If you were unable to make it to the 2008 Trends In Agriculture fall meeting, now is your chance to hear what you missed!

Audio presentations from Trends In Agriculture are now available for download at http://payment.nama.org/trendsaudio.html.

If you attended Trends In Agriculture, you received an email with a special coupon code to download the presentations at no charge. If you did not receive the coupon code and did attend the Trends meeting, please contact Kathi Conrad at kathic@nama.org for the coupon code.

The deadline for submitting nominations for the Agribusiness Leader and NAMA Marketer of the Year awards is January 15, 2009. Both awards will be presented at the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 15-17 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Agribusiness Leader of the Year
The Agribusiness Leader of the Year is NAMA’s highest honor. The award honors an outstanding leader in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas. Nominees do not need to be NAMA members.

Fill out the nomination form on-line now at http://www.nama.org/awards/agribusinessform.htm. Or download the Agribusiness Leader Nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/agbusapplication.pdf.

NAMA Marketer of the Year
NAMA recognizes its active members with senior management of marketing and/or sales responsibilities with the NAMA Marketer of the Year award. This award is the most prestigious honor awarded to an active member of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing directly to ag producers. Nominees MUST be NAMA members.

Fill out the nomination form on-line now at http://www.nama.org/awards/namamarketerform.htm or download the NAMA Marketer of the Year nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/mktrapplication.pdf.

See the Hot Ideas and Sizzling Solutions of 2008 by attending a regional or chapter Best of NAMA Event near you.

Region II
January 8, 2009
Boulevard Brewery

Join your peers and clients to see what takes home the hubris in this year’s Best of NAMA Region II competition. Toast the winners and pat yourself on the back for a job well done at Boulevard Brewing Company – one of the Midwest’s finest brew houses. It’ll be a night to remember – even if you have a big head in the morning.

Boulevard Brewing Company
Thursday, January 8, 2009
2501 Southwest Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64108

Cost is $65 per person – Please register by Dec. 29

A block of rooms is being held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center, 2345 McGee Street. The room rate is $109. Call 816-421-1234 to make your reservations. The Hyatt Shuttle will be available to take those staying at the Hyatt to and from the Boulevard Brewing Company.

The hotel cut-off date is December 29, 2008.

Region III
January 15, 2009

The Region III Best of NAMA Ceremony will take place on January 15, 2009, at the Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston, IA. Cost for the event is $65.

A block of rooms has been secured at the Stoney Creek Inn. To book a room, call 1-800-659-2220. Make sure you mention NAMA to receive the $89 discount rate. The hotel cutoff is January 1, so if you need a room be sure to make a reservation quickly.

Reception at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Awards at 7:30 p.m.

Stoney Creek Inn
5291 Stoney Creek Ct.
Johnston, IA 50131

Region IV
January 22, 2009

The Region IV Best of NAMA ceremony will take place at the Chicago Marriott Northwest, 4800 Hoffman Blvd., Hoffman Estates, IL 60192.

Reception 6:00 p.m.
Dinner 7:00 p.m.
Awards 8:00 p.m.

Cost is $75 per person – please register by January 8.

For hotel reservations, call the Marriott at 847-645-9500. Please mention NAMA to receive the special room rate of $129. The hotel cut-off date is January 8.

To register for a regional Best of NAMA Event, please visit: http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/register.htm.

Carolinas/Virginia
January 22, 2009

Please join us on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at North Carolina’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designed restaurant, Mez Contemporary Mexican Restaurant, as we toast another great year of “well done” local campaigns. Our Best of NAMA Regional winners will be announced and we’ll cheer on those advancing to the national awards ceremony.

Agenda Thursday, January 22, 2009
5:30 pm Registration and Networking Reception
6:15 Dinner
7:00 Program
9:00 Adjournment Target

Location
Mez Contemporary Mexican Restaurant
5410 Page Road
Durham, North Carolina

Cost
$60 members — Early Registration
$70 members — At the Door
$70 guests

To register online visit, http://payment.nama.org/carvir.html.

Midsouth
January 27, 2009

This year, we have reserved a suite at the FedEx Forum for all of us to enjoy a Memphis Grizzlies game!

Instead of the usual, we thought an entertaining outing would be more fun, with the focus not on the awards, but on each other. So, please make plans to join us as the Grizzlies take on the Denver Nuggets, Tuesday, January 27.

We’ve reserved one of the great suites at the Forum and will be serving food and beverages before and during the game. Plus, we’ll have our local winning NAMA entries on display.

The FedEx Forum is located at:
191 Beale Street
Memphis, TN 38103

RSVP for this event will be sent in January.

The 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 15-17, is already heating up. Here’s your chance to learn hot ways to use new media … develop stand-out creative … connect with new markets … ensure ROI.

Don’t miss some of the leading minds in marketing and business:

Scott McKain, Vice Chairman, Obsidian Enterprises, author of What Customers REALLY Want and a new book:
The Collapse of Distinction
As founder of one of the fastest growing companies in the United States, Scott McKain knows what drives business. A two-time best-selling business author, he travels the world sharing insights on enhancing client loyalty and improving revenue for visionary organizations.

Andy Cohen, Founder, Exposed Brick, and author of Follow the Other Hand
Innovation in Marketing: Challenge Assumptions
Andy Cohen wears many hats: global advisor, educator, motivational speaker and magician. But his hat, as the founder of the award-winning agency Exposed Brick, is what makes him a hot pick for NAMA. Andy empowers global brands, including American Express, Pfizer and Nestle, to think differently and create innovative solutions.International Speaking Sensation
David Okerlund
Managing the Margins of Greatness
Get ready to see a champion. David is one of the top three winners of the World Championship of Public Speaking, a contest that includes 20,000 contestants from over 45 countries. You’ll be entertained and motivated from one of the nation’s leading orators.

