It’s time to get started on putting your entries together for the Best of NAMA competition. The deadline for submitting entries is October 12 – less than a month away!

The Best of NAMA program honors the best work in agricultural communications. Entries are sent directly to the national NAMA office and judged by industry professionals at a regional level for possible advancement to national competition. A minimum point standard will be used at the regional level. If you place first or merit at the regional competition and score above the minimum point standard, you are eligible to advance to the national competition. The national awards ceremony will take place April 16, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center.

What’s Eligible
If you’re a NAMA member you’re eligible to submit your company’s communications materials produced for first use in 2007. (If entered in 2006, the EXACT SAME entry will not be eligible in 2007.) Additions or modifications to an ongoing campaign will not be eligible year after year. Entries are open to agricultural, ornamentals, turf, livestock veterinarians and any other ag-related products or services whose primary audience is farmers, ranchers and growers (except as otherwise noted). New International categories were added last year to showcase work in other countries. Please submit translations where necessary. Each entry should be submitted through one region only.

Support Your Chapter
Your local chapter receives $25 per regional entry. So, enter your work in Best of NAMA and support your local chapter at the same time.

If you have not received your Best of NAMA Call for Entries in the mail yet, you can view the categories and download the entry form on-line at http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/index.htm.

The NAMA Advocate program is part of the overall “Cultivating Connections” membership plan. The goal of the NAMA Advocate program is to enlist a core group of NAMA members to help recruit new members and advocate for the organization.

Your efforts are part of the bigger membership picture. The national NAMA membership committee is working with chapters on recruiting while simultaneously the NAMA office is working on targeted prospecting.

What will I have to do?
You’ll receive membership materials from the NAMA office. You’ll be expected to seek out potential members and lay the groundwork for recruiting members. After making contact, you’ll coordinate the follow-up through the NAMA office. Or you can follow up to “Close the deal.”

What will I get in return?
Along with the satisfaction of helping the organization you’ll be recognized in the NAMA News section of AgriMarketing magazine, NAMA e-news and Grassroots newsletter. You’ll be recognized at the Agribusiness Forum and the Agri-Marketing Conference with a ribbon on your name badge. You will also be invited to the “First Timer/Leader” reception at the conference.

Current Advocates
Ken Anderson, David & Associates
Sally Behringer, Nicholson Kovac, Inc.
Cyndi Calloway, Exhibit Resources, Inc.
Leigh Ann Cleaver, Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications
Sandy Creighton, Farm Progress Companies
Jean Custer, CNH America LLC
Ken Dean, High Plains Journal
Lee Dueringer, Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation
Dawn Foster, Farm Credit Services of America
Teresa Hinrichs, CMS
Angela Jamison, Communicopia
Phil Johnson, Colle+McVoy
Amy Jolliff, Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Commications
Kim Lang, Learfield Communications
Bev Larson, NK Brand Seeds
Sue Lee, Farm Journal Media
Kara McDonald, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association
Robert Ratliff, ProfitableFarming.com Corp.
Jane L. Schroeder, NC+ Hybrids
Don Schultz, Clear Channel Ag Networks
Joe Shefchik, PR Marketing Precise Results
Tom Smull, Associations, Inc.
Lori Strum, Strategic America
Frank Timberlake, R.F. Timberlake & Co., Inc.
Stephanie Vinton, Agri-Access
Catherine Wang, Gibbs & Soell
Jeff Winton, Schering-Plough Corp.
Chuck Zimmerman, ZimmComm New Media LLC

If you would like to become a NAMA Advocate today, sign-up at http://www.nama.org/advocate/advocatesignup.htm.