Our first speaker at the opening session is Dr. Gene Brown, University of Missouri. Dr. Brown presented research from a study he just completed of NAMA members asking them all about customer-focused marketing and their thoughts on how their companies did. I know he used the academic term “sucks” more than once to describe the results on certain questions. I’ll try to get or point you to his powerpoint presentation later.

The sponsor for the first session is the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and representing them is Monte Reese. Monte introduced the first speaker.

The first session is about to get started and Charlie Arnot, CMA Consulting, will soon be moderating the panel discussion portion of the program.

It’s time for the opening session. To get it started, Forum chairman, Scott Kurfman, welcomed everyone. He thanked the committee who helped put together this year’s program.

Scott then introduced the sponsor for the opening session speaker. That’s next.

The pre-Forum session is standing room only! More chairs were needed for all the people who are here for this first presentation.

Michelle Salomon, Harris Interactive, is presenting the ABM Agri-Council Reader Survey. There seems to be a high level of interest in the subject.

Keep in mind that the blog has a comment feature that allows you to post your own comments. Feel free to add comments to any post through the event and I hope you like what you see.

I would have shown the registration table but then you would have seen blue jeans. I promised not to show them but I didn’t promise not to mention them. Registration is getting busier as we near time for the pre-Forum session.

Some board members aren’t paying attention. Actually, I distracted Frank Timberlake while he was considering the weighty matters of national NAMA business.