The Agri-Marketing Conference is a just over a week away! Register now at http://www.nama.org/amc/register.html and you will have a badge ready in Kansas City!

We’re excited that the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference is in Kansas City, Missouri. Join us, April 16-18, for an informative, enlightening and invigorating conference that will help Lead the Charge in your career!

To view the conference program and see our outstanding line-up of speakers, visit http://nama.org/amc.

Silent Auction Donations Still Needed!

Donations are still needed for the ABEF Silent Auction that will be held at the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 16-18. 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 ABEF at the same time.

Please join your agri-marketing peers in supporting this worthwhile effort by donating to the auction.

Fill out the online pledge form at http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/pledgeform.htm.

For more information contact Jenny Pickett at jennyp@nama.org or call 913-491-6500.

ABEF Online Media Auction

Place your bids now! The ABEF Online Media Auction ends Wednesday, April 2 at 5:00 p.m. New packages were added to the auction on Friday, so take another look at the media packages available at http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/bidco.htm. All proceeds from the Online Media Auction benefit the Student Careers Program.

If during the closing 30 minutes of the auction a bid is entered on an item, the bidding on that item will be extended for another 24 hour period (if this occurs on a Friday, the bidding will remain open until 5:00 p.m. (CST) on the following Monday). This process will continue until no higher bids are received during the last 30 minutes of the auction.

If you have any questions about the Online Media Auction contact Kathi Conrad at kathic@nama.org or call 913-491-6500.

The Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) will be hosting the annual Golf Outing, Tuesday, April 15. Gather your foursome and enjoy a relaxing day of golf before the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference begins.

The ABEF Golf Outing will take place at the Falcon Lakes Golf Club. A chartered bus will leave the hotel at 11:30 a.m. to take everyone to the golf course. A boxed lunch will be provided. Tee time begins at 1:00 p.m. A golf awards ceremony and reception will follow the outing at the golf course. The price is $125 per golfer.

Falcon Lakes is a pleasure to play over and over again. The non-threatening environment of the golf course and friendly service and amenities creates an enjoyable atmosphere for everyone to experience. We look forward to seeing you at Falcon Lakes.

To register for the Golf Outing visit, http://nama.org/amc/golfregister.htm.

ABEF Golf Outing Sponsorship Information
Show your support and sponsor a hole. Hole sponsorships are still available.

To sign up for a sponsorship on-line visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/golfsponsor.htm or contact Bob Brunker at bob@jlfarmakis.com.

Special thanks to our current ABEF Golf Outing Sponsors:

Beverage Carts (2 available)
Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica

Hole Sponsors (18 available)
Ayres Kahler
Charleston/Orwig
Iowa Farmer Today
John Deere
LEE Agri-MEDIA
J.L. Farmakis

You know what sessions you will attend to help you Lead the Charge, but what are some fun things you can do at the conference? Below are a list of events to help you network and have some fun with your peers in Kansas City.

The Connection Point
Celebrate the best of the best with the Best of NAMA Celebration Reception. The reception kicks-off the opening of the Connection Point and is courtesy of DTN/The Progressive Farmer. You’ll also be able to view the winning entries from Best of NAMA Awards. You don’t want to miss out! The DTN/The Progressive Farmer reception will take place after the Best of NAMA Awards Ceremony on April 16, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

In addition, each exhibitors’ booth will have a place to drop off your business card so you can have a chance to win a 7″ digital picture frame. These drawings will happen at the end of each session of the Connection Point. In addition to the digital picture frames, there will be a grand prize drawing for an iPod NANO. This iPod is perfect for your trip home from Kansas City.

BINGO! That’s right, Bingo! Pick up a bingo card at the Connection Point Luncheon, Thursday, April 17 from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. and make your way around the trade show booths to get your bingo. Exhibitors will have 2 bingo numbers each and will mark your cards just for coming by their booth! If you have a bingo, drop your winning bingo card in the drawing for a Best Buy Gift Card worth $250! Individual booths may be doing drawings of their own, so don’t miss visiting any booths!

In addition to bingo, meet your peers for a Kansas City barbecue luncheon in the Connection Point, courtesy of Truffle Media Networks. The luncheon will take place from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. In addition, you can meet some of the students in an informal setting and explore possible mentoring opportunities during the Mentor Luncheon also in the Connection Point. This luncheon will provide students with an avenue to gain information from professionals about careers and opportunities. Special thanks to MoKan NAMA and Technekes for sponsoring the Mentor Luncheon.

