ABEF Online Media Auction
The ABEF Online Media Auction is just a few weeks away! The online auction will begin on Wednesday, March 26 and ends at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2. To donate a media package to the online auction please download the auction pledge form at http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/MediaAuctionPledgeForm.pdf and fax it back to the NAMA office to be included in the online Media Auction.

ABEF Silent Auction
The ABEF Silent Auction will take place during the Connection Point hours at the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference. Please join your agri-marketing peers in supporting this worthwhile effort by donating to the auction.

Visit http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/pledgeform.htm to indicate your donation and/or interest in the project by March 21, 2008, to be included in the auction catalog.

ABEF Golf Outing
The ABEF Golf Outing will take place at the Falcon Lakes Golf Club in Basehor, Kansas. A chartered bus will leave the Hyatt Regency Crown Center 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.

To register for the ABEF Golf Outing please visit, www.nama.org/amc/golfregister.htm.

Show your support and sponsor the ABEF Golf Outing! To sign up for a sponsorship on-line visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/golfsponsor.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at 913-491-6500 or via e-mail at jennyp@nama.org.

All proceeds from the ABEF Auction, Golf Outing and Student Raffle will support the NAMA Student Careers Program which involves 37 collegiate chapters across the US. This program provides scholarships and the Student Marketing Competition in conjunction with the Agri-Marketing Conference, and the Outstanding Student Chapter and Advisor awards. Show your support by donating today!

Donations are needed for the 2008 ABEF Silent Auction, held during the Agri-Marketing Conference, April 16-18 in Kansas City.

Please join your agri-marketing peers in supporting this worthwhile effort by donating to the auction. Fill out the on-line Pledge Form at http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/pledgeform.htm to indicate your donation and/or interest in the project by March 21, 2008, to be included in the auction catalog. Any worthwhile product or service will be gratefully accepted.

Please show your support of the ABEF and donate what you can (minimum of $50 value suggested). All proceeds from the Silent Auction support the NAMA Student Careers Program.

Please note that all media and service packages will be auctioned on-line. The on-line auction will take place at the end of March.

For more information on the ABEF and the Silent and On-Line Auctions visit, http://www.nama.org/abef/abef.html.

To make a pledge to the Auction visit, http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/pledgeform.htm.

For more information about the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference visit, http://www.nama.org/amc.

The ABEF Century Club, which was launched at the 2004 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, raised nearly $5,000 at the 2007 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 2007 conference. Don’t be left out, sign yourself up now! Visit http://www.payment.nama.org/centuryclub.htm.

In addition to the Regional Best of NAMA Ceremonies, mark your calendars for these upcoming chapter Best of NAMA Ceremonies and other events:

January 17, 2008
Midsouth NAMA
The Midsouth Best of NAMA Ceremony will take place January 17, 2008. The evening will kick-off with cocktails at 6:00 p.m. with a dinner and awards presentation following.

Please join Midsouth NAMA at the Equestria Restaurant, 3165 Forest Hill Irene Road, Germantown, TN, ph. 901-869-2663.

Please RSVP for the Midsouth Best of NAMA Ceremony today at http://survey.archermalmo.com/TakeSurvey.aspx?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=96KMm88.

Badger NAMA
Prior to the Region IV Ceremony, Badger NAMA will be hosting the Wisconsin Ag Outlook Forum from 12:30 – 5:30 p.m. at the UW-Madison Campus, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison
Microbial Sciences Building, Room 1520.

Bruce Jones, a UW-Madison Agricultural Economics professor will provide a summary of the financial outlook for Wisconsin’s agriculture industry, and moderate a discussion on other subject areas found in the 2008 report, including:

Dairy, Bob Cropp
Livestock, Patrick Luby
Specialty Crops, A.J. Bussan

Hot Topic Discussions
Today’s emerging issues will also be discussed during the second portion of the Forum. Providing their insights on these selected topics will be:

Bio-energy, Pat Walsh
Land Use, Alan Turnquist
Farm Labor, Jill Harrison
Farm Bill, Bruce Jones

Badger NAMA is co-sponsoring the event along with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, UW-Madison College of Ag & Life Sciences, UW-Extension and the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives.

The Ag Outlook Forum is open to all, so feel free to invite co-workers and friends.

January 22, 2008
Midlands NAMA
Please join Midlands NAMA for a panel discussion with Lindsay Corporation’s vice president of marketing, Dirk Lenie and Jim Farrell, president and chief executive officer of Farmers National.

