The 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference will stretch your imagination and open doors to innovative ideas. You’ll be better equipped to embrace change, growth, and new business opportunities. This year’s conference will challenge you to step out of the box, take new risks, help you achieve success – professionally and personally – and to revitalize your life!

Start Wednesday afternoon with a pre-conference workshop from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., “Presenting Ideas with Power,” by Laurie Richards, Laurie Richards & Associates. You will learn how to make a more powerful presentation to clients, customers, and employees, regardless of your experience or level of development. Come early to take advantage of this bonus workshop. To reserve your spot for the pre-conference workshop visit http://www.nama.org/amc/reserveworkshop.htm.

You won’t want to miss Thursday morning’s Opening General Session from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., featuring a magical, thought provoking key note address by the Wizard of Ads, Roy Williams. His presentation titled, “The Wizard of Ads Reveals the 12 Most Common Mistakes in Advertising – and the Secret Formula for Success!” will teach you the 12 things not to do when developing a marketing campaign. He will then show you how to capture the hearts and minds of your customers with creative communications tips and techniques.

Then on to the Second General Session from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., with keynote speaker, Scott Deming, presenting “The Brand who Cried Wolf – Deliver on your Company’s Promise and Create Customers for Life.” Once you’ve created the “brilliant” marketing communications strategies, how do you create the ultimate customer experience? How do you effectively build your brand and turn your customers into evangelists for your products?

Kick-off Thursday afternoon with one of four breakout sessions from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Menno Ellis, ABA Consulting will present, “Optimizing the Client/Agency Relationship.” He’ll cover the process of determining and communicating expectations, building the relationship from the start, and common reasons for conflict. Susan Lintonsmith, Horizon Organic/WhiteWave Foods, will speak on “Organics as a Marketing Strategy: The Growth of a Trend.” Lintonsmith will explore what exactly defines “organic,” and how will potential USDA action on defining organic impact the industry. Lyle Orwig, Charleston/Orwig, will lead a panel discussion on “Marketing WITHYour Customers-Part A.” Panel members include: Julian Aldridge, Ammo Marketing; Dave Rhylander, Monsanto and Stacy Norin, Elanco Animal Health. This panel of experts outside of, and within, agriculture will share their experiences in developing both business-to-consumer and business-to-business solutions. “Rural Lifestyle Producers: Understanding Who They Are and Why They Buy,” is the last breakout session from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. This session will feature the results of a study commissioned by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) to define and gain an understanding of this important market. The study, conducted by AMR, involved more than 2,000 interviews in 48 contiguous states. In addition to these breakouts, there is a Senior Management Workshop, hosted by Second General Session speaker, Scott Deming. In this interactive workshop, targeting senior marketing management, you will learn solid, practical methods and processes to help separate your organization from your competitors. Only a few spots are left for the Senior Management Workshop, reserve your spot now at http://www.nama.org/amc/seniorworkshop.html.

After a refreshing break, the concurrent breakout sessions continue from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. with “Rural Lifestyle Marketing-Straight From the Horses Mouth.” Hear straight from the “horse’s mouth” from various segments of the rural lifestyle group the information they crave and how they decide to make purchases related to their “farm or land.” Jay Akridge and Joan Fulton of Purdue University will present, “Marketing WITH Your Customers – Part B.” Akridge and Fulton will unveil recent results from research of four independent Customer Experience Marketing Strategies to show how effective these approaches are in the market place with various audiences. Jan Johnson, Millennium Research will host “Agriculture 2020: What Will U.S. Agriculture Be In 15 Years.” This forward-looking session will examine the top trends affecting North American agriculture and provide a snapshot of what farmers and agribusinesses will be like in the year 2020. “Bioenergy 101” will be presented by Tom Slunecka, Ethanol Promotion & Information Council (EPIC). If you know what a DDG is or how to mix a B20, then this session is not for you (although you may learn a thing or two!) Bioenergy 101 is your chance to get in on the ground floor of understanding one of the biggest changes to hit agriculture since hybrid corn from industry experts including Tom Slunecka and Jake Stewart, Organic Fuels.

