MoKan NAMA will be hosting a chapter meeting just prior to the start of the 2006 Agribusiness Forum, Tuesday, November 14 on the upper tier of Union Station in Kansas City.

The meeting will begin with a buffet luncheon at 11:00 a.m. followed by speaker, Bill Horan, a producer from Iowa and board member for Truth About Trade and Technology. Horan will speak about Biotechnology, in particular, crops engineered to produce pharmaceutical and industrial compounds.

Cost for the MoKan meeting is $15 for members (including other NAMA chapters); $30 for Non-Members; and first time guests are free.

Union Station is connected to the Hyatt Regency Crown Center via skywalk making it convenient for you to attend the MoKan meeting and the Agribusiness Forum.

If you would like to attend the MoKan NAMA meeting, please RSVP by Friday, November 10 to Melanie Acklin at [email protected].

If you are interested in attending the Agribusiness Forum, register now at http://nama.org/forum/register.htm.

The Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) will be hosting a Casino Night during the Welcome Reception of the 2006 Agribusiness Forum, Tuesday, November 14 at 5:30 p.m. Proceeds from the Casino Night will benefit the ABEF in support of the NAMA Student Careers Program.

Every Forum attendee will receive a ticket that they can cash in for $5,000 in chips to try their luck at the tables. If attendees don’t do so well, a $20.00 donation to the ABEF at the Casino Cashier or one of the Roaming Cashiers will get them an additional $5,000 in chips.

At the end of the evening, attendees can cash in their chips and winners will be announced at the Wednesday luncheon session. First, second and third place prizes will be given. In addition, for every $1,000 in chips that an attendee turns in, their name will be entered into a drawing for 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference & Trade Show registration.

Join us in congratulating the honorees of this year’s NAMA Professional Development Awards of Excellence. The award recipients will be honored at a luncheon on Wednesday, November 15 at the 2006 Agribusiness Forum.

The Professional Development Awards of Excellence recognize NAMA members for achievement in the areas of Marketing Communications, Product/Species Management, Public Relations and Sales.

Join us at the Agribusiness Forum as we honor Steve Engle, Woodruff Sweitzer with the marketing communications honor; Barry Nelson, John Deere, with the award of excellence in public relations; and Anita Vanderwert, Brownfield Network with the honors in sales.

The Awards luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 15. To sign up for the luncheon or the entire Agribusiness Forum visit, http://nama.org/forum/register.htm.

Join Sano Shimoda, BioScience Securities, for The Final Frontier: Where Are We Headed on November 15 at the 2006 Agribusiness Forum at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City. Shimoda will provide his “crystal ball” look at the forces reshaping agriculture.

The economic potential derived from BioInnovation at the plant/agriculture interface has dramatically expanded in response to growing recognition of new developing BioBased solutions to meet three growing, major, long-term challenges facing the global economy.

(1)Energy/Raw Materials – The global outlook for cost competitive renewable BioBased fuels and raw materials has dramatically expanded with the escalating ramp-up in hydrocarbon values, tied to structural changes in the global supply/demand for crude oil, combined with growing national security of supply concerns. While the economics of both BioEthanol and BioDiesel are being subsidized globally, the real challenge is to reduce costs and create market based economics.

(2)Industrial/Environmental – Demand for economically justifiable, renewable, BioBased products is expected to grow due to corporate, governmental, and public concerns over the direct and indirect costs of environmental degradation of natural resource development, combined with the escalating costs of conventional industrial processes and products.

(3)Nutrition/Health – Escalating demand for nutrition-enhanced foods, as well as the potential to enhance nutritional components, are expected to dramatically expand in response to growing consumer demand; a transformation in health care mindsets; and business models that focus on preventative health care and insurance-based incentive systems.

In addition, there is the potential for pharmaceutical companies to place renewed emphasis on the development and marketing of science-based nutritional products that integrate into “wellness solutions.” This expected broadening focus is partially a response to the continued deterioration in conventional pharmaceutical R&D productivity, government pressures on pharmaceutical pricing, as well as growing global generic competition. More importantly, the key driver will be growth opportunities to market complete “Wellness Systems” (preventative health products, including nutritionals, and conventional pharmaceuticals) to the health care system, as well as respond to growing consumer awareness of the validity of preventative health solutions.

