Come to the conference early and learn how to present your ideas with power. Laurie Richards, Laurie Richards & Associates, will host the pre-conference workshop, “Presenting Your Ideas With Power” on Wednesday, April 11 from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

This interactive workshop will polish your speaking skills regardless of your experience or level of development. Learn how to organize your thoughts to make your point clearly and to gain support.

Laurie Richards has hosted her own television show, managed one of the nation’s fastest growing public relations agencies and launched award-winning public affairs programs. Her published works include, Speaking Without Fear, Managing People for Success, and Give Stress a Rest. Sign up for the Pre-Conference Workshop at http://www.nama.org/amc/reserveworkshop.htm.

Don’t miss some of the biggest thinkers in agri-marketing at the Best of NAMA Awards Ceremony at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Join in applauding the achievements of the winners as awards are presented in 61 categories with 3 Best of Show awards given for advertising, public relations, and specialty work.

After the Best of NAMA Ceremony, DTN/The Progressive Farmer, invite you to toast the winners at a wine tasting in the Connection Point from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Great prizes will be given away during the tasting, don’t miss your opportunity to win!

Help feed your mind with the High Plains Journal Continental Plus Breakfast on Thursday, April 12 from 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. After breakfast, join us for the Opening General session where we will recognize outstanding NAMA leaders of this past year with the Leader Awards. In addition, we will be honoring Dale R. Ludwig, executive director/CEO of the Missouri Soybean Association and the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, with the Agribusiness Leader of the Year Award. This award is NAMA’s highest honor and recognizes an outstanding leader in agribusiness, education, government service or other related fields.

Following the presentation of awards, we welcome the Wizard of Ads himself, Roy Williams founder of The Wizard Academy. Williams will teach you the 12 things not to do when developing your advertising campaign. A seasoned business consultant and gifted storyteller, Williams will provide you with the secret formula for success. Williams and his staff have been the unseen pivotal force in amazing come-from-behind victories in worlds of business, politics and finance. Our thanks goes out to American Business Media Agri-Council for sponsoring this session.

Come to the Second General Session from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to honor Phil Johnson, Chief Operating Officer at Colle+McVoy, with the NAMA Marketer of the Year Award, sponsored by AgriMarketing Magazine. This award is the most prestigious honor awarded to an active member of the association, recognizing outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing directly to agricultural producers.

After honoring Johnson, join Scott Deming for The Brand Who Cried Wolf and learn the process of turning customers into loyal fanatics with every customer becoming a brand evangelist. This presentation will break all boundaries of the typical customer service or brand building processes. Special thanks to John Deere and Osborn & Barr for sponsoring this session.

Following a luncheon in the Connection Point from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m., senior marketing managers can join Scott Deming again for the Senior Management Workshop, Key Elements of Emotional Branding, sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection. Or, if you prefer, pick between four concurrent breakout sessions sponsored by FMC Corporation and Mosaic Company.

This Senior Management Workshop is a detailed, drilled-down extension of the Second General Session on how to create the ultimate customer experience. Learn solid, practical methods and processes to help separate your organization from your competitors. In 1983, Scott Deming started his own marketing and advertising company, RCI, Inc. which grew into a multi-million-dollar organization servicing fortune 500 companies and other corporations throughout the country. His clients successfully grew their businesses and beat the competition using “renegade” branding, sales, customer service and communication programs. You must be registered for the entire conference to participate in the workshop. To sign up for the Senior Management Workshop visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/seniorworkshop.html.

Breakout sessions for the afternoon include Optimizing The Client-Agency Relationship with Menno Ellis, partner of ABA Consulting. Check out Organics As A Marketing Strategy: The Growth of a Trend or see Lyle Orwig, CEO of Charleston Orwig lead a panel discussion on Marketing With Your Customers – Part A. Joining Orwig will be Julian Aldridge, Ammo Marketing; Dave Rhylander, Monsanto; and Stacy Norin, Elanco Animal Health. Ted Haller, AdFarm/Jordan Group and Roger Olson, Rural Lifestyle Media will host Rural Lifestyle Producers-Understanding Who They Are & Why They Buy.

Following a cake and ice cream break, sponsored by Millennium Research Inc. and Hoard’s Dairyman Magazine, join your peers for a second round of breakout sessions. The second half of the afternoon will kick-off with a panel discussion on Rural Lifestyle Marketing: Straight From the Horse’s Mouth led by Don Wick, Red River Farm Network. Jay Akridge and Joan Fulton from Purdue University will present Marketing With Your Customers – Measurements Part B. Join Jan Johnson, founder of Millennium Research, Inc., for a look at Agriculture 2020-What Will U.S. Agriculture be in 13 Years? Tom Slunecka, Executive Director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) and Jake Stewart, Vice President of Strategic Development at Organic Fuels will lead the breakout session on Bioenergy 101.

After a day of thinking big, relax and network with some Texas local brews and nachos at the Connection Point Closing and ABEF Silent Auction sponsored by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB).

Start your Friday with the most important meal of the day, a continental breakfast with KFRM Radio – The Voice of the Plains, April 13 from 8:00 – 8:45 a.m.

After you’ve energized with breakfast, take part in one of the four concurrent breakout sessions. Max Armstrong, WGN Radio, will moderate What’s Keeping Senior Managers Up At Night? This panel discussion will feature Travis Dickinson, vice president of marketing at Syngenta, Mike Layfield, senior marketing manager, dairy anti-infectives at Pfizer Animal Health, and Larry Christenson, branch manager for John Deere. Diane Johnson, Details by Design, will teach you the In’s and Out’s of Business Etiquette. Learn about Marketing to Women in Agriculture with Jill Greene, Solutions, Inc., Janet McPherson, Frontier Farm Credit and Scott Mortimer, Successsful Farming/Agriculture Online. Hear Charlie Arnot, CMA Consulting, discuss the Best Food Nation – Using an Industry Coalition to Address Key Issues.

Following the morning breakout sessions, join Jenne Fromm, JenneInk, for Emotional Intelligence and the Power of You from 10:30 a.m. – Noon. Through engaging stories, in-depth insight, practical application and humor, Fromm offers how capturing the power of your emotions is the key to staying motivated and engaged in changing times. See how tapping into your emotional intelligence will increase your chances of success and will help you deal better with difficult people.