Every year at the Agri-Marketing Conference, professionals involved with selling products and services into the agricultural marketplace gather to explore the latest in techniques, trends and practices.

In 2009, the conference will be held in the beautiful, newly renovated Atlanta Marriott Marquis, conveniently located in Peachtree Center. If your target audience includes agrimarketers, you can’t afford to miss the 2009 Connection Point.

In today’s world of voice mails and e-mails, the Connection Point offers a unique opportunity for face-to-face contact. Something every business can use!

Research shows a single, personal sales call can cost $500 or more. In some industries—such as ag—that can go much higher, both because of technical expertise needed and because the market is so geographically dispersed. Your participation in the Connection Point will enable you to make sales calls much more economically!

And it is a sales opportunity. In a recent study, 91% of respondents ranked trade shows as an “extremely useful” source for product purchasing information and nearly half had purchased products or services at a trade show.

What happens in the trade show?

Receptions
On Wednesday, April 15, immediately after the Best of NAMA Ceremony, the Connection Point opens with a Celebration Reception. The Thursday evening reception offers attendees the chance to unwind after the first full day of conference activities.

Lunch & Refreshment Breaks
On Thursday, April 16, lunch will be served in the Connection Point as well as refreshments during the afternoon break, offering additional opportunities to mingle.

Drawings
Prize drawings at the end of each session (four) and a grand prize drawing at the Thursday evening reception help encourage conference attendees to leave business cards at booths in the Connection Point. A bingo activity during Thursday’s luncheon helps generate additional booth activity.

Virtual Trade Show
As an exhibitor at the Connection Point you will also be featured as an exhibitor in the Virtual Trade Show at no additional charge. Trade show attendees can determine where
you will be located and find out more about your organization before the event. Simply e-mail a brief description, company logo and a link to your website to [email protected]. . .we take care of the rest!

Connection Point Hours

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Best of NAMA Celebration/Trade Show Grand Opening

THURSDAY, APRIL 16
12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Luncheon
3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Break
5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Closing Reception/ABEF Silent Auction

For more information on the Connection Point visit http://nama.org/amc/ts/connection.htm.

To sign up for booth space now visit http://nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm.

Note: Exhibitors who sign up for a booth by February 4 will receive a complimentary registration for NAMA’s February 5th webinar on Maximizing Your Trade Show R.O.I. with Scott Hanna, Skyline Displays.

The Badger National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Chapter recently donated $500 to the building of the University of Wisconsin-Madison NAMA Awards Tree, a display that recognizes the accomplishments of the student chapter over the past 30 years.

“Since its accreditation in 1981, the UW-Madison Student NAMA Chapter, its marketing team and its advisors have been recognized by the national professional chapter with numerous awards,” says Sarah Botham, UW-Madison NAMA Advisor. “We appreciate Badger NAMA’s donation to help make our awards tree a reality.”

In 2008, this vast collection of trophies and plaques was replaced with a three-dimensional wall of recognition, featuring a unique design which will provide space for an infinite number of future awards.

The bronze sculpture takes the form of a tree, with each leaf representing one award. The awards are divided by categories and the categories identified by large acorns. Each category is represented in one section of the tree and can be updated annually, growing with the success and legacy of this renowned student organization.

For more information, contact Tom Thieding at 608.828.5709 or [email protected].

Michigan State University

In Memory of Katherine Brown
Katherine Ann Brown, age 18, a member of the Michigan State University National Agri-Marketing Association from Conklin, MI, passed away unexpectedly September 29, 2008.

Investigations are ongoing in the homicide that also claimed the lives of three other people. Katherine was a sophomore studying Agri-Business Management. This was her second year as an active Student NAMA member and she was serving as the club Historian. Katherine also participated on the marketing presentation team last year, marketing TequilaBerry Pops. Attending MSU was fulfilling the dream of the funny, laid back girl that brought so much enthusiasm to the club.

This is a very difficult time as MSU NAMA says good-bye to Katherine and honors her memory. Her loss is tragic, but how fortunate for all those who were able to have been touched by her smile and her friendship. “She was somebody who was just so effervescent,” Ben Barkow said. “She just shone from within a lot of times, and she had a personality that would make you smile.” She will be greatly missed by MSU NAMA.

Sam Houston State University

On October 9th, the NAMA Team, in cooperation with the Agribusiness Club, hosted the 1st Annual SHSU Mud Volleyball Tournament. The goal was to include all the clubs and organizations in the Agriculture department. The event was located in the Ag Sciences Indoor Arena. In all, 12 teams competed for the title as Mud Volleyball Champs. While not all of the clubs were represented in the tournament, many showed up to cheer on friends and faculty. The event was a great success, both as a social event for the department and as a fund raiser for the club.

