Sponsorships are available for the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference. Get your company noticed!  Companies with marketing budgets of all sizes can participate. The higher your support, the more benefits you’ll receive….Sustaining Partner, Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze. In addition, you can get more company visibility by claiming one or more of the sponsorship opportunities. These opportunities are available on a first come, first serve basis, with first right given to last year’s sponsor.

Please review the benefits and opportunities of sponsorship at the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference and confirm your interest to Jenny Pickett at (913) 491-6500 or email to [email protected] or fill out the online sponsorship form at http://www.nama.org/amc/sponsor/form.htm. In-kind sponsorships, e.g., printing, can be considered.

Meet your customers in The Connection Point at the Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City.  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!

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 mailto:[email protected]or call 913-491-6500.

ABEF Silent/Online Media Auctions

Find a home for that special edition wildlife print or even those sports tickets and surplus company logo jackets. Or give a media package or services, and support the Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) at the same time. How? By contributing to the annual ABEF Silent Auction.

The primary goal or mission of the Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) is to provide today’s agri-business students the tools they will need to succeed tomorrow.

Century Club

Investing in the Century Club provides the opportunity to step forward and help advance the future of agribusiness. Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders and the Century Club support is totally dedicated for investing in scholarships for tomorrow’s leaders.

The Century Club’s goal is to have today’s agribusiness leaders contribute $100 for today’s youth.

Membership in the Century Club is on an annual basis.

Club members who renew prior to the Agri-Marketing Conference will have an “ABEF Century Club” sticker on their name badge and be recognized on the Century Club sign in the Silent Auction area and in other conference materials.  You will also receive an invitation to attend the Agribusiness Leader of the Year Recognition Luncheon hosted by the ABEF.  The annual membership contribution is $100.

You can be a part of this select group of individuals committed to enhancing the opportunity for tomorrow’s leaders. Don’t be left out, sign yourself up now! Visit http://www.nama.org/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=6&pg=1.

Region I hosted a Best of NAMA event on February 14 at the Wine and Cheese Pavilion in the 2012 World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA.  The 40 – 50 attendees enjoyed wine, cheese, and other drinks and snacks while networking and listening to a brief speaker.  Best of NAMA Awards were distributed to winning companies/agencies representatives who attended.  Visit www.nama.org/amc/bon/reg1win.htm  for a complete list of winners.

Checkout the Breakout Sessions for the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 18-20, in Kansas City and get registered today!

How Do Different Generations of Farmers Use Media? (Session 1 of 2)
Thursday, April 19 ~ 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Problem: While the average age of farmers is still middle 50’s, there is an influx of young farmers making their way back to the family farm. Many are college graduates and have new ideas regarding not only farming, but how they want to receive information that is necessary for their operation. Technology adoption – smartphones, iPads, social media, etc. – is on the rise  in agriculture and the younger generation is leading the way. The challenge for agri-marketers is how to effectively reach not only farmers in their 40’s and 50’s who may be the primary decision makers, but also reach the emerging decision makers  in their 20’s and 30’s as the media landscape starts to shift. The first step in finding a solution is to understand how different age groups use and experience new technology and emerging media.

This session will focus on the latest research on media usage as well as new technology adoption, and then hear directly from farmers of different genrations who are using (or not using) these tools and vehicles. 

Moderator: David Parker, Vice President, Instructional Services, Adayana
Panelists: 3 producers that will represent different generations

Consumer Influences on Ag Communications
Thursday, April 19, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Changes in consumer attitudes and our food system have altered the landscape. With foodie culture, food choice, sustainability, local food and social media taking the stage, the strategies, tactics and messages of the agricultural system have evolved. Organizations, marketers and individual farmers and ranchers are constantly looking for the best ways to communicate with credibility and trust.

During this session, you will learn about research and projects from the Center for Food Integrity and a case study from Illinois Farm Families about building and retaining agriculture’s share of voice in the conversation regarding our nation’s food supply.