Start your Friday morning with concurrent breakout sessions from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Max Armstrong, WGN Radio will lead the panel discussion on “What’s Keeping Senior Managers Up At Night.” This discussion will give you a closer look at the challenges and opportunities they see ahead for American agriculture and the businesses that provide products and services to keep it competitive. Panel members include: Travis Dickinson, VP Marketing, Syngenta; Michael Layfield, Sr. Marketing Manager, Dairy Anti-Infectives, Pfizer Animal Health; and Larry Christenson, Branch Manager, John Deere. Learn “The In’s & Out’s Of Business Etiquette” with Diane Johnson, Livestock Publications Council. As business professionals, all of us have had to attend receptions and banquets. What are things to consider when greeting people, feasting on appetizers and drinking assorted beverages? These and other tips on business etiquette will be presented to help you make people comfortable around you and to leave the best possible impression. Jill Greene, Solutions, Inc., Janet McPherson, Frontier Farm Credit and a representative from Successful Farming/AgricultureOnline, will present “Marketing To Women in Agriculture.” You’ll learn how to modify your marketing approach in unique and engaging ways to reach this important decision maker. Charlie Arnot, CMA Consulting, will present “Best Food Nation-Using an Industry Coalition to Address Key Issues.” As Sir Winston Churchill once said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” That’s the philosophy that caused a group of 18 national organizations who are dedicated to producing safe, abundant and affordable food, to come together to tell the real story of our food system. Learn how this effort, initiated and supported by an industry coalition, has stemmed the tide of criticism of our food industry, and is providing consumers the facts so they can form intelligent opinions.

Our closing keynote address on Friday from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon, is something that you will not want to miss! Jenné Fromm will discuss, “Emotional Intelligence and the Power of You.” This inspirational, powerful presentation will help all of us apply the right emotion, at the right time, to allow healthy confrontation, stay motivated, and build trusting relationships.

To register for the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/register.html.

For more information on the conference visit, http://www.nama.org/amc.

Donations are still needed for the 2007 Silent Auction that will be held during the Connection Point (Trade Show), April 11-12. 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 ABEF at the same time. Any worthwhile product or service will be gratefully accepted.

The success of the ABEF Silent Auction proves our association is eager to contribute to the growth and enhancement of the profession of agri-marketing. Please show your support and donate what you can (minimum of $50 value suggested). All proceeds from the auction benefit NAMA’s Student Careers Program.

If you’d like to make a donation to the Silent Auction visit, http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/pledgeform.htm.

Donations must be made by this Friday, March 16, to be included in the auction catalog.

Note: The On-Line Auction will take place on the NAMA web site at http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/bid-index.html, beginning Wednesday, March 21 and lasting through Wednesday, March 28.

Gather your foursome for fun and networking on the golf course prior to the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference. The ABEF Golf Tournament will take place Tuesday April 10 at Bear Creek Golf Course in Dallas, TX.

Bear Creek Golf Club is among the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s favorite classic golf courses. It has been named among the “Top 50 Resort Courses in America” by Golf Digest and one of the “10 Great Places to Golf” by The Wall Street Journal. Testimony to the challenge, allure, and shot values found on our two distinct layouts – the West and East Courses – Bear Creek has hosted PGA Tour Qualifiers, the Texas State Open, the AJGA National Tournament, the PGA National Golf Series, and NTPGA Sectional Tournaments.

A chartered bus will leave the Hyatt Regency Crown Center at 11:30 a.m. to take everyone to the golf course. Tee time begins at 1:00 p.m. and a golf awards ceremony and reception will follow the outing at the golf course. The price is $125 per golfer. The registration deadline for the golf outing is March 27.
Register on-line now! Just visit http://www.nama.org/amc/golfregister.htm.

Proceeds from the Golf Outing will benefit the Student NAMA Careers Program.

Show your support of ABEF and be a sponsor of the golf outing. To sign up for a sponsorship on-line visit http://www.nama.org/amc/golfsponsor.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at 913-491-6500 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Every year at the Agri-Marketing Conference, professionals gather to explore the latest in techniques, trends and services in the Connection Point trade show. This year, we’ve changed the hours in the Connection Point. The new hours are:

Wednesday, April 11
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. – Best of NAMA Celebration/Connection Point Grand Opening
sponsored by DTN

Thursday, April 12
12:30 Noon – 2:00 p.m. – Connection Point Luncheon

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Break in the Connection Point
sponsored by Millennium Research and Hoard’s Dairyman

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. – ABEF Silent Auction/Connection Point Closing Reception
sponsored by NAFB

A 7″ digital picture frame will be awarded at the end of each session to a trade show attendee. Plus, a grand prize drawing for a 30 GB iPod will be held at the end of the trade show session. Each booth will have a box to collect business cards, and they will be combined at the end of each session. A bingo activity will occur during the luncheon, if you get a bingo, you’ll be entered into drawing for two Southwest Airline Tickets!

Booth space in the Connection Point is still available. If you would like to purchase a booth, please visit http://nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm.

If you have questions regarding the Connection Point, please contact Judy Knoll at [email protected] or at (636) 728-1428.

Student NAMA chapters have had a busy year preparing for the upcoming marketing competition in Dallas. The competition takes place April 11-12 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. If you are attending the Agri-Marketing Conference, stop by and see the presentations that the students worked so hard to put together. You may see some of your future employees among those students!

