A luncheon presentation featuring Chet Slump, iNet Solutions, brought MoKan members together on July 18 at 2000 Grand, in Kansas City.  Chet, who actively designs and develops mobile and web applications for leading agriculture companies, shared his expertise about mobile apps.

He noted that apps, like web sites, are seldom a finished work.  Instead, they are ever-evolving.  Depending on the complexity of an app, it can easily take from two weeks to several months to design a new app.  And the cost, of course, varies accordingly.

As he explained, a single app design will not work on all platforms.  Apple and Android are two very different markets, as are phones vs. tablets for running a mobile application.  Attendees found it interesting to learn about the approval steps that must be undertaken for Apple or Android to actually launch a new app. Chet finished his presentation walking through a few apps that are popular within the agriculture industry today.

This year it will be easier to enter and judge Best of NAMA.    NAMA is setting up a special web site that will allow members to upload entries including radio, TV, broadcast news, blogs, internet web sites and banners. This same site will allow for streamlined judging at the regional and national levels.  Other categories such as print ads, collateral, etc. will still be entered via hard copy submission. Watch for complete details in the call for entries, which will come out late summer. 

The 2012 deadline for Best of NAMA entries will be October 12 with Regional judging set for November 6-7.

Thanks to Paulsen Marketing for coordinating the new Best of NAMA Entry Site.

If you were unable to attend the Agri-Marketing Conference, or would like a copy of the presentations,  you can now download the audio of the sessions from the NAMA Store at http://www.nama.org/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=23&pg=1.  Watch the video of the Opening Session and the student marketing competition top 6 finalists on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ExploreNAMA.

The packed house at the Best of NAMA Celebration prior to the first full day of conference activities was a clue. The 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference was going to be big … and it was.  Click here for a list of Best of NAMA winners.

Over 1200 attendees filled the Sheraton at Crown Center exhibit hall, keynote sessions and breakouts. NAMA has challenged itself to up the ante on conference each year.

“Our executive and planning committees work so hard to deliver the most amazing conference possible and it seems like they out do themselves every time,” shares Jenny Pickett, Executive Vice President/CEO of NAMA. “We try to bring in speakers who inject new perspectives and shake things up a little. The line up this year was just stellar.”

Peter Sheahan got things started with an energizing exploration of how ideas and execution join to create innovation. Using little known examples from leading-edge companies like Apple and Progressive, he had the crowd rapt with attention the whole morning.

The comedic, laid-back style of Ross Schafer was the perfect segue into the rest of the day. His insights and quick-witted observations were also full of useful suggestions for nurturing customer relationships and gaining an edge on your competition.

Awards for Agribusiness Leader of the Year and NAMA Marketer of the Year were also presented in the morning sessions. Honors went to John Becherer, United Soybean Board, and Greg Guse, Paulsen Marketing, respectively.

Attendees then chose from a wide-ranging group of breakout sessions to round out their afternoons. Topics spanned how different generations of farmers use media, to how to foster a creative environment in the workplace.

A walk through the Connection Point Trade Show  and closing reception with the exhibitors closed a full day of networking, learning and new ideas.  Attendees were encouraged to visit each of the 62 trade show booths to enter to win great prizes.  Congrats to Tom Apple, Pam Voelkel and Michele Egan who each took home a Kindle Fire.  Michelle Weinzetl won a XBOX Kinect and Heather Rossow won a Best Buy Gift Card.

At the Closing Session, Walter Bond shared his personal experiences of challenge and triumph during his long journey to becoming a player in the NBA. He urged the audience to be confident (but not arrogant), show enthusiasm and resist dwelling on the negative.

Region I hosted a Best of NAMA event on February 14 at the Wine and Cheese Pavilion in the 2012 World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA.  The 40 – 50 attendees enjoyed wine, cheese, and other drinks and snacks while networking and listening to a brief speaker.  Best of NAMA Awards were distributed to winning companies/agencies representatives who attended.  Visit www.nama.org/amc/bon/reg1win.htm  for a complete list of winners.

Regional Best of NAMA Winners

If you place first or merit at the regional level, you are eligible to advance to the national competition. To advance your entries, visit www.nama.org/amc/advance.htm.

