The NAMA 2012 Fall Conference was a big success with nearly 200  in attendance.  The new NAMA Fall Conference focused on celebrating leadership and recognizing those who are the leaders in the agri-marketing industry.

Attendees who made it to Minneapolis  early for the North Central Ag Tour had the chance to visit CHS Savage Terminal, Peavey Grain Elevator and Flat Earth Brewing.

The founder of the Rainforest Cafe, Steven Schussler, Schussler Creative, opened the  Fall Conference as keynote speaker.  “It’s a Jungle in There: Inspiring Lessons, Hard-Won Insights and Other Acts of Entrepreneurial Daring,” was the topic of his presentation. Steven is also the author of the bestselling book, “It’s a Jungle in There.”

Afternoon breakout sessions on the first day of Fall Conference targeted agri-marketers ready to move up the career ladder  and acquire game-changing professional development skills.

The day ended with a networking reception at SEVEN.   Attendees enjoyed complimentary appetizers and cocktails courtesy of  Broadhead.

Day two began with a session on “How to Make Things Happen When You’re Not in Charge” with Sheila Campbell, President, Wild Blue Yonder, Inc. Campbell urged the audience to foster relationships that make people want to help us.

Morning breakout sessions on day two included a discussion on crisis management, communicating with impact and moving up the ladder.  The audience gained insightful tips on how to fine-tune their leadership skills.

NAMA honored the  2012 Professional Development Awards of Excellence sponsored by Farm Progress Companies. These awards honor NAMA members with hands-on responsibility in marketing and communications, public relations, product/species management and sales.  Congratulations to Troy Schroeder – Broadhead, Justin Funk – Agri Studies Inc., Kevin Bien – AGCO and John Rozum – World Dairy Expo.

Wrapping up the conference was Aidan Connolly, Vice President Corporate Accounts, Alltech Inc.  Breakfast in China, afternoon presentation in Minneapolis at the NAMA Fall Conference. That was on Connolly’s schedule for the day.  Agribusiness is a worldwide business now and that means dealing with different languages and cultures. Aidan says “agriculture has never been so key to the world” and “food is a conversation that everyone wants to have.” He says that future leaders in agriculture need to be ready to travel, understand what’s going on in China, Brazil and India, have a sense of curiosity and a willingness to use new technology.

This meeting also marked the passing of the gavel from 2012 NAMA President Beth Burgy, Broadhead, to incoming president Paul Redhage, FMC Agricultural Products.

Congratulations to our incoming and existing officers!

President Elect – Kenna Rathai,  Kenna B. Rathai Communications
Secretary/Treasurer – Marvin Kokes, National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn.
Vice Presidents – Sally Behringer, MustangRED Communications
Matt Coniglio, Farm Progress Companies
Amy Bradford, GROWMARK, Inc.
Chuck Zimmerman, ZimmComm New Media
Amy Bugg, AdFarm
Sheri Seger, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

See additional  coverage and photos from the Fall Conference in Minneapolis on AgWired http://agwired.com/

The deadline for the 2012 Best of NAMA competition is October 12.  Regional judging is set for November 6-7, 2012.

The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. Actually, the best of the best, since companies/agencies must first qualify through regional competition in order to advance to the national level. The national awards ceremony will take place April 17, 2013, at the Sheraton Crown Center in Kansas City.

Thanks to a new microsite created by Paulsen Marketing, you can upload digital entries for Best of NAMA this year. So your best work from radio, TV, broadcast news, blogs, websites and banners can be viewed—or heard—and judged in the medium for which they were created. Submissions for the print ads and collateral will still require physical samples for judging.

Click here for  Call for Entries details.  Thanks to Broadhead for the design of the Call For Entries.

The drought of 2012 has been brutal. The Midlands NAMA Chapter hosted a panel discussion in Lincoln to talk about its impact on agriculture. Panelists included: Jesse Dotterer, Market Advisor; Ryan Huffstutler, Ag Finance Specialist; Matt Hoxmeier, Ag Risk Advisor, all of Water Street Solutions; and Kent Thompson of Kruger Seed. Approximately 20 members attended this informative panel discussion.

The discussion started by talking about the emotional impact of the 2012 drought. During planting season and in the early growth stages, farmers had a lot of hope for a great year. Fear began to set in and quickly turned to despair after weeks of no rain. According to Dotterer, “Farmers who quickly put emotions aside and got down to facts were able to turn their stress around.”

The entire panel agreed that having a well understood plan was crucial to their farmers’ success this past year. “Informed producers were prepared to make better decisions,” said Huffstutler.  A good representation of this is when a farmer fully understood how lower premiums in crop insurance led to lower coverage levels. “An example is a farmer we work with who had the right coverage and right insurance products in place.” Hoxmeier continued, “for this farmer, the difference meant this producer could farm another year versus taking a $500,000 loss.”

Kent reminded the group that, good, solid farmers make wise decisions consistently year after year. They have a diversified plan, specifically able to deal with the many unknowns that can arise in farming.” These farmers capitalize on profits in good years and are able to build a financial cushion to help them in tough years.