The ability of biotechnology-driven, renewable, plant-based solutions to meet these growing global strategic challenges will catalyze growing market acceptance for the use of a wide range of biotechnologies and related technologies to enhance plants and agricultural crops. In addition, it is likely that technology adoption over the next 5-10 years will accelerate in response to growing consumer and government acceptance, reflecting the demonstration of real tangible benefits. Governments are expected to be a major driving force, due to the expected positive impact on national economic/social/consumer priorities, as well as enhanced global competitive position.

BioScience Securities is a strategic corporate advisory and investment-banking firm founded in 1994 to focus solely on the companies and industry sectors that are on the front line of the biotechnology revolution applied to plants/agricultural crops, on a very broad basis, as we move towards a BioEconomy. A highly focused, knowledge-driven firm, BioScience Securities singular concentration stems from the belief that a wide range of industries will form new corporate relationships with agriculture via technological, product, and market-driven linkages.

Sano M. Shimoda, President and Founder of BioScience Securities, has over 30 years of experience on Wall Street, as an analyst and investment banker, specializing in the agricultural biotechnology, agricultural chemical, agriculture, and basic chemical industries.  An equity analyst by training, Mr. Shimoda followed the ag chemical and chemical industries at Banker’s Trust, The First Boston Corporation, and Anantha Raman & Company, and the agricultural biotechnology and environmental services industries at Montgomery Securities.

Mr. Shimoda co-founded Anantha Raman & Company, Inc., a brokerage, institutional research, and investment banking firm in New Jersey in the mid-1980’s that specialized in the agricultural chemical and chemical industries.

Sano earned an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and B.S. in Business Administration (magna cum laude) from Lehigh University.

If you would like to attend the Agribusiness Forum, register on-line now at http://nama.org/forum/register.htm. 

For more information on the Forum sessions and our speakers, visit, http://nama.org/forum/index.html.

The Agribusiness Forum is pleased to have Mike Adams, host of AgriTalk as the moderator of a panel discussion on Bio Fuels – Pressures Fueling the Ag Industry. This session will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 15 and will be broadcast live on AgriTalk from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Energy prices have certainly been center stage during the recent past. The push to redirect corn and soybeans into the fuel industry has raised questions about the long term viability of satisfying the needs for food, feed and fuel. A panel of industry experts will help us understand the pressures emerging within agriculture and what might lie ahead for bio-based fuels. Panel members will include: Rick Tolman, CEO, National Corn Growers Assn.; Neil Dierks, National Pork Producers Council; and Kendell Keith, President, National Feed & Grain Association.

If you are unable to make it to the Agribusiness Forum, tune into AgriTalk on your local radio network or listen on-line at www.agritalk.com and click on the “Listen to AgriTalk Live” button on the right side of the screen.

If you would like to attend the Agribusiness Forum, register on-line now at http://nama.org/forum/register.htm. 

For more information on the Forum sessions and our speakers, visit, http://nama.org/forum/index.html.

A luncheon Wednesday, November 15, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. will honor the 2006 Professional Development Awards of Excellence recipients. The Professional Development Awards of Excellence recognize NAMA members for achievement in the areas of Marketing Communications, Product/Species Management, Public Relations and Sales.

Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s awards:

Marketing Communications
Steve Engle, Woodruff Sweitzer

As a copywriter and creative director at several of the country’s leading agribusiness agencies, Steve Engle has authored some of the most effective communications campaigns in the ag arena. His “Ol’ Buck” campaign for Buctril Herbicide still ranks as one of the most memorable campaigns in crop protection history. In recent years, Steve has lead the development of the highly successful “Ready to Rumble” launch campaign for AGCO brand tractors as well as the highly successful re-positioning of EVEREST Herbicide from Arysta LifeScience North America.

When Engle joined Woodruff & Company seven years ago, the agency had no agricultural clients. Today, the agency counts Arysta LifeScience North America, Kubota Tractor Corporation, Harris Moran Seed Company, Bayer Animal Health Canada, Meridian Industries/Wheatland Bins, the Canadian Hereford Association and Y-TEX Corporation as some of its key accounts.

Woodruff Sweitzer’s expansion into the agribusiness arena has fueled the agency’s growth from eight employees in one office in 1999 to nearly 50 in three offices (Columbia, Calgary and Kansas City) today. In addition, it has helped Woodruff Sweitzer attract top talent from throughout the country, including its new partner and chief creative officer, Steve Sweitzer.

During his career, Engle has been a significant contributor to the success of NAMA in various parts of the country. For three years, he chaired the Chicago chapter’s Best of NAMA competition. He has also served as president of the Chicago NAMA chapter, as a Region I Best of NAMA chair as well as a Region I Director. In addition, Engle has volunteered on numerous occasions for both regional and national Best of NAMA judging in his desire to recognize the best advertising and public relations in agri-marketing. Currently, he serves as Vice Chair of the national Best of NAMA Committee.

