Make your hotel reservations now for the 6th Annual NAMA Boot Camp that will take place August 18-20, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City. The hotel cut-off date is July 27, so make your reservations now. Reservations made after the cut-off date are subject to higher rates and potential unavailability. Call the Hyatt Regency at 816-421-1234 to make your reservations today. Don’t miss out on the hottest event this summer!
Take a look at the Boot Camp schedule below to see what’s in store for you:
Tuesday, August 18
8:00 a.m. – MoKan Ag Tour
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Boot Camp Registration/Welcome Reception
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. – Dinner/Kick-Off Sesssion
The Physical Connection ~ Dr. Jennifer Martin
Are you aware of non-verbal messages you might be sending while giving a presentation? Do you send mixed signals to your audience without knowing it? Dr. Jennifer K. Martin, Hall Family Foundation Professor with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will present techniques you can easily apply to improve your professional effectiveness.
Wednesday, August 19
8:00 a.m. – Breakfast
8:30 – 10:00 a.m. – Opening Session
Producer Panel ~ Moderator: Marty Wolske, Successful Farming/Agriculture Online; Trudy Kramer, Kramer Vineyards in Gaston Oregon; Derek Fuemmeler, Harrisonville, Missouri
Learn how to communicate effectively with producers. The producer panel has become a Boot Camp favorite and attendees won’t want to miss the valuable insights from producers. This panel will be moderated by Marty Wolske, Sales Associate, Successful Farming/Agriculture Online. Producers: Trudy Kramer, Kramer Vineyards, Gaston, Oregon; Derek Fuemmeler, Harrisonville, Missouri, and other producer panelists.
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. – Break
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. – Breakout Sessions (pick one)
Little Red Writing Hood & The Big Scary Communications Plan ~ Carol Anderson, Mariposa Partners, Inc.
The client has asked you to write a communications plan. Don’t despair! Developing a communications plan with concrete objectives, strategies and tactics is a lot like planning a trip in the land of fractured fairy tales. You have to know where you’re going, how you’re going to get there and what to expect when you arrive. This session, conducted by Carol Anderson, Mariposa Partners and NAMA national president, will provide some useful hints and hands-on activities to give you the upper hand in the plan development process.
A Year in the Life of a Specialty Producer ~ Trudy Kramer, Kramer Vineyards
Spend a year in the life of a specialty producer. This session will explore the challenges and business decisions that a specialty producer faces in a year. Kramer Vineyards has 20 acres of vines with an average production of 2,000 cases per year. About 85% of the wine is sold at the winery. Kramer Vineyards relies on marketing at the winery for most of their sales.
12:00 Noon – 1:30 p.m. – Luncheon w/ Speaker
Social Marketing and Southwest Airlines ~ Christi Day, Southwest Airlines Online Spokesperson & Emerging Media Specialist
Relax over lunch and learn about the integration of new and emerging media at Southwest Airlines, including video blogging and Twitter, from Christi Day, Southwest Airlines Online Spokesperson and Emerging Media Specialist. Christi serves as an online Spokesperson for Southwest Airlines. She specializes in Emerging Media and web 2.0. Christi consistently works to keep Southwest Airlines in the forefront of the new media world when it comes to messaging and trends.
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. – Breakout Sessions (pick one)
A Year in the Life of a Cow/Calf Producer
Step into a producer’s boots without having to head to the farm. From risk management to calving, this session will cover the events a producer endures throughout the year.
Pitching to the Ag Media ~ Colleen Church McDowall, Osborn & Barr Communications
Come learn the do’s and don’ts of pitching to the ag media with Colleen Church McDowall of Osborn & Barr. Plus pick up tips on how to keep your content relevant over a period of time and take a quick glance at how social media is going to impact the way you get your story out.
