Every year at the Agri-Marketing Conference, professionals involved with selling products and services to the agricultural marketplace gather to explore the latest in techniques, trends and practices. In 2010, the conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City. If your target audience includes agrimarketers, you can’t afford to miss the 2010 Connection Point.

An effective, affordable marketing investment

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.

Approximately 1,200 people attend the Agri-Marketing Conference each year to explore the latest ideas and insights and share what’s working for them. The Connection Point is an integral part of this event and gives you the opportunity to see—and be seen by—a high concentration of individuals who make and/or influence ag-related buying decisions.

Conference attendees include:

• Marketing executives from agribusiness companies
• Advertising agency professionals
• Public relations executives
• Media representatives
• Commodity and trade association professionals

To signup for a trade show booth at the 2010 Agri-Marketing Conference, please visit http://www.nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm.

Get the skills and strategies you need to grow professionally and lead in challenging times at the 2010 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo.

• Learn how to get ag’s message out using groundbreaking new media
• Discover how companies are forging unique partnerships to build trust
• Gain a renewed sense of pride in the promise of American agriculture

Take a trip to the Heartland for unbeatable networking and a line-up of internationally known keynote speakers.

David Meerman Scott
Receive a step-by-step plan to harness the power of new media and web-based communication. Using detailed case studies and real-world examples, David will explain how to tell compelling stories that turn tryers into buyers.

Andy Andrews
A trusted advisor to corporations, organizations—even presidents and military leaders—Andy Andrews will tell you how to excel in even the toughest economic climate.

Paul Mobley
Acclaimed photographer Paul Mobley shares portraits from his book American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country. Rekindle your zest for American agriculture and end the 2010 conference on an inspiring high note.

Remember, if you register by December 31, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a flip video camcorder.

To register, visit http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=8.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for the 2010 conference, please contact Jenny Pickett at jennyp@nama.org for available sponsorships.

Check out what the Student NAMA Chapters have been up to!

Illinois State University

It’s been a busy summer and fall for the Illinois State University NAMA chapter.  This summer, ISU NAMA provided refreshments to participants on one of the tours conducted as part of the 2009 International Farm Management Congress which was held at Illinois State University in July.  NAMA members distributed juice, pastries and fruit to IFMA members as they toured local grain farms.

Over forty students attended an ISU NAMA-sponsored panel discussion by four human resource specialists.  These specialists, representing GROWMARK, Farm Credit Services, Land O’Lakes, and Farm Bureau, provided students a wealth of information about participating in a career day, resume writing and interviewing.  This career development activity was designed to prepare students for the upcoming NAMA-sponsored Illinois State University Department of Agriculture Career Day.

Kansas State University

It has been an exciting five months since National Competition last spring. Immediately after returning from Atlanta in April, we got to work looking forward to the 2009-2010 school year. In evaluating our 2008-2009 chapter we decided we could make a few changes to our program to improve our club and make the process of preparing for National Competition smoother and easier for the team, as well as more beneficial to all members.

Our first challenge when school began this fall was recruitment at the K-State College of Agriculture’s Watermelon Feed. We had an impressive amount of interest resulting from our display and NAMA officers and members being available to talk to students throughout the evening. We are also excited to have some new members from disciplines outside the College of Agriculture, primarily in the College of Business Administration.

With a couple new changes, including creating a class at K-State to help give the marketing team a head start on the process of choosing a product, developing an Executive Summary and preparing a presentation for Nationals, our marketing team is off to a great start for the fall! We are currently working to narrow down our choices to choose our final product for competition during our class meetings.

We have a lively NAMA chapter this year which, as a whole, is looking forward to a very successful year and excited about the improvements we have made to our chapter, thus far. We look forward to seeing everyone at competition in Kansas City in the spring!

Iowa State University

Another year is under way and ISU NAMA is excited to be “Thinking Outside the Barn.”  The ISU chapter has many goals and high expectations for the year and to get things moving, they came up with their own marketing campaign “Thinking Outside the Barn” to recruit new members to the club.  The theme will be incorporated throughout the year in club promotions and activities.

To kick off recruitment, the club participated in the Ag Freshman/Transfer BBQ and Club Fest with hopes of informing students on the ISU campus of the opportunities available through NAMA. On August 27^th the first meeting was held with a large turnout of both new and returning members.  An ice cream social was enjoyed while attendees listened to a presentation from Stephanie Vinton, the current Iowa NAMA professional chapter President.  For the September meeting, a guest speaker is planned as well as a scavenger hunt.

