NAMA has gathered some of the most innovative thinkers in marketing for the 2011 conference. Delve into the science of how your customers’ behavior and choices are influenced. Learn proven strategies for attracting and keeping customers from younger increasingly powerful markets. Unlock the secrets of the “seven triggers of fascination” that add a strategic marketing approach to the art of influence.

Our 2011 keynoters will challenge your thoughts on sales and leadership…and maybe even make you laugh out loud.

The best idea right now is to get to Kansas City, April 13-15, 2011!

Registration Information

Registration for the 2011 Agri-Marketing Conference is now open! Register for the conference by December 31 to be entered to win a $200 Apple Gift Certificate.

To register for the conference visit http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=28.

Hotel Information

The room blocks at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center are now open. Two room blocks are available for the 2011 Conference, one for Students and one for Professionals.

The hotel deadline for making reservations is March 18, 2011. Reservations made after this date are subject to higher rates and potential unavailability. Make sure you mention “NAMA” when making reservations. All reservation requests will require a credit card guarantee or one night’s deposit. Deposits will be refunded by the hotel for rooms cancelled more than three (3) days prior to arrival.

Room rates are $145 for single/double rooms. Please call the Hyatt at (816) 421-1234 to make your reservations or reserve a room online by clicking on one of the links below:

Student Block – https://resweb.passkey.com/go/student1

Professional Block – https://resweb.passkey.com/go/Professional

For more information on the conference, visit http://www.nama.org/amc.

The primary goal or mission of the Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) is to provide today’s agri-business students the tools they will need to succeed tomorrow.

Century Club

The ABEF Century Club raised $3,500 at the 2010 Agri-Marketing Conference. Investing in the club provides the opportunity to step forward and help advance the future of agribusiness. Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders and the Century Club support is totally dedicated for investing in scholarships for tomorrow’s leaders.

The Century Club’s goal is to have today’s agribusiness leaders contribute $100 for today’s youth.

Membership in the Century Club is on an annual basis.

Club members who renew prior to the Agri-Marketing Conference will have an “ABEF Century Club” sticker on their name badge and be recognized on the Century Club sign in the Silent Auction area and in other conference materials.  You will also receive an invitation to attend the Agribusiness Leader of the Year Recognition Luncheon hosted by the ABEF and sponsored by Adayana Agri Business Group, Inc.  The annual membership contribution is $100.

You can be a part of this select group of individuals committed to enhancing the opportunity for tomorrow’s leaders. Don’t be left out, sign yourself up now! Visit http://www.nama.org/abef/centuryclub/signup.htm.

ABEF Silent/Online Media Auctions

Find a home for that special edition wildlife print or even those sports tickets and surplus company logo jackets. Or give a media package or services, and support the Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) at the same time. How? By contributing to the annual ABEF Silent Auction.

The NAMA Staff wishes you all a happy and safe holiday season.

The NAMA office will be closed from December 24 through January 2. But don’t worry, if you need to get a hold of us, just shoot us an email and we’ll respond ASAP. Our email addresses are listed below.

We’ll see you next year!

Jenny Pickett – jennyp@nama.org
Kathi Conrad – kathic@nama.org
Debbie Brummel – debbieb@nama.org
Linda Schaefer – lindas@nama.org
Sherry Pfaff – sherryp@nama.org
Penny Graham – pennyg@nama.org

Cornbelt NAMA’s “Supper with a Farmer” meeting on November 17 was a huge success.  The panel consisted of four farmers representing corn, soybean, cattle and hog operations in eastern Iowa.  The 28 people in the audience took advantage of the opportunity to listen to the farmers’ views on media, marketing and more and to ask questions.  The question and answer period continued on an individual basis after the official meeting time ended.

The Ohio NAMA group spent a day in Amish country, Holmes County Ohio, for a visit to Heini’s Cheese Factory, (http://www.heinis.com/), on November 18.    Attendees watched the fine craft of making cheese as Heini’s produces over 35 different kinds!  A walk through their fresh market ended with plenty of full shopping bags, preparing for this holiday season.

Lunch was held at the famous Der Dutchman restaurant, followed by an event planning meeting. From fresh baked goods, fried chicken and virtually any other succulent comfort food to crafts, furniture and endless shopping, Holmes County is a popular destination in Ohio.  (http://www.visitamishcountry.com/index.php)

David Thompson, National Sales and Marketing Director at Stine Seed Company, was the speaker at Iowa NAMA’s November 19 meeting.  David shared some general thoughts on marketing and finding a way to differentiate your company and/or product with the 41 members who attended.  A few key take-aways from his presentation included the following:

- Know strengths, acknowledge weaknesses
- Make the medium fit the message
- Use integrated marketing tactics with consistent messaging

While these things may seem simple in nature, they often get overlooked in the heat of a product launch or new campaign planning.  A great quote from David, “Find a way to spend quality time with customers in a way your competition can’t or won’t do.”