The 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference planning is underway and it’s time to sign up to be an Exhibitor in the Connection Point! The conference will be held April 18-20, 2012, at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center (formerly the Hyatt Regency Crown Center).

Meet your customers in The Connection Point.  If your company has products and services to put before decision-makers in the ag marketplace, NAMA’s Connection Point is for you.  Over 90% of the exhibitors return each year!

You’ll get a first look at the latest products and services entering the industry. Plus, most booths host drawings for door prizes and other giveaways. Expand your network, peruse new technology and services and win cool stuff—see you there.

Put your company front and center in the Heartland. With nearly 1,200 professionals in attendance, there’s no better way to get noticed. Influencers and decision-makers will take note when you purchase booth space on this trade show floor. Lunch and refreshment breaks are scheduled to maximize traffic and draw the clients and customers you want to meet!

The Connection Point will be open Wednesday, April 18 from 6:00–7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 19 from 12:30–2:00 p.m., 3:00–4:00 p.m. and 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Booth space price (10’ x 10’ space) is $475 (includes one exhibit hall only pass). Trade in your exhibit hall only pass and receive $100 off one full conference registration. Additional exhibit hall only passes are $250 with a maximum of two per booth space.

Multiple space discount:
2 spaces = 10% off of the single booth price for a total of $855
3 spaces = 15% off of the single booth price for a total of $1,210
4 spaces = 20% off of the single booth price for a total of $1,520
5 or more spaces—call for price

Exhibitor Fees Include:
• One 10’ x 10’ exhibit space
• Uniform back wall and side rails (both draped)
• One-line company identification sign

To sign up for a booth in the Connection Point, visit http://www.nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm or contact Jan Cichello at [email protected] or call 913-491-6500.

Regional and chapter Best of NAMA Awards events will be taking place in January and February. We know you won’t want to miss these fun events, so we’re providing the various dates so you can add as many as you’d like to your calendar and easily register for more than one.

February 14, 2012 – Region I (Desert Southwest and Western Pacific Chapters) in the Wine and Cheese Pavilion (Corner of “S” Street & Expo Lane/by Seminar Center) at the World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA, with a reception scheduled to start at 11:00 am.

January 12, 2012 – Region II (Gateway, Great Plains, Midlands, Missouri-Kansas, Rocky Mountain, and Southwest Chapters) at Boulevard Brewing Company, 2501 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, MO  64108, beginning at 6:00 pm.  For more details, visit http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/region2.htm.  You can also register online at http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=39.

A note, too, that sleeping rooms are available at The Westin Crown Center Kansas City.  Due to a city-wide event, the cut-off date for those rooms is December 22 – so don’t delay if you want a room.  For reservations, call 1-888-627-8538 or, to reserve a room online, go to NAMA Room Block.

January 26, 2012 – Region III (Cornbelt, Iowa, North Central, and Northern Prairie Chapters) at the Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN  55403, starting at 6:00 pm.  For more details, visit http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/region3.htm.  Online registration for the banquet is available at http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=40.

A block of rooms has been secured at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, 1300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN  55403.  To book a room, call 1-888-421-1442 or, to register online, click on the following link:  https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=8116620.  Make sure you mention NAMA to receive the $120 rate.  The hotel cutoff is January 12.

January 19, 2012 – Region IV (Badger, Chicago, Heartland, and Mid-America Chapters) at the Crowne Plaza Madison, 4402 East Washington Avenue, Madison, WI  53704 starting at 6:00 pm.  For more details, visit http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/region4.htm. Online registration for the banquet is available at http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=41.

A block of rooms has been secured at the Crowne Plaza Madison.  To book a room, call 1-888-233-9527 or, to reserve a room online, go to https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=7906469.  Make sure you mention NAMA to receive the $99 discount rate.  The hotel cutoff is January 11, so if you need a room be sure to make a reservation quickly.

January 24, 2012 – Carolinas/Virginia Chapter at Mez Contemporary Mexican, 5410 Page Road, Durham, NC  27703, starting at 5:30 pm.  Online registration for the banquet is available at http://www.nama.org/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=16&pg=1.  For more details, contact Mary Cameron ([email protected]), Lela Griffin ([email protected]) or Jennifer Gwyn ([email protected]).

A Midsouth Chapter event will be planned and further details will be forthcoming.

January 25, 2012 – Southeastern Chapter at The Norcross Station Café, 40 South Peachtree Street, Norcross, GA  30017, starting at 6:00 pm.  Online registration for the banquet is available at http://www.nama.org/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=20&pg=1.  For more details, contact Kim Maloney ([email protected]).

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at 913-491-6500.

The 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference planning is underway and it’s time to sign up to be an Exhibitor in the Connection Point! The conference will be held April 18-20, 2012 at the Sheraton Hotel at Crown Center (formerly the Hyatt Regency Crown Center).

The social epicenter of the conference, the Connection Point is the place to meet new faces, reconnect with old friends and forge new relationships. Schedule plenty of time in your conference plan to visit the over 60 exhibiting companies and mingle with industry leaders. You’ll get a first look at the latest products and services entering the industry. Plus, most booths host drawings for door prizes and other giveaways. Expand your network, peruse new technology and services and win cool stuff—see you there.