Mississippi State University

The Mississippi State University NAMA team has hit the ground running for the 2009-2010 year.  MSU NAMA participated in on-campus recruiting activities to encourage membership growth.  MSU’s NAMA Team has also diversified and now includes members from various Mississippi State majors.  The Club has also been responsible for creating the brand-new Agricultural and Environmental Economics Club, which has the ultimate goal of getting more Ag students involved in on and off-campus activities.  One of MSU NAMA’s ultimate goals for this year is to get more students involved.

The Team has also elected a new Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer.  Another selection the Team has made for the year includes a new and unique product to be marketed at this year’s competition.  The Club has begun researching this product’s market potential and profit outlooks.  This product promises to be exciting and a strong competitor in the Spring Competition.

MSU NAMA has also become involved in volunteer work.  Team members have contributed over 50 hours to the Mississippi State-sponsored Habitat For Humanity House.  MSU NAMA feels that philanthropy is a great way to not only help the local community, but also develop critical teamwork and communication skills.

North Carolina State University

The Agribusiness/NAMA club at NC State held a welcome back meeting on August 31^st, 2009.  At this meeting, the officers introduced themselves, the fall meetings dates were given out, and a social event was announced.  Our next meeting was on September 14^th.  We had professors from our Agriculture and Resource Economics department come and speak to us about graduate schools and professional schools.

We will be having a social on Tuesday, September 22^nd at Bada Wings.  Some of the officers are helping with CALS Tailgate this Saturday, September 19^th.  The ARE department will have a booth to represent the department.  The officers will be able to share with alumni about the club and what events we are doing.

This semester we will have speakers from a variety of companies.  Some of those companies include Coastal AgroBusiness, Duplin Winery, John Deere, and Cape Fear Farm Credit.  We will also be participating in the Milk Booth at the NC State Fair in October.

New Mexico State University

The New Mexico State University NAMA Chapter has started their Fall semester off in full throttle!  Our students had an exciting summer by traveling to the 19^th Annual International Food and Agribusiness Management Association Symposium in Budapest, Hungary in June.  We had several students present papers and compete in the case study competition.  Our members were privileged with the opportunity to network with numerous professionals and students from around the world while touring several European countries.

The chapter has been working on new recruitment efforts with incoming freshmen and has planned many fun events for the semester.  We started the semester with a very successful interview workshop with one of our former NAMA presidents, Jacob Penn.  Our events for the Fall semester include Alumni tailgating, a scavenger hunt, intramurals, meetings with agriculture business representatives, community service, bowling, Aggie Week, and working on our marketing plan.

North Dakota State University

The North Dakota State University Student Chapter of NAMA is off to another great start this year.  Building upon the successes of last year, our chapter is already making great strides towards overall chapter improvement.  With last year’s students taking fifth place in the national marketing competition, we have been able to spark a growing level of interest in our activities across campus.  We hope that this, along with expanded recruiting efforts, will help our chapter continue to grow.

This year we are also embarking upon a new strategy regarding involvement with our professional chapter.  The Northern Prairie Chapter of NAMA and NDSU NAMA are working hand in hand to develop and implement activities that will benefit both chapters.  By coordinating our efforts, we are working to improve the overall awareness of our groups as well as help each other recruit members and sponsors.

A recent example of this was the Big Iron After Hours event which followed the Big Iron Farm Show on September 15^th 2009.  The event was much like a typical after hours event, except it was geared towards promoting interaction between students and professionals.  NDSU NAMA members brought fellow non-member students and professionals invited fellow industry representatives.  Big Iron Exhibitors were also invited to attend.  NDSU NAMA students helped plan the overall event with our professional chapter and handed out booth drops during the show.  In all, there were about 25 students and around 75 industry representatives present.  The event has created networking opportunities for both the students and professionals and allows us to also recruit new members.  This, along with other recruiting tactics, will help our chapters grow throughout the year and be successful into the future.  We look forward to sharing more great news as another exciting year progresses.

Texas A&M-Kingsville

At Texas A&M University-Kingsville, our NAMA chapter started off the school year with many new faces and several fresh ideas.  We selected our officers for this year, who are Alinna Umphres-Lopez as President, Leanne Wiley, and Payton Neessen as Vice President.

We held one of our meetings at a local restaurant to discuss our possible marketing projects and to get acquainted with the new members in our chapter.  We are very excited about this year’s competition and are anxiously waiting to see everyone and their products.  Good Luck to all NAMA Chapters.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Nebraska NAMA got off to a busy–and entertaining–start this fall. They hosted their first ever impromptu marketing competition and rounded out the first three weeks of the semester by participating in recruitment and campus-wide events.