How does this past year impact farmers going forward? It’s important for farmers to build a relationship with suppliers and service providers to receive the education on the various products available. When it comes to purchasing for 2013 – farmers should be looking at their breakevens to understand their need for crop insurance, fertilizer, seed and other inputs.  And the final piece that the panelists felt would be important for farmers in 2013 – be consistent with a plan, look at the facts and make informed decisions. Don’t let emotions take over and drive poor decisions.

Mo-Kan NAMA members gathered for drinks, appetizers and networking Thursday, September 20, 2012, at the new Kill Devil Jazz Club in the Power & Light District of Kansas City. Professional members mingled with NAMA student members from Kansas State University, the University of Missouri and Northwest Missouri State University. It was a great night with almost 40 professional and student members in attendance. Be on the lookout for details on the next Mo-Kan gathering in October.

NAMA is pleased to congratulate this year’s Professional Development Awards of Excellence recipients sponsored by Farm Progress Companies.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Troy Schroeder, Chief Marketing Officer, Broadhead

Troy has led numerous award-winning campaigns from concept to completion. His ability to combine sound strategy with innovative new communications tools has created tangible results for numerous clients, including AGCO (Massey Ferguson, Challenger, Gleaner, RoGator and TerraGator), American Le Mans Series, Cat Auction Services, IndyCar Series, John Deere, Minnesota FFA Foundation, The Mosaic Company, Oxbo International Corporation, Renewable Fuels Association, Trimble Navigation and USDA.

Troy’s work with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) and the IndyCar Series earned numerous awards and over one billion media impressions in a two-year campaign that focused on the performance and environmental attributes of the renewable fuel. In addition, ethanol was named Agri Marketing’s Product of the Year during the campaign.

A NAMA member since 2004, Troy has been involved in his local chapter and a consistent supporter of the national NAMA organization. He has served on the board of directors for the North Central Chapter, encouraged committee and board involvement from other Broadhead employees, and continues to be a contributor locally and nationally.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
Justin Funk, Managing Partner, Agri Studies Inc.

For over 20 years, Agri Studies has been offering marketing research and educational programs to the agribusiness industry.  Today, Agri Studies offers certificate programs in Professional Selling and Agri Marketing that allow students to write their own course by using real life situations they’re presently experiencing.  There is currently a waiting list to enter, and the concept was expanded into Western Canada locations.

Justin has also been very involved in CAMA. He took over as the CAMA Ontario Chapter President in 2008. During his two-year leadership, CAMA Ontario membership has grown from 125 to 150, and attendance at events and meetings has seen a 15% increase. He voluntarily developed the Certificate in Agri-Marketing as an educational program of CAMA, and assisted the University of Guelph Student Chapter as they developed their marketing project for the NAMA Student Competition. He continually encourages other CAMA members to provide input and feedback to the students to help prepare them for their competition.

PRODUCT/SPECIES MANAGEMENT
Kevin Bien, Product Marketing Manager, AGCO

Kevin Bien is responsible for AGCO’s successful introduction of the Gleaner S7 Super Series of combines. The Gleaner tagline (and also its mantra) is “Built With The Farmer In Mind.” When he wears his product manager hat—his official role on Gleaner from 2006 until 2011—Kevin uses his phenomenal knowledge of the product and the needs of its dealers and customers to drive product development to deliver on the promise of that tagline and the promise of the brand. The new Gleaner Super Series is up to 40 to 60 percent greater in capacity, and very up-to-date in harvesting technology and precision-ag technology, all while retaining the grain sample quality, compactness, maneuverability, soil-protecting lighter weight and easier serviceability. This advancement occurred because Kevin fought tooth and nail to deliver the product that dealers, farmers and custom harvesters wanted and had been asking AGCO to deliver for many years.

Kevin is the epitome of what a national agriculture marketing professional should be. He has been an example for many NAMA members at AGCO as well as a constant supporter of his subordinates’ and colleagues’ investment and participation in NAMA activities.

SALES
John Rozum, Sales Manager, World Dairy Expo
John’s responsibilities involve all aspects of sales for World Dairy Expo, from exhibit space to sponsored events to all sponsored items, signage and materials. As a result, he works directly with the 850+ companies exhibiting at the show from 28 different countries. John takes his responsibility for clear, almost-instant communication seriously, regardless of the question or language barrier. Under John’s leadership, guidance and hard work, Expo has grown exponentially in exhibit and sponsorship sales.

John is a long-time volunteer and leader in the Badger NAMA Chapter. He is currently serving as Vice President and Programming Chair. Much like his work at WDE, John brings new and innovative ideas to Badger NAMA where he is known for developing and implementing impressive programs for ag marketing professionals.

The first ever NAMA Fall Conference is taking shape and filling up fast! And it’s right around the corner—September 25-26, 2012, in Minneapolis.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action! CHECK OUT WHO’S COMING. Download the attendee list.

Here’s what’s in store …

• Insightful Keynote Speaker. Steve Schussler, founder of Rainforest Cafe, is living proof that setting your goals high and staying focused pays off! He’ll share his secrets to success.
• Next Level Breakout Sessions. Created especially for agri-marketers ready to move up the career ladder and acquire game-changing professional development skills.
• Classic NAMA Networking. Rub shoulders with NAMA leadership and expand your circle of influential agri-marketing professionals.
• Leadership Celebration and Cultivation. Learn how to propel your career through NAMA.

But don’t wait. The seats are almost filled, and we want to see you there!  Click here for details Fall Conference.