Win a Wii! Stop by the afternoon break in the Connection Point courtesy of Gibbs & Soell and enjoy an ice cream treat courtesy of Hoard’s Dairyman magazine. The Nintendo Wii is a hot item that is hard to come by, so don’t miss your chance to win! We will draw the winner from the business cards that were dropped in the boxes at each booth for the picture frame drawing.

In addition to the prizes, have some fun getting your picture taken with your face in sheriff and saloon girl cutouts. Also, try your hand at roping. Hop on a metal horse and try to rope the metal calf that shoots out.

Don’t forget, when visiting the Connection Point, to stop by the ABEF Silent Auction and place your bid on any number of items. All proceeds will benefit the Student NAMA Careers program.

Another way to support the Careers Program is to buy a raffle ticket from a student. Students will be selling raffle tickets which will put you in a drawing for a 50″ TV. Don’t pass up on your opportunity to win! Special thanks to Penton Media for sponsoring the raffle.

Any time you’re at the Connection Point, you can quench your thirst at the Farm Business Communications refreshment station. After you quench your thirst, take some time to relax at the Nicholson Kovac Relaxation Station.

Your First Agri-Marketing Conference
Is this your first time at the Agri-Marketing Conference? If so, members of the NAMA Leadership want to welcome you and other first-timers at Skies Restaurant on top of the Hyatt Regency Crown Center on Wednesday, April 16, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. This is a great way to network with NAMA Leaders and your peers. Special thanks to John Deere for sponsoring the Leader/First-Timer Reception.
Dine-A-Round
On Thursday, April 17, join members of the NAMA Executive Committee for dinner. Executive Committee members will be at Milano’s in the Crown Center mall at 7:30 p.m. Join NAMA leadership and other conference attendees for dinner, dutch treat. It’s a great way to get to know other members and leaders. Stop by the NAMA registration desk to sign up!

The ABEF Online Media Auction has begun! The auction began at 8:00 a.m. this morning and lasts until 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 2, 2008.

All proceeds from the Online Media Auction benefit the Student Careers Program.

To view the media and service auction items click on “View by Company” or “View by Media Type” below. Then click on the item of interest to you in the list. A full description of the item will appear in a new window. Click on the “See All Bids” button to view all of the bids on this item. Click on the “Add a Bid” button to make a bid on the item. You will receive an e-mail confirmation of your bid.

If during the closing 30 minutes of the auction a bid is entered on an item, the bidding on that item will be extended for another 24 hour period (if this occurs on a Friday, the bidding will remain open until 5:00 p.m. (CST) on the following Monday). This process will continue until no higher bids are received during the last 30 minutes of the auction.

If you have any questions about the Online Media Auction contact Kathi Conrad at kathic@nama.org or call 913-491-6500.

Media and service auction items:

View by Company at http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/bidco.htm.

View by Media Type http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/bidtype.htm.

To view the Online Media Auction Procedures visit http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/auctionguide.htm.

The ABEF Online media auction will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 26 and ends at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2. For more information on the ABEF Online auction visit, http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/auctionguide.htm.

Donations Still Needed!
Please join your agri-marketing peers in supporting this worthwhile effort by donating to the auction. Any worthwhile product or service will be gratefully accepted. Some of the most popular items auctioned in past years include:

• Framed and limited edition artwork
• Media packages for broadcast, print & Internet
• Professional services
• Premiums and wearables
• Collectibles
• Sports tickets and memorabilia

The success of the ABEF Silent Auction proves our association is eager to contribute to the growth and enhancement of the profession of agri-marketing. Please show your support and donate what you can (minimum of $50 value suggested). All proceeds from the Silent Auction support the NAMA Student Careers Program.

To make a pledge to the Silent Auction please fill out the online form at http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/pledgeform.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at jennyp@nama.org.

Student NAMA chapters have had a busy year preparing for the upcoming marketing competition in Kansas City. The Student Marketing Competition, sponsored by Monsanto, takes place April 16-17 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center.

If you are attending the Agri-Marketing Conference, stop by and see the presentations that the students worked so hard to put together. You may see some of your future employees among those students!

Teams that will be competing this year are as follows:

American Institute of Business (AIB)
Arizona State University
Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo
Delaware Valley College
Illinois State University
Iowa State University
Kansas State University
Michigan State University
Mississippi State University
New Mexico State University
North Carolina State University
North Dakota State University
Northwest Missouri State University
The Ohio State University
Pennsylvania State University
Purdue University
Sam Houston State University
Texas A&M University
University of Alberta
University of Delaware
University of Florida
University of Guelph
University of Minnesota
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
University of Saskatchewan
University of Tennessee – Knoxville
University of Tennessee – Martin
University of Wisconsin – Madison
University of Wisconsin – Platteville
University of Wisconsin – River Falls
Virginia Tech

Good luck to all the students!