written by Chuck Zimmerman, ZimmComm New Media

You can now find the NAMA Bombers online. If you’re up for a beautiful ride then you might want to join them prior to the NAMA Convention.

The NAMA Bombers Motorcycle Club will be hosting a ride on April 15th prior to the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City. All NAMA members with a valid motorcycle license are invited to attend.

“There is no entry fee for the ride, but all participants are encouraged to make a contribution to the Agri-Business Educational Foundation. We want this to be another opportunity for NAMA members to have some fun for a good cause,” says ‘Iron Mike’ Gustafson, NAMA Bombers President.

The April 15th ride will be a 180 mile adventure into the scenic paradise of central Missouri. Motorcycle rentals are available through Blue Springs Harley-Davidson. E-mail Jeremy Povenmire at the NAFB for more information.

written by Chuck Zimmerman, ZimmComm New Media

Once again this year I’ll be your NAMA Blogger for the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference and I’m looking forward to it. To get things started I interviewed trade show committee chair, Rosemary Schimek, corporate marketing manager, Farm Progress Companies.

Rosemary says that this year’s trade show is the largest in years. If your company hasn’t pulled the trigger on joining, you still can. Listen to the interview to find out how. You can also hear about the activities planned for the Connection Point this year. It’s got a western theme, so there will be cutouts you can have your photo taken with as well as some kind of calf roping thing which ought to be fun to see after a few beverages.

You can listen to my interview with Rosemary here: Rosemary Schimek Interview (11 min MP3)

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.

You only have until April 7 to recruit new members and take home a new iPod NANO after the conference!

New members who join NAMA between January 1 and April 7, 2008, will be entered into a drawing for an 8GB iPod NANO.

In addition, existing NAMA members who recruit these new members will also be entered into the drawing. Just make sure when you recruit a member that they put your name in the “referred by” space on the membership application.

The drawing for the iPod will take place at the Connection Point Closing Reception on Thursday, April 17 at the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference, but you need not be present to win.

Just a reminder that the Agri-Marketing Conference early registration deadline and hotel cut-off date is Tuesday, March 25. There are quite a few folks that have hotel reservations but have not yet registered for the conference, please make sure you register by March 25 to ensure you receive the early rate. Below is a helpful check list of things you may need to do to ensure your conference experience runs smoothly:

1. Did you make your hotel reservation? Call the Hyatt Regency Crown Center at 816-421-1234 to make your reservation. Reservations made after March 25 are subject to higher rates and potential unavailability. Additional rooms have been added to our room block today! If you have any trouble with your Hyatt Reservations please contact Kathi Conrad at kathic@nama.org.
2. Did you register for the conference? In addition to making your hotel reservation, you must also register for the conference with the National NAMA Office by March 25 to ensure the early rate. After March 25, the registration rates increase. You can register on-line at http://www.nama.org/amc/register.html or call the NAMA office at 913-491-6500. You may want to call the NAMA office just to make sure that you have registered. If you have registered, you should have received an email confirmation letter from Linda Schaefer at the NAMA Office.
3. Did you register for the ABEF Golf Outing? If you want to enjoy some networking time with your peers on the golf course, remember to register for the ABEF Golf Outing. This registration is separate from the conference registration. You can register for the ABEF Golf Outing at http://nama.org/amc/golfregister.htm.
4. Did you sign-up for the Senior Management Workshop? Created specifically for senior management, this session is a detailed, drilled-down extension of the Second General Session. Participants must be registered for the full Agri-Marketing Conference. Separate registration is required, but there is no additional registration fee. Registration is limited to the first 100 attendees who sign-up. To sign up for the Senior Management Workshop, please visit http://www.nama.org/amc/seniorworkshop.html.
5. Did you sign-up for the Pre-Conference Workshop? If you are coming in early to attend the Agri-Marketing Conference, then you’ll want to attend the Pre-Conference Workshop. Participants must be registered for the full Agri-Marketing Conference. Separate registration is required, but there is no additional registration fee. To reserve your spot for the Pre-Conference Workshop visit, http://nama.org/amc/reserveworkshop.htm.

There has been a change in one of our speakers at the conference. The breakout session Public Perceptions of Agriculture will no longer be led by Ali Webb, W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Nicole de Beaufort, Founder, Fourth Sector Consulting, will now present this session from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 17.

Find out how the public perceives agriculture and consider how those perceptions affect what you do. Nicole will present findings from a recent landmark study on public perceptions of agriculture, including a review and analysis of relevant, publicly available opinion research conducted in the United States within the past five years.