The “So You Think You Can Market!” competition was featured on the NAMA display at the Fall Club Fair on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus where members Cassidy Robinson and Brenda Walla got students excited about the competition and handed out business card size announcements.  Over 25 students (divided into teams) competed in the event, which involved a quick review of marketing guidelines, seven minutes of preparation time, and presentations by the teams. Judges gave feedback to each team, chose winners and awarded prizes.  NAMA members are taking the competition to Nebraska DECA’s state-wide fall conference as part of a fun and educational workshop where high school students will learn more about Agri-Marketing.

NAMA members gave a presentation at the Department of Agricultural Economics Fall Kick-Off Dinner and invited new and current students to join NAMA.  They also co-hosted a campus seminar given by nationally-known trade expert Doug Bereuter, who spoke to College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) students on Chinese-American trade relations.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

The NAMA members at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have started the semester off with a bang.  New brochures were developed for recruitment at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Fall Picnic and attendance at the September meeting was outstanding.

Fundraising efforts are already underway as members are picking grapes at Botham Vineyards in nearby Barneveld, WI as a way to raise funds for the chapter.  Study tours at area agribusinesses are being scheduled for mid-October and a NAMA picnic is scheduled to directly follow the CALS Career Fair on October 8^th.  Recruiters will be encouraged to attend the picnic and socialize with NAMA students.

The chapter is also gearing up for World Dairy Expo at the end of September.  Members will help industry professionals staff their booths at the Expo. This is a great opportunity for chapter fundraising, but also a chance for members to network with professionals.  Students will also attend a workshop on social media at World Dairy Expo and attend a Badger Pro-NAMA event.

For questions about the University of Wisconsin-Madison NAMA, contact President Alyssa Sandore, sandore@wisc.edu.

Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech Ag Econ/NAMA Club has gotten into to full swing this semester!  We have hosted many events including the Back to the Books Picnic in which students, faculty, and staff from the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics came together and enjoyed good food, fellowship, and good talks about hot topics in agriculture.  We are also getting geared up to go to the Virginia State Fair September 24^th – October 4^th where we will be teaching children about the top five grains in Virginia while making grain jars (similar to sand art).

We also have many projects in the works to develop our marketing skills in preparation for the NAMA Competition.  Currently, a group of students are setting the foundation for a student-run business that will work with agribusinesses throughout Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region to formulate business and marketing plans.  We also have many guest speakers scheduled throughout the semester.  Fall 2009 is shaping up to be a great semester for Virginia Tech’s Ag.Econ/NAMA Club!

Nearly 30 golfers participated in the annual MoKan NAMA Golf Classic on June 25 at Falcon Lakes Golf Course in Basehor, KS.

The MoKan Golf Classic is an annual fund-raiser event that helps provide additional financial support for both of the MoKan Student NAMA chapters; Kansas State and Northwest Missouri State.

Coming in third place at the outing was:

Laurie Whittington, McCormick Company
Sue Lee, Farm Journal Media
Scott Lynn, Osborn & Barr Communications
Bob Brunker, J.L. Farmakis

Second Place honors go to:

Ken Dean, High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal
Jim Martin, High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal
Wes Lynch, Jayhawk Sports Marketing
Jason Kramer, Jayhawk Sports Marketing

And the first place team at the 2009 MoKan Golf Classic consisted of:

Laurie Langstraat, Natl. Crop Insurance Services
Mike Langstraat, Falcon Lakes Golf
Shane Weaver, Natl. Crop Insurance Services
Mike Sieben, Natl. Crop Insurance Services

Mark your calendars to check out an upcoming chapter event for the spring/summer!

If you have any write-ups or photos from your previous events, please send the information to Kathi Conrad at kathic@nama.org to get it in the NAMA e-News.

June 12 ~ Eastern NAMA
Student FFA Banquet

Please save the date June 12 on your calendars. You are invited to attend the Student FFA Banquet on June 12 where NAMA East will present scholarships to two Class of 2009 graduates of the John Bowne High School Ag Education Program. This year’s winners are outstanding achievers in the fields of plant and animal sciences. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Catherine Wang, Gibbs & Soell, at 212-697-2600 ext. 1202 or at cwang@gibbs-soell.com.

June 18 ~ North Central
Golf Outing

The North Central Golf Outing is planned for Thursday, June 18. Keep checking the NAMA Calendar for the latest information on this golf outing.

June 18 ~ Ohio NAMA
Buckeye Tour

It’s been a while since we just got together and had a fun day of networking and catching up on what everyone’s up to. We’ve been discussing this fun day for a while and we finally have some details to share with you.

