Innovations in communication, production and packaging are revolutionizing the agriculture industry. Combined with the dramatic increase in need for safe, plentiful food, today’s agriculture professionals must navigate the challenges of a “Globally Local” World. NAMA’s 2010 Trends in Agriculture conference, October 5-6, in Minneapolis, will help you stay ahead of the curve and gain an edge in the rapidly changing landscape of our global agriculture market.

Registration for Trends In Agriculture is now open, so register today at http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=23.

Take a look at the schedule at-a-glance below for the 2010 Trends In Agriculture conference:

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Agriculture In a Globally Local World
Mark Pearson, Market to Market

3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Break

4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Feeding the World
Dr. Jay Lehr, Economist & Futurist

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Reception

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

8:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Macro Food Trends Panel Discussion
Tom DiBacco, Director of Consumer and Government Relations, Broadhead + Co
Erin Daley, Economist, U.S. Meat Export Federation
Jim Compart, pork producer/owner of Compart’s Boar Store, MN PPA President
Todd M. Stohlmeyer, VP/Commodity Sourcing and Grain Operations, General Mills

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Creating Effective Digital Brand Communities
Tim Brunelle, Chief Executive Officer, Hello Viking

12:00 Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Professional Development Awards of Excellence Luncheon

1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Washington Update: What to Expect in 2011
Jim Wiesemeyer, Senior Vice President, Policy & Trade Issues, Informa Economics, Washington office

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Meet & Greet Reception with the Speakers

For session descriptions and hotel information please visit http://www.nama.org/trends/index.htm.

Get the recognition your company deserves by becoming a sponsor of the 2010 Trends In Agriculture conference, October 5-6, in Minneapolis.

As a sponsor of Trends In Agriculture, your organization will be noted as a front runner in pursuing and obtaining up to the moment industry information. Additional benefits include:

– Recognition in the program booklet, and from the podium during the session.
– Recognition by signage at the sponsored event (if applicable).
– Recognition in post-Trends articles in Agri Marketing magazine and media releases.
– Recognition on the NAMA Trends In Agriculture web site page.
– First right of refusal for sponsorship of the same item for next year’s Trends In Agriculture

To sign up for a sponsorship opportunity, fill out the On-line Sponsorship Form or contact Jenny Pickett at 913-491-6500 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Trends In Agriculture
Mark your calendars for the 2010 Trends In Agriculture fall meeting, October 5-6 at The Marquette in Minneapolis, MN. Programming for the fall Trends meeting is underway and more information on sessions will be available soon!

If you are interested in sponsoring a session at the 2010 Trends In Agriculture meeting, please contact Jenny Pickett at 913-491-6500 or at [email protected].

Best of NAMA Call For Entries
The deadline for submitting entries for the Best of NAMA competition is Friday, October 8.

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 13, at the Hyatt Regency, Kansas City.

More information on the Best of NAMA Call for Entries is on the way!

The deadline for nominating a peer for the Professional Development Awards of Excellence has been extended to Monday, August 2.  The awards will be presented at the 2010 Trends In Agriculture meeting which will be held October 5-6 in Minneapolis, MN.

These awards honor NAMA members based on outstanding achievement in each of the Professional Development Areas (PDA). Awards of Excellence will be presented in the areas of (1) Marketing Communications, (2) Product/Species Management, (3) Public Relations and (4) Sales.

The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2010 Professional Development Awards of Excellence is now July 20. The awards will be presented at the 2010 Trends In Agriculture meeting which will be held October 5-6 rather than in November.

Nominees for the Awards of Excellence must be NAMA members. Nominators should target individuals with direct planning and execution responsibilities in the respective Professional Development Area from agribusiness and related companies. If you have any questions regarding these awards, please contact Jenny Pickett at [email protected].

To download the nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format, visit http://www.nama.org/awards/2010PDAapplication.pdf.

You can also fill out the form on-line at http://www.nama.org/awards/pdaonlineform.htm.

The Trends In Agriculture fall meeting is moving to Minneapolis this year! In addition, the dates have changed as well. The new dates for the 2010 Trends In Agriculture conference is October 5-6, at The Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis, MN.

“We are very excited to host Trends in Agriculture in Minneapolis,” said Jenny Pickett, Executive Vice President/CEO of NAMA.  “We have a large membership base there and it gives us a chance to expand our audience for the event,” says Pickett.

The Best of NAMA regional judging will be November 9-10, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City. The regional judging will take place prior to the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention.

Mark your calendars today for the 2010 Trends In Agriculture, October 5-6, in Minneapolis!

NAMA is introducing a new level of sponsorship;  Sustaining Partners

The NAMA Sustaining Partner would provide maximum exposure for a company seeking to align themselves more closely throughout the year with NAMA.  The program delivers extensive overall promotional benefits and exposure at all three key NAMA events (Conference, Boot Camp and Trends in Agriculture).  The partnership provides the ability to carry marketing objectives to new levels while assuring that NAMA has a more stable means of sponsorship income throughout the year.  The baseline commitment is $10,000 over the course of one full year.

The NAMA Sustaining Partner will receive all the sponsorship benefits of a Platinum Level Sponsor, plus the following:

• Use of Strategic Partner logo in advertising and promotion
• Web banner ad on NAMA web site that rotates with other Strategic Partners on an equal basis
• One comp registration at each of the three key NAMA meetings
• One comp NAMA membership
• Ad on digital signage at annual Conference
• Logo recognition as a partner on promotional materials for all three key NAMA events
• Verbal recognition at all three key events

For more information contact Jennifer Pickett at [email protected].

For a list of opportunities and other sponsor information visit www.nama.org/amc.