To register for the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference in Atlanta visit http://nama.org/amc/register.html

Every year at the Agri-Marketing Conference, professionals involved with selling products and services into the agricultural marketplace gather to explore the latest in techniques, trends and practices.

In 2009, the conference will be held in the beautiful, newly renovated Atlanta Marriott Marquis, conveniently located in Peachtree Center. If your target audience includes agrimarketers, you can’t afford to miss the 2009 Connection Point.

In today’s world of voice mails and e-mails, the Connection Point offers a unique opportunity for face-to-face contact. Something every business can use!

Research shows a single, personal sales call can cost $500 or more. In some industries—such as ag—that can go much higher, both because of technical expertise needed and because the market is so geographically dispersed. Your participation in the Connection Point will enable you to make sales calls much more economically!

And it is a sales opportunity. In a recent study, 91% of respondents ranked trade shows as an “extremely useful” source for product purchasing information and nearly half had purchased products or services at a trade show.

What happens in the trade show?

Receptions
On Wednesday, April 15, immediately after the Best of NAMA Ceremony, the Connection Point opens with a Celebration Reception. The Thursday evening reception offers attendees the chance to unwind after a full day of conference activities.

Lunch & Refreshment Breaks
On Thursday, April 16, lunch will be served in the Connection Point as well as refreshments during the afternoon break, offering additional opportunities to mingle.

Drawings
Prize drawings at the end of each session (four) and a grand prize drawing at the Thursday evening reception help encourage conference attendees to leave business cards at booths in the Connection Point. A bingo activity during Thursday’s luncheon helps generate additional booth activity.

Virtual Trade Show
As an exhibitor at the Connection Point you will also be featured as an exhibitor in the Virtual Trade Show at no additional charge. Trade show attendees can determine where you will be located and find out more about your organization before the event. Simply e-mail a brief description, company logo and a link to your website to kathic@nama.org. . .we take care of the rest!

Connection Point Hours

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Best of NAMA Celebration/Trade Show Grand Opening

THURSDAY, APRIL 16
12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Luncheon
3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Break
5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Closing Reception/ABEF Silent Auction

For more information on the Connection Point visit http://nama.org/amc/ts/connection.htm.

To sign up for booth space now visit http://nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm.

Note: Exhibitors who sign up for a booth by February 4 will receive a complimentary registration for NAMA’s February 5th webinar on Maximizing Your Trade Show R.O.I. with Scott Hanna, Skyline Displays.

We are looking for companies to put some sizzle into the Agri-Marketing Conference by becoming a sponsor!

There are many different sponsorships available. Companies with marketing budgets of all sizes can participate. The higher your support, the more benefits you’ll receive….Platinum Plus, Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze. In addition, you can get more company visibility by claiming one or more of the sponsorship opportunities. These opportunities are available on a first come, first serve basis, with first right given to last year’s sponsor.

Please review the benefits and opportunities of sponsorship at the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference and confirm your interest by filling out the online sponsorship form at http://nama.org/amc/sponsor/form.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at (913) 491-6500 or e-mail to jennyp@nama.org.

VINCENT HOFER IS EIGHTH K-STATER SINCE 1986 TO WIN A RHODES SCHOLARSHIP

Vincent M. Hofer, Franklin, is one of 32 winners nationally of a Rhodes Scholarship. Hofer is K-State’s eighth Rhodes winner since 1986.

“All of us at K-State are thrilled and overjoyed that Vincent Hofer received a Rhodes scholarship,” said K-State President Jon Wefald. “We are delighted that Vincent will have an opportunity to represent K-State for two years at Oxford University. Any time any university can boast of having a Rhodes scholar, it is something very special for that university. Such a win speaks to Vincent’s academic abilities and also to the quality of education he received from K-State faculty.”

Hofer, a 2008 graduate in agribusiness, works for U.S. Senator Sam Brownback in Washington, D.C., as a legislative correspondent.

“The Rhodes will give Vincent the chance to pursue Latin American studies and Development Studies at Oxford University, one of the top universities in the world,” said James Hohenbary, assistant dean for nationally competitive scholarships. “Having gotten to know Vincent through the application process, I am convinced that he will make excellent use of this opportunity. Not only an outstanding student and leader in his career at K-State, he has a great work ethic, intense intellectual curiosity, and a deep concern for the welfare of others. I am thrilled to see him recognized in this way.”

After completing graduate studies, Hofer plans to pursue a career in international development. At K-State, Hofer received the Anderson Award for Outstanding Leadership, and as chapter president, he was instrumental in leading the K-State National Agri-Marketing Association team to back-to-back wins in national competition.

Other leadership offices he held at K-State include president and vice president of the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Club, vice president of Blue Key Senior Honor Society, and the vice president and treasurer of the Ag Competition Team Council. Hofer was a recitation instructor for a class of 40 students in agricultural economics, named the Agricultural Economics Department Outstanding Senior of the Year, and a recipient of $28,000 in merit-based scholarships during his college years, including the leadership scholarship. He participated in many different community groups, including being a youth minister leader at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, active in St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center, and volunteer coordinator for the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge.

In fall 2005 he studied in Geelong, Australia, and in summer 2007 he was a financial analyst for the Inter-American Investment Corporation and a research assistant at Zamorano University in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. A 2004 graduate of Girard High School, he is the son of Chris and Nancy Hofer, Franklin.

K-State is second among state universities to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in Rhodes competition since 1986. Since 1986, K-State has had 11 Marshall Scholars, 23 Truman Scholars, 60 Goldwater Scholars and 19 Udall Scholars.

“This reaffirms what Paul Harvey said on his nationally syndicated radio program – that K-State is the student scholar capitol of America,” Wefald said.