Charlie Arnot, CEO, Center for Food Integrity
Lori Laughlin, Illinois Farm Families

Creating a Creative Environment: The Awesome Art, Power, and Discipline of Jamming!
Thursday, April 19, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Unfortunately, too many managers today adopt a lackluster  attitude about teaching creativity skills to their people.  They believe that if it’s not an inherent part of your mental make up, you’re just going to have to struggle along without it.  How wrong they are!

We have gone from the gentle evolution of change into a hurricane of unrelenting change and chaos.  The new millennium MANDATES an ability to reinvent oneself at the drop of a hat, embrace thinking out of the box, and to become comfortable. . . feeling uncomfortable.  To some, this can be a daunting task. But for others, it is a way of thinking and working that brings new life into tired souls. If you prefer the latter, you’re going to love this workshop.

What you will learn
·        How to conduct your own jamming sessions
·        The 7 different types of creativity
·        How to personally nurture your own creative growth
·        How to nurture creative growth in your staff
·        How to become a “Vision” painter
·        The danger of psychosclerosis
·        How to understand the linear and intuitive techniques of creativity
·        Creating a perpetually creative work environment

How To Wrangle Market Share From Your Competitors
Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

The world’s top economists are predicting a dismal 1-2% average growth through 2015. So, the only way to grow your organization is to take market share away from your lazy competitors. Ross Shafer will show you how progressive companies are getting 15-25% growth; even when their available market is stagnant or declining.

The Take A Ways:

How do you get more share? You must capitalize on your competitors’ weaknesses. Because the Internet and social media publish such vast public information and conversation, Ross will teach you how to discern what they are doing right or wrong – see what kinds of innovations and best practices they are using that you may not be – and discover what their customers are responding to.  He’ll also coach you about your own Internet Reputation Management to make sure you keep the share you’ve already earned.

You’ll also learn to deliver more urgency and empathy to retain and hold onto customers ….find our more about “crowdsourcing”… and how to adopt contarian thinking tactics to blaze new profit channels.

Ross Shafer

Ross is one of the most sought after Keynote speakers and seminar leaders on the subjects of Customer Empathy, Personal Motivation, and Business Relevance.

Understanding How Media Companies, Agencies and Clients are Evolving to Reach Today’s Farmer (Session 2 of 2)
Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

We know that the profile of today’s farmer is changing and with that their media consumption- how and when they like to receive information.  The challenge for marketers is now how to effectively reach a younger demographic while still capturing the core, older farmer audience who represent the majority of decision makers.

In this session you’ll hear from a roundtable of senior media, agency and client leadership on how they see the media landscape shifting and how they are rethinking their business models and plans to accommodate this shift.

Explore how to determine the best market contact strategy.  How will the role of traditional print and radio change going forward? What role does interactive and social media play? How can the offline and online world work together? What types of information are better suited for different media channels?  And finally, discuss what lessons ag communicators and marketers can learn from the marketing world at large.

Moderator:  Curt Blades, National Sales Manager, Successful Farming
Panelists: Pat Rosner, V.P. Director of Integrated Media, Osborn & Barr
Stephanie Liska, CEO, Beck Ag
Charlene Finck, Editor, Farm Journal Media
Jason Ward, Brand Manager, BASF

Marketing Metamorphosis: How Smart Marketers Use Digital Marketing to Accelerate Customer Acquisition & Retention
Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Friday, April 20, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

The digital revolution has totally transformed the way brands retain customers.  Inefficient one-size-fits-all marketing communication has given way to more effective one-to-one customer engagement strategies that are fueled by data and enabled by interactive marketing technology.

In this session, Joel Book of ExactTarget will show how innovative companies like Scotts Miracle-Gro and others are using digital marketing-anchored by email, social and mobile, and websites – as the backbone of a cross-channel life cycle marketing strategy to acquire, engage, grow and retain customers.

You’ll learn to fuel conversation about your brand and attract new customers… how to leverage customer data and CRM… and how to use email to drive repurchase behavior.

