Is your shifting foot itching? Scratch it at a special post-Commodity Classic NAMA Bombers Ride Saturday, February 28 around Dallas.

We’ll be renting bikes from SportRyder Rentals (renting sport bikes, touring bikes and cruisers, on the Web at www.SportRyderRentals.com) and riding in the countryside around Big-D. Exact start and end times to be determined based on schedules of riders.

And, new this year, we’re launching the NAMA Bombers Auxiliary for anyone who loves to ride on a bike but doesn’t want to drive one. Auxiliary spots are limited based on riders and willingness to carry a passenger, so sign up early.

If you’re interested in driving or riding, contact Jill “Biker Momma” Wenzel at jill.wenzel@syngenta.com for more information. Rides will be available to and from the bike pick-up/drop-off  spot, which is conveniently located near the Gaylord and the airport in Grapevine.

And, mark your calendars for another Epic NAMA Bombers National NAMA Ride in April. Planning remains under way for … some kind of ride … either to, from or around Atlanta, or possibly a combination depending on weather and general initiative.

The deadline for the Agribusiness Leader and NAMA Marketer of the Year awards has been extended to January 22. Both awards will be presented at the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 15-17 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Agribusiness Leader of the Year
The Agribusiness Leader of the Year is NAMA’s highest honor. The award honors an outstanding leader in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas. Nominees do not need to be NAMA members.

Fill out the nomination form on-line now at http://www.nama.org/awards/agribusinessform.htm.

Download the Agribusiness Leader Nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/agbusapplication.pdf.

NAMA Marketer of the Year
NAMA recognizes its active members with senior management of marketing and/or sales responsibilities with the NAMA Marketer of the Year award. This award is the most prestigious honor awarded to an active member of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing directly to ag producers. Nominees MUST be NAMA members.

Fill out the nomination form on-line now at http://www.nama.org/awards/namamarketerform.htm.

Download the NAMA Marketer of the Year nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/mktrapplication.pdf.

See the Hot Ideas and Sizzling Solutions of 2008 by attending a regional or chapter Best of NAMA Event near you.

Region III
January 15, 2009

The Region III Best of NAMA Ceremony will take place on January 15, 2009, at the Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston, IA. Cost for the event is $65.

A block of rooms has been secured at the Stoney Creek Inn. To book a room, call 1-800-659-2220.
Reception at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Awards at 7:30 p.m.

Stoney Creek Inn
5291 Stoney Creek Ct.
Johnston, IA 50131

Region IV
January 22, 2009

The Region IV Best of NAMA ceremony will take place at the Chicago Marriott Northwest, 4800 Hoffman Blvd., Hoffman Estates, IL 60192.

Reception 6:00 p.m.
Dinner 7:00 p.m.
Awards 8:00 p.m.

Cost is $75 per person. For hotel reservations, call the Marriott at 847-645-9500.
To register for a regional Best of NAMA Event, please visit: http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/register.htm.

Carolinas/Virginia
January 22, 2009

Please join us on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at North Carolina’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designed restaurant, Mez Contemporary Mexican Restaurant, as we toast another great year of “well done” local campaigns. Our Best of NAMA Regional winners will be announced and we’ll cheer on those advancing to the national awards ceremony.

Agenda Thursday, January 22, 2009
5:30 pm Registration and Networking Reception
6:15 Dinner
7:00 Program
9:00 Adjournment Target

Location
Mez Contemporary Mexican Restaurant
5410 Page Road
Durham, North Carolina

Cost
$60 members — Early Registration
$70 members — At the Door
$70 guests

To register online visit, http://payment.nama.org/carvir.html.

Midsouth
January 27, 2009

This year, we have reserved a suite at the FedEx Forum for all of us to enjoy a Memphis Grizzlies game!

Instead of the usual, we thought an entertaining outing would be more fun, with the focus not on the awards, but on each other. So, please make plans to join us as the Grizzlies take on the Denver Nuggets, Tuesday, January 27.

We’ve reserved one of the great suites at the Forum and will be serving food and beverages before and during the game. Plus, we’ll have our local winning NAMA entries on display.

The FedEx Forum is located at:
191 Beale Street
Memphis, TN 38103

Please RSVP by January 20 to http://survey.archermalmo.com/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88K2882.

Don’t miss the next NAMA Webinar, Maximizing your Tradeshow R.O.I., on Thursday, February 5th at 1:00 p.m. central time. Our speaker will be Scott Hanna of Skyline Displays.

