Managing Up and Sideways: How to Make Things Happen When You’re Not in Charge with Shelia Campbell, President, Wild Blue Yonder, Inc.

Skillfully managing your own relationships with supervisors, department heads, CEOs and co-workers is key to success in a work environment and career. Shelia Campbell, president of Wild Blue Yonder, Inc., gave NAMA Trends attendees specific actions they can take to inform, motivate, inspire and direct other people, even without formal authority over them.

Through The Lens of a Leader with Aidan Connolly, Vice President Corporate Accounts, Alltech Inc.

Agriculture is a global business with a world of opportunities. That’s the message Aidan Connolly, Alltech Inc.’s Vice President Corporate Accounts delivered as the final featured keynote at NAMA Trends. His work for Alltech in countries throughout the world has given him perspective on trends in agriculture and the growing global emphasis on food as a universal story that all cultures are interested in and talking about. Listen as Connolly shares his insights and advice for agri-marketers.

It’s a Jungle In There: Inspiring Lessons, Hard-Won Insights and Other Acts of Entrepreneurial Daring with Steven Schussler, Founder, Rainforest Cafe

People told Steven Schussler that building a rainforest in his home was crazy. That was before he opened his first Rainforest Cafe and now Schussler has 45 restaurant locations on three continents. As a branding expert, entrepreneur and creator of Rainforest Cafe, Schussler provides inspiration and motivation for agri-marketers at NAMA Trends to be creative innovators.

Bringing Your Clients’ Brand Forward with Ed Bennett, Design Director, Colle+McVoy

How do you successfully transform a brand? Bringing a brand forward through a re-branding effort is the insight shared by Ed Bennett, Design Director with Colle+McVoy at NAMA Trends. Bennett described the inside story and strategies surrounding Caribou Coffee’s brand relaunch. He points to the importance of understanding the soul and history of a company and brand for a successful relaunch in the following video recap of Bennett’s presentation.

Much of American agriculture is dependent on international trade. What does this mean for the future if the ag industry in our country? NAMA Trends in Agriculture explored that issue with a panel that included Tom Dorr, the President and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council. Dorr shared his thoughts on what solid export policy for the U.S. should look like.

NAMA Trends in Agriculture examined that issue with a panel that included Dan Basse, President of AgResources, who talked about the state of export markets going forward.

NAMA Trends in Agriculture also delved into that issue with a panel that included Bailey Ragan, Vice President, Grain, Biofuels and Fertilizer for Bunge North America, who talked about how the shape of U.S. infrastructure will determine progress and success in our export future.

Day two of 2011 NAMA Trends in Agriculture kicked off with a discussion of Productivity in the Field, with a panel of producers and growers sharing their thoughts on what they use now and what they will need to stay ahead of the curve. Theran Null works for Gages Fertilizer and Grain in northwest Missouri. Debbie Lyons-Blythe is a cattle rancher and blogger in the Flint Hills of Kansas and Terry Jones farms 7,000 acres in eastern Iowa and owns and operates Circle J Grain.

A growing wave of food insecurity threatens more than 1 billion people around the world. Solutions exist today to help meet food needs. Jeff Simmons, President, Elanco, talked about the real issue we have today is feeding ourselves and how techology can play a major role in accomplishing that.