The NAMA Team is also getting things underway for the marketing competition in the spring. Within the Agricultural Business Department, NAMA is growing in recognition and interest. Veteran members have been active in recruiting new members for the team, as well as searching for and meeting with prospective companies to work with for the competition. So far, the NAMA team has been very active in all these areas and, as we continue to grow, we plan to increase efforts in serving our department and its students.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

On September 26^th, the UW-Madison Chapter hosted a lakefront picnic for student and Pro-NAMA members to network and socialize. New student members were able to talk with older members about past experiences in NAMA, work or even school. It was also a great opportunity for students to network with industry professionals and recruiters. This was UW-NAMA’s first social picnic and overall it was a successful event with more than 25 people in attendance.

The UW-Madison NAMA Chapter participated in World Dairy Expo Sept. 30^th – Oct. 4^th. Students assisted exhibitors throughout the week by providing sales support and extra customer interaction points for busy day-parts. It was a great opportunity for our students to work with companies and gain valuable experience in a professional atmosphere. Many students also attended an after-hours social and networking event hosted by Badger NAMA.

Finally, UW-Madison NAMA students worked throughout the week to survey visitors at World Dairy Expo about their reasons for attending, key industry concerned and herd size and condition. The students completed approximately 1000 surveys over the five days of Expo, information from which will be compiled for use in marketing and program improvements in advance of the 2009 event.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The UNL NAMA Chapter “kick” started the year with a fun video and presentation at the UNL Department of Agricultural Economics annual Kick-Off event. Following a steak dinner sponsored by ADM, President Laura Witte and Vice President of Marketing Bret Herndon highlighted last year’s events to an audience of over 100 students and faculty members.

The Kick-Off event was a great way to share the outstanding opportunities available through NAMA and recruit prospective members. The UNL chapter has already held fundraisers, completed community service projects, and is looking forward to attending the October Midlands (professional) Chapter meeting on word of mouth (WOM) marketing. Nebraska NAMA chapter is looking forward to a fun-filled year!

North Carolina State University

The Agribusiness/NAMA Club at North Carolina State University began the fall semester with energy and excitement. Sadly, long time club adviser and mentor to many students, Bob Usry, retired after 28 years of service and dedication to the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department and the Agribusiness/NAMA Club. With his retirement the club decided to rename their scholarship endowment The Bob Usry – Agribusiness/NAMA Club Scholarship Endowment to honor Bob. The scholarship is awarded each spring to an active member of the Agribusiness/NAMA Club.

The club is gearing up to work at the North Carolina State Fair volunteering at the NC Dairy Promotions Booth selling cups of ice cold NC milk to fair-goers. The club is also collecting Hurricane Health Kits to donate to victims of Hurricane Ike.

Illinois State University

It has been a busy spring and fall for the Illinois State University NAMA Chapter.

This past spring the ISU-NAMA was recognized by the Office of the Dean of Students as the Outstanding Registered Student Organization for 2008. The chapter received a certificate from the President of the University and ISU-NAMA was added to the Outstanding RSO plaque that is displayed at the Student Union.

In September the Chapter sponsored the annual Agriculture Career Day. This career fair provided an opportunity for students from across campus to visit with representatives from over 40 agribusiness firms.

ISU-NAMA hosted members of the Chicago and Heartland NAMA Chapters for a tour of the University’s research and teaching farm and the Twin Groves Wind Farm (the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi). Several of the professional members then attended the monthly Student Chapter meeting that was held later that evening.

Texas A&M University

The Texas A&M University NAMA Chapter has started off a great year with two influential marketing industry speakers and a creative group of students to start working on the marketing team project. Both industry speakers have stressed the importance of marketing in business operations and the numerous professional career opportunities. Dr. Charlie Hall spoke about his experience in horticulture and the direction that the industry is moving toward. The green industry is advancing in marketing techniques and Texas is a predominant player for success.

Also, Dan’l Mackey with DMA Solutions spoke about the various opportunities for internships and careers within the produce industry. She gave the club members an insight on her experience as a NAMA officer and the leadership opportunities within the organization. Dan’l emphasized that the marketing team has had a positive impact on her career in produce and was the best hands on experience she received during college. Both of the speakers were a great hit and we are looking forward to having a wide range of industry speakers this year to enhance our perceptions of marketing.