Teams that will be competing this year are as follows:

American Institute of Business
Arizona State University
Colorado State University
Delaware Valley College
Illinois State University
Iowa State University
Kansas State University
Michigan State University
Mississippi State University
New Mexico State University
N. Carolina State University
N. Dakota State University
The Ohio State University
Pennsylvania State University
Purdue University
Sam Houston State University
Texas A&M University
University of Alberta
University of Delaware
University of Florida
University of Guelph
University of Hawaii
University of Minnesota
University of Nebraska
University of Saskatchewan
University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee – Martin
University of WI-Madison
University of WI-Platteville
University of WI-River Falls
Virginia Tech

NAMA has honored Phil Johnson, Chief Operating Officer at Colle+McVoy, with the NAMA Marketer of the Year award. The award will be presented during the Second General Session of the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference, “Think Big!” on Thursday, April 12 at 11:00 a.m. in Dallas and is sponsored by AgriMarketing magazine.

NAMA recognizes its active members with senior management of marketing and/or sales responsibilities with the NAMA Marketer of the Year award. This award is NAMA’s most prestigious honor awarded to active members of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing.

Phil Johnson has become an expert at taking the status quo and making it better. Whether he’s revitalizing a stagnant brand, reorganizing a business group or providing a struggling subsidiary with the resources needed to gain the confidence to succeed, Johnson is a vital part of maximizing nearly every challenge he encounters, to the benefit of his clients, his company and those who work around him.

Johnson’s philosophy is simple. He uses a straight-forward equation to get the results that put his clients at the forefront of the agricultural industry: Relationships + Rigor = Results. Utilizing this equation to dig into a customer’s business and understand it from the ground up takes a huge amount of work and commitment, and is the key to successfully acquiring and keeping clients.

Johnson has spearheaded efforts to establish business goals and direction for Colle+McVoy’s agribusiness group. He was the first group director to develop a strategic plan within this key agency segment, establishing business objectives for organic growth from existing agribusiness clients and securing new business among both traditional and nontraditional ag companies. In addition, he established semi-annual reviews for each agency account to measure progress against established account goals. As a result, agency resources were applied more effectively and new opportunities were identified and pursued more efficiently. In the first three years of this new emphasis on strategic agribusiness growth and development, Colle+McVoy met all established growth goals and added five new clients that have significantly increased the profitability and provided long-term stability for the agency within the agribusiness marketplace.

As a principal at Colle+McVoy for 20 years, Johnson has provided the leadership and encouragement needed to offer exceptional client service and innovative marketing solutions.

Celebrating his 20^th anniversary as a member and leader of NAMA, Johnson has served as a director and president of the North Central Chapter and chaired awards program committees from the Midlands and North Central chapters. He successfully chaired the NAMA Issues Forum committee in September, 1998, and received the Outstanding Chair award in 1999 for his leadership.

Dale R. Ludwig, executive director/CEO of the Missouri Soybean Association and the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, has been named the 2007 Agribusiness Leader of the Year. This award, which is NAMA’s highest honor, will be presented at the Opening General Session of the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference, “Think Big!,” April 12, 2007, in Dallas, TX. The award honors outstanding leaders in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas who exemplify excellence in agribusiness by their significant contributions to the industry.

Ludwig is a visionary leader with a proven record of building coalitions to improve Missouri agriculture. He helped forge producer/agribusiness partnerships that have positioned Missouri as a leader in biodiesel production. In addition, he pioneered the effort to identify new traits in soybeans through biotechnology and helped re-position the U.S. soybean commodity with competitive advantages over global competitors.

Ludwig’s understanding of two changes in agriculture – renewable fuels and biotechnology – created unique approaches to agribusiness research and development as well as farmer involvement in business formation and execution. Ludwig assisted producers and the industry in raising $100 million to finance 10 value-added, new-generation businesses, ranging from biodiesel joint ventures to functional food companies. His vision of independent producers funding research and development and investing in farmer-owned businesses led to strategic positions and ultimate execution of new opportunities for producers such as the development of the QUALISOY™ board. QUALISOY is an industry-wide initiative to transform the commodity with better traits in an effort to combat the trans fat issue associated with hydrogenated soybean oil.

A known and trusted individual among the Missouri congressional delegation, Ludwig helped convince Congress to pass the biodiesel tax credit, a federal incentive driving biodiesel’s growth. Ludwig’s ability to work toward solutions for soybean producers distinguishes him as one of the true champions of the biodiesel effort. Ludwig’s relentless support for biotechnology led to the cooperation between USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and private institutions to create a new paradigm of synergy in the plant-based biotechnology arena.

Ludwig was a founding director on the QUALISOY board. He serves as vice chairman of the Missouri Biotechnology Organization board of directors. In addition, he has served as president of the St. Louis Agribusiness Club. He has also served on numerous agricultural advisory boards for U.S. senators, congressmen, and Missouri’s governor. He currently serves on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Plant Biotechnology.