1. Private morning tour of the Buckeye’s (“The Horseshoe”) football stadium (approx 9:30 am -11:00 am)
2. Afternoon business day special Columbus Clippers Baseball Game (12:00 pm)

We’ll have the tour in the morning followed by some drinks and food at the ballpark. We hope to see you all for this fun-filled day!!

The RSVP’s for tickets and other details will be coming soon. Students, you’re also more than welcome to join us. Keep checking the NAMA Calendar for more information.

June 25 ~ MoKan NAMA
MoKan Golf Classic

Join MoKan NAMA for their annual Golf Classic at Falcon Lakes Golf Course in Basehor, KS. Registration for the golf outing will begin at Noon and tee off will be at 1:00 p.m. Dinner and an awards ceremony will follow the outing.
This annual fund-raiser event helps provide additional financial support for both of our student chapters; Kansas State and Northwest Missouri State. To register visit, https://payment.nama.org/mokan.html.

August 18 ~ MoKan NAMA
MoKan Ag Tour

Join MoKan NAMA for the annual Ag Tour, prior to the NAMA Boot Camp, on August 18. The MoKan Ag Tour will begin at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri and will feature a trip to seed production facility, NECO Seeds, in Garden City, Missouri. The group will stop for lunch at The Farm, a family owned and operated facility with a dining hall. The afternoon will feature a trip to a livestock operation, then back to the Hyatt Regency Crown Center.

To register for the MoKan Ag Tour and/or the NAMA Boot Camp, visit http://www.nama.org/programs/index.html.

Mark your calendars to check out an upcoming chapter event for the spring/summer!

If you have any write-ups or photos from your previous events, please send the information to Kathi Conrad at kathic@nama.org to get it in the NAMA e-News.

May 19 ~ Midlands NAMA
Coaching Your Brand

Take an in-depth look into ways in which companies, large and small, use sports to activate brands and build long and rewarding relationships with their customers.

Award-winning broadcaster and sports marketing specialist, Jim Rose, will be addressing the topic of how to activate your brand to build long and rewarding relationships with your customers. He has created and executed winning strategies for such recognizable brands as Cabela’s, Mutual of Omaha, Dodge, BryanLGH Medical Center, Qwest, Bank of the West, The Nebraska Lottery and Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing.

The event will take place from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on May 19 at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, NE.

May 26 ~ Carolinas/Virginia NAMA
Spring Tour

Join Carolinas/Virginia NAMA for their spring tour on Sustainable Agriculture & Healthy Food for You & Your Family. The group will take tours of Cane Creek Farm and Braeburn Farm. These farms share 500 acres of pasture, housing several hundred pigs of multiple breeds, grass-fed New Zealand Red Devon cattle, chickens, ducks, turkeys, donkeys, goats, and sheep.

The event will begin at 3:15 p.m. at the farms and will last about 2 hours. Following the tour, the group will meet at 6:00 p.m. at the Olive Garden Restaurant.

Cost for the event is $15 for members and their guests. For questions or to register, please contact tour arranger Jim Haskins at phone 919-933-2327 or email abcgroup@bellsouth.net

May 28 ~ Badger/Chicago/Cornbelt NAMA
Annual Golf Outing

You’re just moments away from being registered for the golf outing with a cast of characters like none other. The NAMA Golf Outing is a tremendous opportunity to kick back and enjoy a day in the sun with other industry professionals, all while teeing it up on a world-class 18-hole championship course.

The golf outing will take place at Hawk’s View Golf Club in Lake Geneva, WI. Tee-off is at 11:00 a.m. and a cookout and golf awards will follow the outing at 4:00 p.m. Cost is $95 for golf and dinner, $80 for just golf, or $20 for just the dinner. To register visit, http://www.badgernamagolf.com/.

June 5 ~ Desert Southwest
Lunch & Learn

Join the Desert Southwest Chapter of NAMA for our monthly Lunch & Learn meeting. Meetings are held the 1st Friday of each month at different locations across the state. Remember…if you are a member and bring a non-member as a guest, your meal is always FREE!!! The topic for this month’s Lunch & Learn is Current Trends – Management Vs. Labor. Cost for the event is $10 – members/students/non-members.

For more information contact Paige Gilligan at (480) 620-5257 or at Paige@AgresticSolutions.com.

June 12 ~ Eastern NAMA
Student FFA Banquet

Please save the date JUNE 12 on your calendars. You are invited to attend the Student FFA Banquet on June 12 where NAMA East will present scholarships to two Class of 2009 graduates of the John Bowne High School Ag Education Program. This year’s winners are outstanding achievers in the fields of plant and animal sciences. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Catherine Wang, Gibbs & Soell, at 212-697-2600 ext. 1202 or at cwang@gibbs-soell.com.