Public Relations
Barry Nelson, John Deere

As the public relations manager for John Deere, Barry Nelson is responsible for media relations, strategic integration of public relations with overall advertising/communications strategies, internal and special communications, managing the contributions/donations budget, and providing customer support with timely information about John Deere products and services.

Nelson has been with John Deere for 26 years. He has brought marketing, product knowledge, and customer and dealer relationship experience to the Ag Public Relations department at John Deere. Nelson sees the media as the number one customer, and has worked to improve relationships with the ag media as measured by surveys and special telephone interviews. He continues to work with a team that has helped John Deere grow overall ag equipment market share in the U.S. and Canada.

With his leadership, John Deere has won several Regional and National NAMA Awards and is active in participating and supporting NAMA local and national events. In the last 18 months, he has led the development of a complete Public Relations Strategic Planning and Implementation Cycle which includes goal setting, tactics and implementation, monitoring and measurement, and evaluations and improvements. This model was successfully used to help launch the new 8030 Series Tractors last year, as well as new products during August 2006.

Nelson currently serves as the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference Chair. A strong advocate for NAMA, Nelson has been quick to support sponsorships on local and national activities, including the “Leader/First-Timers Reception” at the Agri-Marketing Conference & Trade Show. In addition, Nelson has also served as a judge for the Student Marketing Competition at the Agri-Marketing Conference & Trade Show.

Sales
Anita Vanderwert, Brownfield Network

Anita Vanderwert, National Director of Ag Sales for Brownfield, has been involved in ag communication and ag sales and marketing for over 15 years. In that time, she has distinguished herself as an innovator and industry leader. Her involvement in NAMA, and other professional organizations, signifies the respect her peers have for her and the influence she has had in the field of ag sales.

Vanderwert has been the primary link to customers, and as a result, the primary driver of change and adaptation of new technology. Further, she has pushed for new offerings to serve ag customers pushing Brownfield beyond the borders of exclusively offering only radio solutions. By listening to her, as she has been listening to customers, Brownfield has improved web applications and web solutions, expanded email and daily electronic update services, created new “event marketing” opportunities in addition to blogging, podcasting, rss feeds and agricultural forums.

Vanderwert’s involvement in and leadership of Brownfield’s development of new technologies and other new media platforms has not only broadened the reach of Brownfield, but has contributed to the overall effectiveness of ag communications and sales. These improvements contribute to the betterment of the industry, creating growth, advancement and new career opportunities for college grads entering the marketplace.

Vanderwert has been a NAMA member since 1987 when she was a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She was a member of the 1988 National NAMA Student Marketing Competition Team and has served on various NAMA committees while being a member of four different local chapters. She judged the national student competition and the Best of NAMA Awards competition several times. She has been the Rocky Mountain chapter liaison to the National Board of Directors and Chair of the Public Relations Committee of National NAMA.

To register for the Awards Luncheon visit, http://nama.org/forum/register.htm.

Join us November 14-15 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City for the 2006 Agribusiness Forum.

The Forum welcomes Ann Ness, Vice President of Corporate Brand Management for Cargill as she presents Repositioning a Masterbrand – The Cargill Case Study. Developing and implementing a brand repositioning strategy for Cargill is no small task. This is especially the case when you consider the decentralized organization of the 12th largest company in the world and the 6th largest food supplier. How do you build a master brand when participation is essentially voluntary? Ann Ness, Vice President of Corporate Brand Management will outline the four steps that they took over a six year period to reposition the Cargill brand. Today’s Cargill is positioned, with a business-to-business brand, as an agri-food company that is an important and honorable player in the business of nourishing the world. Attendees will take a look at what it took to create this brand image.

Ann Ness is Vice President of Corporate Brand Management at Cargill, where she is responsible for the corporate brand identity and related advertising campaigns. Previously, Ann was brand manager at Radisson Hotels Worldwide and an account executive at an advertising agency. She began her career as a newspaper reporter in southern Indiana and later in St. Louis. Ann serves on the Carlson School of Management’s Brand Enterprise at the University of Minnesota where she is a frequent guest speaker.

If you would like to attend the Agribusiness Forum, register on-line now at http://nama.org/forum/register.htm. 

For more information on the Forum sessions and our speakers, visit, http://nama.org/forum/index.html.