As marketers, we create content and target specific audiences using print, radio, television and digital media. This all works fine, but what if we thought bigger? Andrew Davis will teach you five secrets to creating content that inspires demand in his general session. He’ll encourage you to own the entire consumer journey and show you how to short-circuit the “search.”

Click the video below to watch Andrew Davis’ sneak peek on the presentation he will give in April! #NAMA16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Paecj-fjzs8

Only 17 days left to save!

The early bird registration cutoff is March 17! Make sure to register before then for the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference on April 13-15, in Kansas City, MO.

If you haven’t booked your room at the Sheraton Crown Center yet, make sure you do so before March 17 as well! That is also the cutoff date for the hotel – if you don’t reserve a room by that date, you will not be able to save money on the NAMA room rate! The hotel is filling up so make your reservations today!

NAMA is proud to announce W. Dwight Armstrong, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the National FFA Organization, as this year’s Agribusiness Leader of the Year.

This award, which is NAMA’s highest honor, recognizes outstanding leadership in private, public or academic service and is conferred each year to a senior agribusiness executive who not only exemplifies excellence in agribusiness but has also made significant contributions to the industry.  Now in its 16^th year, the award will be presented at the Opening General Session of the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference, “From the Ground Up,” April 14, 2016, in Kansas City.

Dwight Armstrong has a passion for agriculture and its role in food security.  This passion has infiltrated all aspects of his life. Like other industry leaders, he appreciates the serious and urgent challenge of feeding a global population that will top 9 billion by 2050.  That is why he is focused on delivering the human capital to get that job done.  He works daily to ensure youth are being educated on issues of hunger and food security, as well as playing active roles in their communities.  Through his career, he has mentored, developed and honed many leaders around the globe.

Under Armstrong’s leadership at FFA, there has been dramatic growth in FFA student membership, National FFA Foundation contributions and attendance at the National FFA Convention & Expo.  The organization achieved an all-time record membership this year with 629,327 student members in grades 7-12 in 7,757 local FFA chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Attendance at the National FFA Convention & Expo grew from 53,473 in 2009 to 65,173 in 2015, making it the nation’s largest student gathering.  During his tenure, financial stability was strengthened for both the National FFA Foundation and the National FFA Organization.  Under the banner of “We Are FFA,” Armstrong created close collaboration and complementary strategic direction for both organizations.

His leadership and service to agriculture have been lifelong, from his early years as an FFA member and his first degree in agriculture from Murray State University.  He continues to serve the industry on numerous business and not-for-profit boards including: Agri-Corps board; Shoulder to Shoulder board; Mathile Institute board and the Professional Services board.  He has received numerous awards and recognitions including an Honorary Doctorate from Purdue University and the Distinguished Service Award from the American Feed Industry Association.

NAMA proudly announces that Dan Fanger, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Unverferth Manufacturing, Co., Inc., has been selected as the 2016 NAMA Marketer of the Year.

This recognition is the most prestigious honor awarded to an active member of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing. For more than 50 years NAMA has been encouraging and promoting excellence in the industry by recognizing outstanding professional accomplishments. The NAMA Marketer of the Year award will be presented during the Second General Session of the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference, on Thursday, April 14, in Kansas City, Mo., and is sponsored by Agri Marketing magazine.

Beginning in 1965 as the first full-time sales person for Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Fanger learned early how to build upon the company founders’ successes by listening not only to what customers say, but to dig deeper to determine what they really mean.  The knowledge he gained has sparked the innovation of new products and initiated numerous product enhancements that made them more valuable to farmers and increased dealer-customer profitability.

With Fanger’s appointment in 1991 as Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Unverferth continued to develop new products.  Throughout the ‘90s, he focused on expanding the hiring and training of a direct-sales force across North America.

Fanger’s innovative marketing and managerial abilities have helped the company prosper in both up and down markets.  Innovations, such as a dedicated dealer program, have helped the company gain market share and maintain a competitive edge.  Raising the level of partnerships with vendors has further positioned the company as a leader in implement manufacturing and technology.