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. – Break
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Breakout Sessions (pick one)
A Year in the Life of a Row Crop Producer ~ Derek Fuemmeler, CCA Yield Max Crop & Consulting Services, LLC
Step into a producer’s boots without having to head to the farm. From field preparation to harvest, this session will cover the events a producer endures throughout the year. Presented by Derek Fuemmeler, CCA Yield Max Crop and Consulting Services, LLC. Derek has been farming with his family near Glasgow, MO, since he was old enough to walk, and operating his Consulting Services in Harrisonville, MO, for the past four years. Prior to starting his own business, Derek worked as an Agronomist for Miles Enterprises/OptiCrop in Kentucky, and a brief stint as a Regional Sales Agronomist for MFA/West Central Agri Services.
Dealing With The Client ~ Kristen Marshall, Nicholson Kovac
Are you concerned about making a good impression on your clients and keeping a good name for your agency? Kristen Marshall, senior account executive, Nicholson Kovac, will go through her experiences in account services and provide helpful tips on staying in good graces, even with those ‘problem clients.’ Kristen is a Senior Account Executive at Nicholson Kovac in Kansas City. She has worked in the agency environment for multiple ag industry clients for the past 8 years. Kristen is the co-chair of the National Student NAMA Competition and is a graduate of the University of Missouri and University of Nebraska.
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Reception at Boulevard Brewery
A shuttle will take attendees to a special reception at Kansas City’s own Boulevard Brewery. Founded in 1989, Boulevard Brewing Company has grown to become the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest. The reception will take place in the Heim Room which features a beautiful view of the Kansas City skyline.
7:00 p.m. – Dine Around (optional)
Attendees can attend an optional dine-around at Milanos in Crown Center. This is a great way to get to know your peers and learn about NAMA. This event is optional and dutch treat.
Thursday, August 20
8:30 a.m. – Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. – General Session
Retailer Panel ~ Moderated by Michael Berry, Osborn & Barr Communications & Boot Camp Chair
Agricultural retailers are an important part of our businesses. Whether they are an influencer in a B to C market or a direct customer in a B to B, market they are extremely valuable. Get an inside look at what makes these segments of the ag retail segment tick. This panel will be moderated by Michael Berry, Osborn & Barr Communications and 2009 Boot Camp Chair.
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. – Break
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. – Closing Session
Jedi Marketing or Everything I Needed to Know About Advertising I Learned from Star Wars ~ John January, Sullivan Higdon & Sink and Tug McTighe, Callahan Creek
How can Yoda help you write a better headline? Why is Darth Vader hiding in your client service report? Learn the answers to these questions and many more when you attend this unusual and enlightening presentation. Whether you’re a writer, designer, an account type or even a client, you’ll find
this perspective on enjoying daily life in marketing very refreshing. Presented by John January, Executive Creative Director and Senior Vice Muckity Muck at Sullivan Higdon & Sink and Tug McTighe, Vice President, Creative Director and Pisces, Callahan Creek.
11:30 a.m. – Boot Camp Adjourns
To register for the NAMA Boot Camp visit http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=3.
For more information on the NAMA Boot Camp visit http://www.nama.org/programs/index.html.
The Ohio Chapter gathered on June 18 for a day of networking and catching up with each other.
The Iowa NAMA chapter held the Field to Food Ag Olympics in conjunction with Johnston’s Green Days festival on Saturday, June 20. About 50 children participated in the free event presented by BASF with additional support from American Solutions for Business, Baitinger Consulting, Heartland Co-op, Helena Chemical Company, McCormick Company, and Successful Farming.
The MoKan NAMA Chapter held its latest monthly meeting July 8 at Lidia’s Restaurant in the Freight District of Kansas City, Mo. Approximately 70 members heard the featured presenter, Jason Weaver, founder and CEO of Sway, Inc.
Weaver suggested marketers view social media like this…“you give it enough gas to get up the hill, you provide valuable content to the audience, eventually word-of-mouth takes over, and you sell the product.” He states that starting and stopping an online, social strategy is worse than not doing one at all.