Don’t forget to submit your nominations for the Agribusiness Leader and NAMA Marketer of the Year awards by January 15, 2008!

Agribusiness Leader of the Year
NAMA named Dale R. Ludwig, executive director/CEO of the Missouri Soybean Association and the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, the 2007 Agribusiness Leader of the Year. The award, which is NAMA’s highest honor, was presented at the Opening General Session of the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference, “Think Big!,” April 12, 2007 in Dallas.

The Agribusiness Leader of the Year award honors an outstanding leader in agribusiness, education, government service or other related areas. Solicited from senior level position holders in private, public or academic service, nominees should exemplify excellence in agribusiness by their significant contributions to the industry. Nominees do not need to be NAMA members.

If you would like to nominate someone for the Agribusiness Leader of the Year award, please fill out the nomination form on-line now at http://www.nama.org/awards/agribusinessform.htm or download the Agribusiness Leader Nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting,
http://www.nama.org/awards/agbusapplication.pdf.

For more information on the Agribusiness Leader of the Year award visit, http://www.nama.org/awards/agribusinessleader.htm.

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

The NAMA Marketer of the Year award is the most prestigious honor awarded to an active member of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing. Nominees are solicited from agribusiness and related companies with overall marketing and/or sales responsibilities. Nominees must be NAMA members.

If you are interested in nominating someone for the NAMA Marketer of the Year award, please fill out the nomination form on-line now at http://www.nama.org/awards/namamarketerform.htm or download the NAMA Marketer of the Year nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/mktrapplication.pdf.

For more information on the NAMA Marketer of the Year Award, visit, http://www.nama.org/awards/namamarketer.htm.

Midsouth Chapter
Are you a winner? Find out individual chapter awards as well as which entries have a chance to go on to compete at the National Judging in February. The winners of the National Judging will be announced at the National Best of NAMA Ceremony, April 16 in Kansas City.

The Midsouth Best of NAMA Ceremony will take place January 17, 2008. The evening will kick-off with cocktails at 6:00 p.m. with a dinner and awards presentation following.

Please join Midsouth NAMA at the Equestria Restaurant, 3165 Forest Hill Irene Road, Germantown, TN, ph. 901-869-2663.

Please RSVP for the Midsouth Best of NAMA Ceremony today at http://survey.archermalmo.com/TakeSurvey.aspx?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=96KMm88.

TAKE HOME AN iPOD NANO! Any NAMA member who brings a guest to the Midsouth Best of NAMA event will be entered into a drawing to win an iPod Nano!

Carolinas/Virginia Chapter
Join the Carolinas/Virginia chapter for their Best of NAMA Ceremony on January 31 at 4:30 p.m. in Raleigh, NC.

Mark your calendars and share this date with your colleagues. The banquet takes place at the NC State University Club, 4200 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606, to view some of your best work of the past season.

It’s time to celebrate agriculture’s most notable advertising and public relations triumphs of last year. Remember the Battle for the Bigger Logo, the Battle for a Bigger TV Budget and, of course, the Battle for a Media Extension? Let’s honor those heroic efforts at the Region III Best of NAMA Show!

Here are your orders! The Region III Best of NAMA Ceremony will take place January 10, 2008 at the Metropolitan Ballroom and Clubroom, 5418 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley, MN 55416. A reception will kick-off the event at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the awards presentation at 7:30 p.m.

Cost is $65.00 per person, please RSVP by January 4, 2008 at http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/register.htm or by calling 913-491-6500.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the DoubleTree Hotel, Minneapolis – Park Place, 1500 Park Place Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55416, PH: 952-542-8600. The NAMA room rate is $129.00/single, please make sure you mention NAMA to receive this group rate. Room block cut-off date is December 20. There will be a hotel shuttle scheduled to drop off NAMA Members at the Metropolitan and return to the DoubleTree Hotel.

Special thanks to the sponsors of the Region III Banquet:

Gold
CHS, Inc.
LEE Agri-MEDIA (Farm & Ranch Guide, Iowa Farmer Today, Minnesota Farm Guide, Tri-State Neighbor)
Paulsen AgriBranding

Silver
Adculture Group, Inc.
AdFarm
Albarella Design
Associations, Inc.
Broadhead + Co.
Farm Progress Companies
Learfield Communications
Martin Williams Advertising
Padilla Speer Beardsley
Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl., Inc.
Successful Farming/Agriculture Online
Living the Country Life
Two Rivers Marketing

They were tough people in a tough business. Cunning and determined professionals fighting it out across the farms and ranches of the Midwest – with their Ads, PR Kits, and Integrated Marketing Campaigns.

But they all knew a reckoning was coming. So they packed up the Best they had and headed to Lake Geneva. To see who would be the one they called…Best of Show.

The Region IV Best of NAMA Ceremony will take place at The Abbey Resort, 269 Fontana Blvd., Fontana, WI 53125 (on the western shore of Lake Geneva).

The Region IV Ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a reception, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the awards presentation at 7:30 p.m.

To book a room at the Abbey Resort call 1-800-709-1323. Make sure you mention NAMA to receive the $109 discount rate.

Cost for the ceremony is $65.00 per person.

Register on-line at http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/register.htm or by calling 913-491-6500.

Even if you aren’t the seventh son of the seventh son, you’ll want to see who captures the gold at the 2008 Region II Best of NAMA Awards. Enjoy the awards ceremony and rubbing elbows with your peers, then try your luck in the casino.

The Region II Best of NAMA Awards will take place, Tuesday, January 22, 2008, at the VooDoo Lounge at Harrah’s Casino, One Riverboat Drive, North Kansas City, MO 64116.

Cost for the Awards Ceremony is $65/person. A block of rooms is available at Harrah’s for $99 for out-of-towners. For reservations call: 1-800-HARRAHS (800-427-7247) and make sure you mention NAMA to receive the special rate.

The Banquet will begin at 6:00 p.m. with cocktails followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the awards presentation at 7:00 p.m.

Register on-line at http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/register.htm or by calling 913-491-6500.

Now is your chance to help tomorrow’s agrimarketers. The Midsouth Chapter is inviting students from the University of Tennessee-Martin and Mississippi State University to practice their NAMA New Products Marketing presentations before the April Student Marketing competition in Kansas City.

You can help support these students with feedback and encouragement in practice sessions in the coming months. Please email Brad Allen at [email protected] or Megan Klein at [email protected], if you are interested in helping.

Make plans to attend the NAMA Mixer at World Ag Expo, Tuesday, February 12, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. in the Alta California Booth #DSI48.

Take the opportunity to network with colleagues, marketing professionals, and make new friends.

There is no better way to kick-off your week in Tulare, CA!

Cocktails and appetizers will be served. RSVP by calling Dee Monsen at 916-928-1625 ext. 203 or e-mail [email protected].