As a long-standing member of Ohio NAMA, Fanger makes chapter events a priority and encourages others in the company’s marketing department to be active participants.  Throughout his tenure, several of his staff have served as chapter presidents and assisted at the national level.

Do you want to put support behind your alma mater? Have you met some NAMA students who go above and beyond? Does a certain school give you that feeling they could be this year’s winner?

Now you can join in on the fun and excitement of the NAMA Student Marketing Competition by playing “Sensational Six” …… Powered by ABEF!

Select the winner of the 2016 Student Marketing Competition, along with 5 teams that you believe will place, and you will be entered to win a $500 Visa gift card! You may enter as many forms as you would like for a better chance to win. The price for each submission is $25, which will go to the Agri-Business Educational Foundation and the future of agribusiness. The deadline for submissions is Midnight on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. The winner will be announced at the Trade Show Closing Reception on Thursday, April 14, 2016!

You do not need to be present at the Agri-Marketing Conference to win!

Click here to make your prediction now!

The “Six Sources of Influence” represents the best that social science has to offer from over seven decades of research. Join Joseph Grenny, the opening keynote speaker, in a fast-paced, hands-on presentation where he shares a simple model for understanding and changing human behavior.

Click the video below to watch Joseph Grenny’s sneak peek on the presentation he will give in April!

Register for the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City!

THURSDAY, APRIL 14
2:00–3:00 P.M.

The Six-Source Method Behind Influential Marketing 
JOSEPH GRENNY

Marketing is about influence. It is a systematic process of influencing human beings to behave in ways that are advantageous to the enterprise. If marketing isn’t changing behavior, it isn’t worth what it costs. Take a deeper dive in learning how the best marketing leaders never lose sight of this simple idea—and ground their efforts in the science of human behavior.

The Story of Innovation: Why Ideas Defy Logic 
SHANE BRETHOWR, Overflow Storytelling Lab

The biggest problem with innovation today isn’t discovery … it’s adoption. Discoveries are made every day, yet very few ideas are put into use, even when it’s in our best interest to adopt. In this presentation, you’ll find out why the acceptance of an idea defies logic, and how you can use the power of story to get your ideas adopted.

Shane is the founder of Overflow Storytelling Lab. Overflow uses the power of story to accelerate the adoption of ideas. Using expertise in story structure, organizational change management and diffusion of innovation principles, Overflow specializes in launching strategy, speaker development and propelling social causes. Overflow produces stories ranging from personal story trailers to animated shorts and documentaries.

ENCORE SESSION ON FRIDAY FROM 9:00 TO 10:00 A.M.

Producer Panel: Speaking to Different Generations of Decision-Makers
Moderator: MAX ARMSTRONG

When multigenerational farming operations make purchasing decisions, what shapes their decision-making process? Are they relying on coffee shop talk or an online forum?

Learn more about how to effectively communicate with producers of different generations in this session featuring a producer panel led by farm broadcaster Max Armstrong.

ENCORE SESSION FROM 4:00 TO 5:00 P.M.

Marketing, Growing and Delivering Specialty Crops
Moderator: TOM KARST, Managing Editor, Vance Publishing 

Agriculture is about more than corn and beans—at least the corn and beans most people instantly think of when they think of agriculture in the United States. This year NAMA takes a look at specialties agriculture in the United States and how it’s helping to address the pressing issue of global population increase.

Hear from top executives involved in leading specialties operations around the country. Our discussion will include everything from planting the initial crop and getting it harvested to packing it and making sure it gets to the store so it arrives fresh on the table. What’s the best way to market to these decision makers? How do they market their product to the consumer? And mainly, how are specialties crops closing the gap on demand as populations rise?

You’ll gain a better understanding of specialties crops and hear directly from top industry insiders about the challenges they face and how you can help as an agrimarketer.