They will address where the agriculture industry is headed, what technologies will lead the charge and how their companies are adapting to lead the marketplace.

Where: 11516 Nicholas St. # 100, Omaha, NE 68154
When: Tuesday, Jan. 22 – 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you there for the discussion. Please feel free to forward this invitation to anyone else in the ag industry who you think should attend. Meetings are $15 for chapter members and $20 for non-members.

Please RSVP to Vernon Benes at vbenes@beckag.com or call 402-991-6338.

For more information, visit www.midlandsnama.com.

January 31, 2008
Carolinas/Virginia
Make plans now to attend the 2008 Carolinas/Virginia Chapter Best of NAMA Awards Banquet on Thursday evening, January 31, 2008. Expand your plans to include the Southern Farm Show on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.

Time: 4:30 p.m. – Registration & Networking; 5:30 p.m. – Awards Program; 7:00 p.m. – Dinner; 7:45 p.m. – Best of Show Awards; 8:00 p.m. – Adjourn.

Mark your calendars and share this date with your colleagues as we will assemble at the NC State University Club (map), 4200 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC, to view some of your best work of the past season.

Option: Southern Farm Show – in the afternoon before the NAMA Awards Banquet or the following morning.

Lodging: Ramada Inn, 1520 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh, NC

Cost: $40 members; $50 Guests; $20 Students; $60 at the door (Cash bar available)

Registration: To register for the Carolinas/Virginia Best of NAMA Banquet visit, http://payment.nama.org/chapter.htm.

February 12, 2008
Central California NAMA
Make plans to attend the NAMA Mixer at World Ag Expo, Tuesday, February 12, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. in the Alta California Booth #DSI48.

Take the opportunity to network with colleagues, marketing professionals, and make new friends.

There is no better way to kick-off your week in Tulare, CA!

Cocktails and appetizers will be served.

RSVP by calling Dee Monsen at 916-928-1625 ext. 203 or e-mail dee@capca.com.

It’s a brand new year, and NAMA has some powerful new ideas in store for you at the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference. Learn about the innovations and changes in the industry that will shape the way you do business in the year ahead. New business models. Changing economies. Changing consumers.

And speaking of change, the opening morning of the 2008 program will feature not one, but two, best-selling authors who will share strategies from their latest books. Learn to create – and deliver – messages that stick from Dan Heath. Plus you’ll discover how to successfully draw upon the power of community and collaboration to reap winning results in your business from Barry Libert.

You should be receiving your conference brochure in the mail this week, however, you can get an early jump and check out all the sessions and events on-line at www.nama.org/amc.

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

We look forward to Leading the Charge with you in Kansas City!

Now is your chance to help tomorrow’s agrimarketers. The Midsouth Chapter is inviting students from the University of Tennessee-Martin and Mississippi State University to practice their NAMA New Products Marketing presentations before the April Student Marketing competition in Kansas City.

You can help support these students with feedback and encouragement in practice sessions in the coming months. Please email Brad Allen at allenb@helenachemical.com or Megan Klein at mklein@archermalmo.com, if you are interested in helping.

It’s beginning to look a lot like conference around the NAMA office. We’ve had more sponsor and trade show booth sign-ups than this time last year! Now those are companies that are Leading The Charge!

If your company is looking for a lot of recognition, then have we got the opportunity for you! Lead the Charge by sponsoring an event at the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 16-18, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

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 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference and confirm your interest to Jenny Pickett at (913) 491-6500 or e-mail to jennyp@nama.org.

Sponsorship benefits are available in an Adobe .PDF format at http://www.nama.org/amc/sponsor/benefits.pdf.

Sponsorship opportunities available are also in an Adobe .PDF format at http://www.nama.org/amc/sponsor/opportunities.pdf.

You can also fill out the on-line sponsorship confirmation form at http://www.nama.org/amc/sponsor/form.htm.

We’re open to new, fresh ideas, so if you have an idea for a new sponsorship feel free to contact Jenny to discuss.

Keep in mind that if you become a platinum plus, platinum, or gold sponsor you receive FREE booth space in the Connection Point (Trade Show)!

For information on the Trade Show (Connection Point) visit http://www.nama.org/amc/ts/connection.htm.

To sign up for Trade Show booth space on-line visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm.

Speaker information for the conference is coming soon! Stay tuned to http://nama.org/amc for the latest conference information!