Put your company front and center in the Heartland. With nearly 1,200 professionals in attendance, there’s no better way to get noticed. Influencers and decision-makers will take note when you purchase booth space on this tradeshow floor. Lunch and refreshment breaks are scheduled to maximize traffic and draw the clients and customers you want to meet!

The Connection Point will be open Wednesday, April 18 from 6:00–7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 19 from 12:30–2:00 p.m., 3:00–4:00 p.m. and 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Booth space price (10’ x 10’ space) is $475 (includes one exhibit hall only pass). Trade in your exhibit hall only pass and receive $100 off one full conference registration. Additional exhibit hall only passes are $250 with a maximum of two per booth space.

Multiple space discount:
2 spaces = 10% off of the single booth price for a total of $855
3 spaces = 15% off of the single booth price for a total of $1,210
4 spaces = 20% off of the single booth price for a total of $1,520
5 or more spaces—call for price

Exhibitor Fees Include:
• One 10’ x 10’ exhibit space
• Uniform back wall and side rails (both draped)
• One-line company identification sign

To sign up for a booth in the Connection Point, visit http://www.nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at [email protected] or call 913-491-6500.

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 18, at the Hyatt Regency, Kansas City.

Best of NAMA operates on a regional judging format.  Entries are sent directly to the national NAMA office and judged by industry professionals at a regional level for possible advancement to national competition. A minimum point standard will be used and enforced at the regional level. Work that is not above a certain point standard will not be eligible to be advanced. If you place first or merit at the regional competition and score above the minimum point standard, you are eligible to advance to the national competition.  The NAMA office will notify you by February 1, 2012, regarding entries eligible for advancement.   An entry fee at the regional and national level is required.  If your entry advances to national, however, it will not be necessary to create another entry.

The deadline for submitting your entries is Friday, October 7. Submit your entries into the Best of NAMA Competition today. For more information on the Call for Entries, visit http://www.nama.org/amc/bon.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of long time NAMA member and friend, Denny Eilers, Iowa Photo Farm, Inc.

A Cornbelt NAMA member since 1990, Denny has been the photographer for many NAMA Agri-Marketing Conferences and will be greatly missed.

The Iowa Photo Farm was operated by Denny and Gwen Eilers. Denny served as chief photographer and Gwen was the business and production manager. They were located on a working farm in scenic northeast Iowa, raising corn, soybeans and a variety of locally grown vegetable crops.

Denny died Sunday, June 26, 2011, at Central Community Hospital, Elkader.

Visitation hours are this Thursday, June 29, from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Services will be at 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 1, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Monona, IA. Friends may call one hour before service at the church on Friday. Private burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Guttenberg, IA.

If you would like to share your thoughts and memories, Leonard Funeral Home will deliver your message to the family. Click here to deliver your message/memories.

ABEF GOLF OUTING
The ABEF hosted its annual Golf Outing during the 2011 Agri-Marketing Conference to help raise money for the Student NAMA Careers Program. The ABEF Golf Outing took place on Tuesday, April 12, at WinterStone Golf Course in Independence, MO.

Golfers enjoyed a beautiful day for the golf outing. Taking third place in the golf outing was Jason Weil, Kansas Agriculture Network; John Shostak, Kansas Farm Bureau; and Dennis Miner, Penton Media. Second place went to Troy Schroeder, Broadhead; Randy Groff, Mosaic Company; Heidi Nelson, Harvest PR & Marketing; and Heather Rossow, Penton Media. First place winners were Bob Bunker, J.L. Farmakis; Chet Slump, iNet Solutions; Ted Haller, Teddy Media; and Bill Farmakis, J.L. Farmakis.

There were also 2 closest to the hole contests which were won by Steve Custer, Farm Journal Media and John Shostak, Kansas Farm Bureau.

Special thanks also to the sponsors of the ABEF Golf Outing: Penton Media, Bock & Associates, Successful Farming and Mosaic Company. We look forward to another successful Golf Outing next year in Kansas City!

ABEF AUCTIONS
The ABEF Silent Auction and Online Media Auction raised over $25,700 for the Student Careers Program. Items in the auctions ranged from wine to media packages to iPods. Special thanks to all who donated and bid on items in the Auctions this year!

ABEF STUDENT RAFFLE
Attendees had a chance to win a Vizio 55″ Flat Screen TV courtesy of Penton Media at the 2011 Agri-Marketing Conference. NAMA Student chapters sold tickets in advance as well as at the conference for a chance to win the TV. The winning raffle ticket was sold by Jacklyn Schroeder with Delaware Valley College to Tim Kantz.

Over $5,110 was raised from the Student Raffle and schools received $5.00 for each ticket sold, meaning $2,555 of that money will be returned to the student chapters to help cover expenses to next year’s conference. The school that sold the most raffle tickets received $100 and the second place school received $50. In addition, the student who sold the most tickets received an additional cash prize of $100. This year’s top selling school was University of Florida and second place honors go to Delaware Valley College. The student selling the most raffle tickets was Bethany Coon, University of Florida.