Joel Book

Joel Book is a Principal in the Market Research & Education Group of ExactTarget, a leading provider of software solutions for cross-channel marketing and customer service communications.

Regarded as one of the top digital marketing strategists in the country, Joel applies more than 35 years of experience in database marketing.

No stranger to agriculture, he grew up and worked on his family’s 3,000 acre farm in Illinois before leaving for the University of Illinois where he earned a B.S. in Marketing Communications in 1976. And from 1984-1990, Joel was Vice President, Marketing Services at Farm Journal where he led the launch of the company’s database management services business in 1985.

He is a member of the Direct Marketing Association, the Business Marketing Association, and has been recognized by the Sales Lead Management Association as one of the top 50 most influential people in sales lead management.

Sell it Like You Mean It
Friday, April 20, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

If you’re looking to get your sales team’s year off to a great start, create a mid-year jolt, or help your team to finish your year off with increased momentum, this energizing session can help. It’s an hour full of winning ideas to re-energize your sales staff and take their desire and  commitment to new heights.  Whether you have a team of high producers that have flat-lined or your whole team needs to crank it up, you need your sales force to out-think and outperform the competition and win big in the sales game.

Walter Bond will teach you how to overcome objections,  incorporate storytelling, establish yourself as an expert, so your reps will stop “selling” and actually influence your customers to buy.  Mr. Accountability believes some sales people are born but most of them are made.  The strategies you’ll learn in this session will inspire your sales team to produce at another level.

Walter Bond

The Political Landscape and Impact in an Election Year
Friday, April 20, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

The 2012 election season is setting up to be a pivotal year for agriculture and agricultural issues, from farm bill legislation to trade bills and biofuels. This session will feature representatives from each of the Republican and Democratic parties presenting their views regarding issues important to agriculture in an election year. The speakers will present opening statements and then answer questions from moderator Tom Steever, Brownfield Network and the current president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

Moderator:  Tom Steever, Farm Broadcaster, Brown Network

To register for the Agri-Marketing Conference visit  http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=38

Sponsorships are available for the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference. Get your company noticed!  Companies with marketing budgets of all sizes can participate. The higher your support, the more benefits you’ll receive….Sustaining Partner, Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze. In addition, you can get more company visibility by claiming one or more of the sponsorship opportunities. These opportunities are available on a first come, first serve basis, with first right given to last year’s sponsor.

Please review the benefits and opportunities of sponsorship at the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference and confirm your interest to Jenny Pickett at (913) 491-6500 or email to [email protected] or fill out the online sponsorship form at http://www.nama.org/amc/sponsor/form.htm. In-kind sponsorships, e.g., printing, can be considered.

Students hungry for advice (and lunch) need you!  This event has been an annual success and we plan to improve it even more this year.

Don’t miss your chance to come face-to-face with topnotch employee candidates!  In an effort to provide students with an opportunity to connect with professionals about careers and job opportunities, we are organizing this event during the Thursday, April 19, luncheon from 12:30 – 1:30 in Kansas City.  It will be held along the windows in the Connection Point (Exhibit Hall A).

All you need to do is click here by Friday, March 23, to sign up http://www.nama.org/amc/student.htm.  Then, come to the luncheon and chat your heart out with the students for 60 minutes.  For this effort, you’ll gain the satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped a young person along his/her way and you will gain one more special ribbon on your NAMA badge when you check in at registration.  In addition, students have been encouraged to share their résumé with us electronically.  We will provide you with a free CD containing all of the résumés that we collect – no extra paper to carry!

When you arrive at the Connection Point, a member of the Careers Committee will tell you which numbered table to go to.  We will also provide a list of questions at each table to help initiate your conversations.

Organized by the NAMA Careers Committee, the luncheon is intended to:

• Provide professionals with an opportunity to interact with students and answer student questions.
• Provide students with the opportunity to share their résumés.
• Mentors and students are welcome to keep in touch, however, there will be no specific responsibilities designated for the mentors after the meeting.