June 18 ~ North Central
Golf Outing

The North Central Golf Outing is planned for Thursday, June 18. Keep checking the NAMA Calendar for the latest information on this golf outing.

June 18 ~ Ohio NAMA
Buckeye Tour

It’s been a while since we just got together and had a fun day of networking and catching up on what everyone’s up to. We’ve been discussing this fun day for a while and we finally have some details to share with you.

1. Private morning tour of the Buckeye’s (“The Horseshoe”) football stadium (approx 9:30 am -11:00 am)
2. Afternoon business day special Columbus Clippers Baseball Game (12:00 pm)

We’ll have the tour in the morning followed by some drinks and food at the ballpark. We hope to see you all for this fun-filled day!!

The RSVP’s for tickets and other details will be coming soon. Students, you’re also more than welcome to join us. Keep checking the NAMA Calendar for more information.

June 25 ~ MoKan NAMA
MoKan Golf Classic

Join MoKan NAMA for their annual Golf Classic at Falcon Lakes Golf Course in Basehor, KS. Registration for the golf outing will begin at Noon and tee off will be at 1:00 p.m. Dinner and an awards ceremony will follow the outing.
This annual fund-raiser event helps provide additional financial support for both of our student chapters; Kansas State and Northwest Missouri State. To register visit, https://payment.nama.org/mokan.html.

ABEF GOLF OUTING
The ABEF hosted its annual Golf Outing during the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference to help raise money for the Student NAMA Careers Program. The ABEF Golf Outing took place on Tuesday, April 14, at Stone Mountain Golf Club in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Golfers endured the water soaked ground for what turned out to be a beautiful day of golf. Taking third place in the golf outing was Matt Herman, DTN/The Progressive Farmer; Matt Bradford, DTN/The Progressive Farmer; and Dave Patterson, John Deere Credit. Second place went to Sandra Cashman, Epic Creative; Dave Fedderson, Cabela’s; Dave McSparron, Red River Farm Network; and Tim Oliver, Morgan&Myers. First place winners were Bob Bunker, J.L. Farmakis, Kelly Schwalbe, BCS Communications, Dennis Duncan, Ag Alert and Brian Kroshus, Lee Agri-Media.

Special thanks also to the sponsors of the ABEF Golf Outing: Farm Journal, Penton Media, Bock & Associates, Charleston/Orwig, Iowa Farmer Today/Missouri Farmer Today, and Successful Farming. We look forward to another successful Golf Outing next year in Kansas City!

ABEF CENTURY CLUB
The ABEF Century Club, which was launched at the 2004 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, raised $2,100 at the 2009 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. You can be a part of this select group of individuals committed to enhancing the opportunity for tomorrow’s leaders. The list below contains professionals who joined the Century Club by the end of the 2009 conference. Don’t be left out, sign yourself up now! Visit http://www.payment.nama.org/centuryclub.htm.

John Riley
Ron Claussen
Jan Ford
H&P Company, Inc.
Mick Sibbel
Leigh Ann Cleaver
Vicki Henrickson
Beth Burgy
Lyle Orwig
Leon Westbrock
Mike Gustafson
Bill Howard
Tom Taylor
Gary Vorpahl
Russ Parker
Tom Davis
Marvin Kokes
Marjory Walker
Allen Barkve
Tim Price
Cliff Becker

ABEF AUCTIONS
The ABEF Silent Auction and Online Media Auction raised over $46,000 for the Student Careers Program. This is almost double from last year! Items in the auctions ranged from wine to media packages to iPods. Special thanks to all who donated and bid on items in the Auctions this year!

ABEF STUDENT RAFFLE
Attendees had a chance to win a Dell 50″ High Def Plasma TV courtesy of Penton Media at the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference. NAMA Student chapters sold tickets in advance as well as at the conference for a chance to win the TV. The winning raffle ticket was sold by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who sold the ticket to Russ Parker, J.L. Farmakis. Congratulations on the new TV!

Over $4,600 was raised from the Student Raffle and schools received $5.00 for each ticket sold, meaning $2,300 of that money will be returned to the student chapters to help cover expenses to next year’s conference. The school that sold the most raffle tickets received $100 and the second place school received $50. In addition, the student who sold the most tickets received an additional cash prize of $100. This year’s top selling school was Virginia Tech and second place honors go to Delaware Valley College. The student selling the most raffle tickets was Becky Ashton, Virginia Tech.