What do you do at a trade show? Now, more than ever, your tradeshow marketing program must generate sales and profits. Scott Hanna with Skyline Displays will help you get results by revealing the essential aspects of a successful tradeshow program.

You will learn key skills, such as:

• Measuring objectives
• Selecting the right shows and booth spaces
• Budgeting – doing more with less
• Designing an effective exhibit
• Promoting your tradeshow exhibit
• Selecting and preparing the right staff
• and more!

To register for the February 5th webinar, visit http://payment.nama.org/webinar.htm.

Note: If you sign up for a Trade Show Booth at the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference in Atlanta by February 4 you will receive a complimentary registration for this webinar!

Every year at the Agri-Marketing Conference, professionals involved with selling products and services into the agricultural marketplace gather to explore the latest in techniques, trends and practices.

In today’s world of voice mails and e-mails, the Connection Point offers a unique opportunity for face-to-face contact. Something every business can use!

Research shows a single, personal sales call can cost $500 or more. In some industries—such as ag—that can go much higher, both because of technical expertise needed and because the market is so geographically dispersed. Your participation in the Connection Point will enable you to make sales calls much more economically!

And it is a sales opportunity. In a recent study, 91% of respondents ranked trade shows as an “extremely useful” source for product purchasing information and nearly half had purchased products or services at a trade show.

Connection Point Hours

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Best of NAMA Celebration/Trade Show Grand Opening

THURSDAY, APRIL 16
12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Luncheon
3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Break
5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Closing Reception/ABEF Silent Auction

For more information on the Connection Point visit http://nama.org/amc/ts/connection.htm.

To sign up for booth space now visit http://nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm.

Note: Exhibitors who sign up for a booth by February 4 will receive a complimentary registration for NAMA’s February 5th webinar on Maximizing Your Trade Show R.O.I. with Scott Hanna, Skyline Displays. For more information on this Webinar visit http://www.nama.org/programs/webinars.htm.

After careful review, the NAMA Executive Committee has announced that the annual Agri-Marketing Conference will be held in Kansas City the next four years. The committee cited two primary reasons: member satisfaction and cost control.

Historically, member participation has been stronger at Kansas City conferences, both in terms of delegate registrations and student competition. This is due in part because its central location makes the city a convenient and affordable travel destination from virtually anywhere in the country.

It’s also because Kansas City is an attractive city to visit as is reflected by its scores on conference surveys, consistently higher than any other conference location. In addition, the committee felt that recent investments in the downtown area – including the Power and Light District – will make Kansas City an even more stronger conference venue in years to come.

In the current economy, cost is an obvious concern in conference planning. As already noted, the city compares favorably in terms of travel and lodging costs for attendees.

These benefits apply to the organization of the event as well. Meeting rooms are more affordable as are freight and handling costs for trade show participants. And, by committing to a multi-year contract, the committee was able to lock in even more favorable rates.

“Controlling the cost of facilities allows greater portion of conference revenues to be committed to speakers,” noted Carol Anderson, Mariposa Partners and NAMA President.  “Stronger programming creates stronger attendance. That’s the nucleus of a successful conference.”

If you have feedback please feel free to contact Jenny Pickett at the national office, 913-491-6500, jennyp@nama.org.

You may know that your Midsouth NAMA Chapter supports students from Mississippi State and University of Tennessee-Martin in their quest to win the national student marketing competition at the annual meeting in April.

This year, however, the Midsouth chapter is giving each team a little extra help: a crash course in NAMA Student Marketing Competition 101!  And we need your help.

Next week, both teams will be coming to Memphis to introduce the initial ideas for their products and hope to get feedback from professionals like you!

We’ll be breaking the teams up (so they can keep their product/plan confidential) throughout the afternoon:

• one team will meet first with an “evaluation panel” — we’ll take a hard look at their product and plan
• the other team will meet a “presentation team” — students will be able to review videos and Executive Summaries from previous national finalists and will be able to brush up on general PowerPoint and presentation skills.

Date: Wednesday, January 21
Time: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: archer>malmo, 65 Union Ave. (Cotton Exchange Building)
5th Floor Parking: Park in Parking Can Be Fun — bring your ticket to a>m for validation What we need from you:

• If your schedule allows, join us next Wednesday at archer>malmo to help meet with the students and set them on the road to victory. You can be a part of the evaluation panel or the presentation team — your choice!  And if you can’t make it the entire afternoon, we still appreciate any time you can spare.
• If you can help: contact Megan Klein (mklein@archermalmo.com) or Brad Allen (allenb@helenachemical.com) for details.

Thanks for your help…we know the students will appreciate your support!