepreneurism and the economy. He”™ll speak at noon.

To find out more about the conference and to register, go here. The early bird registration has been extended to Aug. 8