North Central NAMA gathered on December 4 for a Gathering and Giving holiday event at Brit’s Pub in Downtown Minneapolis. They kicked off the season in style with a night of socializing and catching up with colleagues – complete with cookies and cheer! Party goers enjoyed drinks and appetizers courtesy of NC NAMA.

Members and friends were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Second Harvest Heartland. In addition, the chapter raffled off tickets to the Anaheim Ducks vs Minnesota Wild game on December 10, 2019, with proceeds going to Second Harvest Heartland as well.

Photo by Mike Braunlin.

Heartland NAMA members toured Wyffels Hybrids on December 11. Following Wyffels’ 2019 Best of Show award, central Illinois agri-marketers wanted a behind-the-scenes look at their marketing success.

Special thanks to Wyffels employees and NAMA members Trista Thompson and Ashely Davis for hosting the group and bringing members along on the Wyffels seed to customer journey. A highlight of the day was learning that doing things differently from the competition matters, and that the different things can also be the big things to the customer.

The 2020 Conference program has been announced! Register by December 31, 2019 for the 2020 Agri-Marketing Conference and you’ll be entered to win a $250 Southwest Airlines Gift Card.

Do you have an in-house or small marketing department? Join NAMA on Wednesday, April 15 from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. in San Diego for an afternoon of programming geared towards you.

Visit https://nama.org/amc/2020-pre-conference-session for more information on presentations and speakers. No need to register separately for this programming, it’s included in your conference registration fee.

Recruit someone to be a member by 12/16/19 and you will be entered in a drawing for a registration* to the 2020 Agri-Marketing Conference.

Simply tell your recruit to join at nama.org and add your name and company in the box titled “Referred by.”

The more members you recruit, the more your name will be entered into the drawing!

*Registration is non-transferable.

NAMA provides great opportunities for professional recognition. Do you have a candidate in mind for one, or all, of these awards? Go ahead and nominate someone today! January 17, 2020 is the nomination deadline for the following awards. These awards will be presented at the 2020 Agri-Marketing Conference in San Diego

Ag Association Leader of the Year
About the Award
The Ag Association Leader of the Year award recognizes outstanding achievement in an association or commodity organization.
Click here for the online nomination form.

Agribusiness Leader of the Year
About the Award
The Agribusiness Leader of the Year award recognizes leadership achievement in agriculture and the food and fiber industry. This award honors agribusiness leaders and leaders in private, public or academic service.
Click here for the online nomination form.

NAMA Marketer of the Year
About the Award
NAMA will recognize 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.
Click here for the online nomination form.

Next Gen NAMA Award
About the Award
To thrive in the future, the NAMA community needs to develop and support the next generation of members. NAMA’s Next Gen Award honors active NAMA members under 35 years of age that show great potential in the industry.
Click here for the online nomination form.

Did you enter your work? Be sure to attend the Regional and Chapter Best of NAMA events. See below for a complete listing.

January 9 Region 2 Best of NAMA Event
Grand Street Café
4740 Grand Ave., Kansas City, MO
Tickets: $85. Register here for Event.
A block of rooms is available at
Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza
4445 Main St., Kansas City, MO
Room rate: $149. Click here for reservations. 

January 15 Region 3 Best of NAMA Event
McNamara Alumni Center
University of Minnesota, 200 Oak St., SE., Ste. 100, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Tickets: $75. Register here for Event.
A block of rooms is available at 
The Graduate Hotel
615 Washington Ave., SE., Minneapolis, MN 55414
Room rate: $129. Click here for reservations.

January 21, Midsouth Best of NAMA Event
Napa Café
5101 Sanderlin Ave., Memphis, TN 38117
Additional details available soon.

January 23 Region 4 Best of NAMA Event
Milwaukee Brewing Company
1130 N. 9 St., Milwaukee, WI 53233
Tickets: $85. Register here for Event.
A block of rooms is available at
Brewhouse Inn & Suites
1215 N. 10 St., Milwaukee, WI 53205
Room rate: $139. Click here for reservations and enter the code NAMA0123.

February 10, Region 1 Best of NAMA Event
World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA 
Additional details available soon.