ENCORE SESSION FROM 4:00 TO 5:00 P.M.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14
4:00–5:00 P.M.

Bigger Success. Less Content. Outsized Results.
ANDREW DAVIS

Learn how brilliant marketers leverage high-quality, regularly scheduled content to deliver stunning results. Let’s face it. One of the most difficult aspects of executing a consistently successful content marketing strategy is keeping up with creating ALL that content. Guess what? You don’t have to.

In this must-attend session, Andrew Davis will show you real-life examples of successful companies of all sizes that have created less content but delivered stunning results. (Without relying on ‘viral’ videos or top five lists.) You’ll get the step-by-step instructions designed to help you grab your audience’s attention and keep it. You’ll be armed with five simple secrets that will drive a steady stream of sales right to your door.

Digital Sociology
RICHARD (RICH) NEAL

Digital sociology identifies the diverse elements of online collectivism (“sharing of the mind”) and takes the social media conversation beyond social listening, “dashboards,” and the popular buzzword of “big data.”  This session, led by the creator of digital sociology, offers new insights to help you to better understand the complex behaviors encompassing the interactions of individuals, groups, subcultures, cultures and populations.

Move beyond social listening and learn how emergent thoughts live, grow, weaken and die, and how this can impact your business. As a pioneer in both the social web and big data revolutions, Rich was the first to identify the need for a construct of multidimensional comprehension in the emergent digital domain.

His book, Expanding Sentience, focuses on online collectivism based from mathematical epidemiology and has been used in several universities’ marketing science courses. He has over 20 years in worldwide technology and business leadership with a history of success in expanding market share in a wide range of industries.

FRIDAY, APRIL 15
9:00–10:00 A.M.

Overcoming Obstacles
JIM MORRIS

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013, Jim Morris found that his biggest challenge was not going back to play major league baseball at the age of 35, it was living everyday life with this disease.

In life we all have obstacles that come our way. It’s the way we choose to handle those obstacles that make us who we are. It comes down to a choice; dig in and plow through or turn away and give up.

Ultimately, facing challenges and remaining a person of integrity while enduring it all makes us better people, all while being an example to others.

Advertising and Editorial: Are We Speaking the Same Language?
Moderator: GREG HORSTMEIER, Editor-in-Chief, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

As more agricultural advertisers and media companies consider new formats for marketing content in an increasingly digital world, the need for consistent, ethical approaches for delivery continues to be a critical issue.

Building off successful Media/Advertising Ethics breakout sessions at last year’s NAMA Annual Meeting and Ag Media Summit, panelists from key industry segments will discuss consistent terms and guidelines for sponsored online content and special projects. They’ll reveal results of a recent survey of media leaders regarding editorial terminology and integrated advertising trends … and the implications this has for the industry.

Come with questions and concerns—this is an interactive session.

Panelists: 
TOM LINDELL, Managing Director, Exponent/Colle+McVoy
MITCH ROUDA, President, Farm Journal eMedia
JENNA OESCH, Monsanto Vegetables North America Marketing Lead

Forget what you thought you knew about golf. ABEF is scrapping the traditional golf outing for something a little different this year. Join your peers at Topgolf for a competitive and fun
time everyone can enjoy—no golf experience required.

Here’s how it works… Take a swing at microchipped golf balls, aiming them at targets to rack up the points. Just picture a 240-yard outfield with dartboard-like targets in the ground. You can choose from different games where you aim your golf balls at different colored targets. The closer to the center or “bull’s-eye” you get and the farther out into the field you hit, the more points you receive. Plus, enjoy great drinks and food in an upscale club atmosphere. Fore!

Are you more of a visual person? Check out a video of Topgolf.

Take a look at the website: Topgolf Overland Park

When: Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Where: Topgolf Overland Park

Time: 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Bus will depart the hotel at 2:00 p.m. and be back at 6:00 p.m.

Cost: $100/person

For more information, visit the ABEF Topgolf page on the AMC Website.