What Leadership Development Events Are
Leadership Development Events (LDEs) are the FFA contests built around speaking, meeting skills and presentation rather than judging plants or animals. A Nebraska chapter's contest page describes them as helping members prepare for agriculture careers by showcasing skills in public speaking, parliamentary procedure and demonstration. They are separate from Career Development Events (CDEs), which test technical knowledge.
The Path to State
That same chapter page explains that members compete at district-level LDEs to qualify for the State FFA Convention in the spring, and that each district may qualify three students or teams per event. Questions about district contests go to your district's FFA Board Representative, and your ag teacher handles chapter entries.
State Dates and Places
State LDEs are held during the Nebraska FFA Convention in Lincoln. The 2026 convention ran March 25-27, and the 98th convention was reported to host 7,957 members, advisers and guests, with general sessions at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Nebraska CDE site lists the next convention dates as March 31-April 2, 2027, so expect LDEs in that window; confirm the exact LDE schedule with your advisor once it is published.
The 2026 convention schedule shows how the days were laid out. Every event had morning prelims and afternoon finals.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
- Conduct of Chapter Meetings - Embassy Suites.
- Ag Demo - Sandhills Global Event Center.
- Cooperative Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, Natural Resources Speaking, Senior Public Speaking - The Cornhusker hotel.
- Employment Skills - Embassy Suites.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
- Parliamentary Procedure, Creed Speaking, Junior Public Speaking - The Cornhusker.
Friday, March 27, 2026
- Agricultural Literacy Speaking and Discovery Speaking - The Cornhusker.
Events You Will See Listed
Chapters list these LDEs on their contest pages: Cooperative Speaking, Creed Speaking, Employment Skills, Extemporaneous Speaking, Junior Public Speaking, Natural Resources Speaking, Senior Public Speaking, Agricultural Demonstration, Conduct of Chapter Meetings, Parliamentary Procedure, Agriculture Literacy Speaking, Discovery Speaking, People in Agriculture Poster Event and Quiz Bowl. Not every one of these appeared on the 2026 state convention schedule, so ask your advisor which events are offered for the year you are competing.
In broad terms:
- Individual speaking events (public speaking, creed, extemporaneous, cooperative, natural resources, agricultural literacy and discovery) test how well one member prepares and delivers a message.
- Team events (Parliamentary Procedure, Conduct of Chapter Meetings and Ag Demo) test how a group runs a meeting or presents together.
- Employment Skills is built around the job-seeking process.
Your advisor and the current event rules will give the exact format, time limits and scoring; those details change by year and are not covered here.
Recognition
The 2026 convention included an Individual Events State Qualifiers Breakfast, where bronze, silver and gold ratings were awarded and the top six golds were recognized on stage. A Team Events State Qualifiers Lunch recognized bronze, silver and gold finalists, with the top eight golds in Parliamentary Procedure and Conduct of Chapter Meetings and the top six teams in Ag Demo recognized on stage. A Middle School LDE Award Ceremony presented middle school bronze, silver and gold awards, so younger members have a place too.
The Convention Around the Contests
LDE families should know the contests are one part of a big week. The 2026 convention, themed "Step up. Stand Out!", also featured leadership academies and workshops, the Nebraska FFA Foundation Expo, tours of agricultural facilities, keynote speakers, retiring addresses from the State FFA Officer Team, and six general sessions, including one that awarded more than 900 State FFA Degrees. Contest recognition is part of the program, so families who travel to Lincoln for an LDE will find plenty else to see.
Because prelims and finals happen on different parts of the day, and venues are spread across downtown, build in travel time between hotels and the arena, and keep your event number and room assignment handy.
Getting Ready
- Talk to your advisor early in the school year about which LDEs your chapter will enter.
- Find your district's contest dates through your FFA Board Representative.
- Practice in front of real audiences: chapter meetings, civic clubs, classroom visits.
- Download the current rules for your event and the National FFA handbooks at ffa.org, such as the Parliamentary Procedure handbook, for team events.
- Plan for early prelims: the 2026 schedule had several events starting at 8:00 or 9:00 am.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a CDE and an LDE?
CDEs test technical agricultural skills such as livestock evaluation or agronomy. LDEs focus on speaking, meetings and presentation.
How many students can a district send?
The chapter contest page says each district may qualify three students or teams per event.
Where is the state LDE held?
In Lincoln during the Nebraska FFA Convention, at hotels and venues near downtown in 2026 such as The Cornhusker and Embassy Suites.
Are there events for middle school members?
The 2026 convention included a Middle School LDE Award Ceremony. Ask your advisor which middle school events are offered.
Nebraska Listings Covered by This Guide
- Nebraska FFA Leadership Development Events
State FFA speaking contests including Parliamentary Procedure, Creed Speaking and Junior Public Speaking, held with prelims and finals at The Cornhusker hotel in Lincoln. Held each year; the most recent date was March 26, 2026.
333 S 13th St, Lincoln, NE | Organizer: Nebraska FFA Association Official event details
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.