Please click on a region below to view the first and merit winners in that region.

Region I

Region II

Region III

Region IV

Region V

Region VI

Regional/Chapter Best of NAMA Highlights

Region II Best of NAMA
The Region II Best of NAMA Ceremony took place on Thursday, January 12, at Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City, Missouri.

Nearly 130 people attended this event! The ceremony honored the best work of the Rocky Mountain, Southwest, Missouri-Kansas, Great Plains, Gateway and Midlands chapters.  These chapters and others were represented by event attendees.

Taking home Best of Show awards were:

Best of Show Advertising
Category: Premiums/Specialties directed to farmers, growers and ranchers
Company: Monsanto
Agency: Osborn & Barr
Campaign: DEKALB Luke Bryan Concert Collateral

Best of Show Public Relations
Category: Events – Internal
Company: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
Agency: Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications
Campaign: Boehringer Ingelheim Pet Sales Meeting – San Antonio

To view photos from the Region II Best of NAMA event, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/namaflickr.

Region IV Best of NAMA
A record 114 people participated in Region IV’s Best of NAMA Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 19, at the Crowne Plaza Madison in Madison, Wisconsin.  All Region IV chapters were represented – Badger, Chicago, Heartland, and Mid-America.  Attendees from many other chapters were there, too.

Merit and First Place winners in each category were recognized, with awards given to First Place winners.  The evening wrapped up with awards being presented to Best of Show winners in both Advertising and Public Relations.

Best of Show Public Relations
Category: Other Social Media
Company: Mycogen Seeds
Agency: Bader Rutter & Associates
Campaign: BMR Connection

Best of Show Advertising
Category: Single Page Ads, Series
Company: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board/Wisconsin Cheese
Agency: Shine Advertising
Campaign: Definition Campaign

To view photos from the Region IV Best of NAMA event, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/namaflickr.

Region III Best of NAMA
The Region III Best of NAMA Ceremony took place on January 26, 2012, at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis with a record 130 in attendance.  All Region III chapters were represented – Cornbelt, Iowa, North Central and Northern Prairie, along with attendees from other chapters.

Best of Show Public Relations
Category: Public Affairs/Issues Management Program
Company: Minnesota Pork Board/Minnesota Pork Producers Association
Agency: Weber Shandwick
Campaign: Oink Outings: A Passion for Pork, From Farm to Fork

Best of Show Advertising
Category: Multi-Media Campaigns – Regional
Company: Wyffels Hybrids
Agency: O&H Brand Design, Melzer & Musta, In-house
Campaign: Wyffels Hybrids Brand Campaign

To view photos from the Region III Best of NAMA event, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/namaflickr.

Carolinas/Virginia Best of NAMA
The Carolinas/Virginia Chapter celebrated its annual Best of NAMA award’s ceremony on Jan. 24 at Mez Contemporary Mexican in Durham, N.C.

The highlight of the event was the student members from North Carolina State University’s student NAMA Chapter who emceed the awards ceremony and helped pass out plaques to honorees. The Best of Show Public Relations and Advertising awards were bestowed upon Syngenta and Gibbs & Soell for their customer events and exhibits entries, respectively. More than 50 agri-marketers attended the event and ten sponsors helped make it a night to remember.

Southeastern Best of NAMA
Southeastern NAMA chapter members and other guests gathered at Norcross Station Café in Norcross, Georgia on January 25th for their annual Best of NAMA Celebration. A delicious buffet was served and awards were handed out to the regional merit and first place winners. A good time was had by all.

Midsouth Best of NAMA
More than 20 different companies, organizations and agencies were honored for their work in Midsouth agriculture.  The Midsouth NAMA Chapter event took place on January 26 at the Butcher Shop in Cordova, Tennessee.

Region I ~ February 14, 2012
Region I will host a Best of NAMA event on February 14 at the 2012 World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA. The event will take place at the Wine and Cheese Pavilion at the corner of “S” Street & Expo Lane – by the Seminar Center, from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm.  All NAMA members are invited to attend!

To RSVP visit http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/reg1register.htm.