Mark your calendars and check out an upcoming chapter event!

If you have any write-ups or photo’s from your previous events, please send the information to Kathi Conrad at [email protected] to get it in the NAMA e-News.

March 5

North Central NAMA
Agribusiness and Crisis
Crisis communications experts from Padilla Speer Beardsley and Weber Shandwick Worldwide will show you how the fundamental skills of crisis management can be applied in both short and long-term situations to protect reputation, enhance your brand, and save your bottom line.

The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. with beverages & appetizers followed by the presentation from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. There will be a social hour following the presentation. Join North Central NAMA at Colle + McVoy in downtown Minneapolis, for directions, click here. Cost is $20 in advance for members or $25 at the event, Non-Members are $30 in advance, $35 at the event, Students get in free!

To pay/register in advance via credit card – click here

For questions, please contact, JoDee George, [email protected] or Sheri Hanson, [email protected]

March 6

Desert Southwest
Blogging For Your Business
Join the Desert Southwest Chapter of NAMA for our monthly Lunch and Learn meeting at 12:00 noon on March 6. The speaker will begin at 12:00 noon with the luncheon, followed by some networking at 1:00 p.m. Cost for the event is $10 for members and students or $15 for non-members.

To insure that we have enough space and food, please RSVP no later than noon on Thursday, March 5th. To RSVP, please visit the e-vite invitation.

If you are a member and bring a non-member as a guest, your meal is FREE!

March 7

Desert Southwest
Arizona Ag Day

Check out the National Ag Day celebration happening in Mesa, AZ on March 7. Visit http://www.azagday.com/ for more information on the event.

March 11

Iowa NAMA
Technology Strategies, Solutions, and Support

The Iowa NAMA March meeting will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston, IA. The event will begin with a social from 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon, followed by lunch and the program from 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.

Register now to Carrie Jorgensen at [email protected].

March 12

MoKan NAMA
Student Marketing Competition Presentations
On March 12, the student NAMA chapters from Kansas State University and Northwest Missouri State University will present their presentations for the student NAMA competition in April. Come out and preview the presentations and provide valuable feedback to our student chapters. The presentations will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the SFP offices, 11550 Ash, Suite 220, Leawood, KS, 66211 (park in the garage to the west, take the elevator to the 2nd floor).

Pizza will be provided from California Pizza Kitchen. Cost is $15 for members, $25 for non-members.

**Special Alert**
We will be drawing for a $50 cash door prize. Make sure to bring your business cards!

RSVP by March 9 to Tyler Kelley at [email protected] or call (816) 410-5152.

Cornbelt NAMA
An Evening with Baxter Black – 23rd Annual Celebration of Agriculture
Farmers, agri-business leaders, lenders, and supporters of agriculture in Iowa will gather for the 23rd Annual Celebration of Agriculture at 6 pm on March 12th, 2009. The celebration, held at Cedar Rapids Marriott, will celebrate the vibrancy of the agriculture industry and feature entertainment by Baxter Black.

Join Cornbelt NAMA at the Celebration of Ag event on Thursday, March 12th at 6 pm in Cedar Rapids, IA. Please contact Luann Pisarik (319-624-2263 or [email protected]) by Noon Monday March 9th to place your reservation. Cost is $40 per person and includes dinner.

March 19

Ohio NAMA
Sharing Better Practices in Working Smarter – An Open Forum with NAMA
Nationally recognized speaker and trainer, Jim Paluch, energizes and educates thousands every year. He will facilitate the day to help you and your team Work Smarter. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and includes breakfast and lunch.

This event will take place at the Ohio State FFA Bldg. in Columbus, OH. Directions to FFA Bldg. Coming in on 71, exit on 17th avenue and head West on 17th. You will then turn North into the Expo Center. Drive into the parking lot and look for the FFA Bldg which is on the left side and has a white picket fence.

To Register, contact Mike Krouse at Unverferth Manufacturing at (419) 532-3130 ext. 1269 or email [email protected]. Cost is $80 for NAMA Members and $95 for Non-NAMA Attendees. Please RSVP before March 13, 2009, as we have a max of 50 seats available.

March 24

MoKan NAMA
Ag Day Pizza Party – Help Needed
Once again, the Mo-Kan NAMA chapter has volunteered to assist the Kansas Farm Bureau, Missouri Farm Bureau and Ag Hall of Fame with the bi-state observance of National Agriculture Day on March 24. The event is an excellent opportunity to educate youth in the Kansas City area about the important role agriculture plays in their lives, and it gives NAMA a chance to benefit both the communities in which we live and work and the industry we seek to serve.

Currently, nearly 700 elementary students are expected to attend the Ag Day Pizza Party at the Ag Hall of Fame on Tuesday, March 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students and educators will rotate between stations to learn the origins of different pizza ingredients such as dairy, meat, vegetables, wheat, and soybeans. After gaining a better understanding about the ingredients needed to make pizza, the students will literally digest their newly acquired knowledge at a kid-friendly feast of pizza and ice cream. The celebration will conclude with magician Rex Getz’s “Magical World of Agriculture” presentation.

While Mo-Kan NAMA has financially supported Ag Day for several years, increasing our role is a great opportunity to increase our presence in the community and local agricultural industry. If you are interested in assisting in any of the ways listed above, please contact Lori Kruger at 816.255.1959 or [email protected] or Becky Johnson at 913.220.9993 or [email protected] for more information.

Iowa NAMA
SHARE: Connecting Through Values™ Engagement Training
SHARE training provides participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to constructively engage with people who are unfamiliar with contemporary farming practices. It also provides them with training to help them deliver their organizations existing key messages in a more effective manner.

Join Iowa NAMA from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (lunch provided) on March 24 at the Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston, Iowa. The SHARE seminar will be presented by Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, The Center for Food Integrity.

Limited seating is available to first 15 registered participants. Please contact Stephanie Vinton-Pollock for more information at [email protected]. Cost is $30 per person.

Communicating Renewables Summit 2009
April 21-23, 2009, Hilton Minneapolis

This is THE conference to attend if you are a communications professional working for a company, association or agency that promotes wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, hydrogen and more!

Register by March 13th and NAMA members will receive $150 off registration and a FREE workshop. To apply, enter the “NAMA” code on the registration form.

Learn More at www.CommunicatingRenewables.com.

In his short time in office, President Obama has been campaigning for support on the economic stimulus package and the need to develop millions of green jobs through the growth of the renewable energy industry. But how will his legislation impact the alternative energy industry? How can the industry tap into the funds for both development and consumer education? With so much attention on wind, solar, biofuels and more, how do we create effective messages that will break through the clutter and ultimately spur consumer support and action? Want the answers? Then you need to attend the first annual Communicating Renewables Summit, April 21-23.

Three reasons why you must attend this conference:

1. To discover how to tap into the funds that have been, and will continue to be, earmarked through stimulus packages and other legislation (Renewable Fuels Standard, Farm Bill etc.).

2. To learn how to craft more effective public relations strategies, tactics and messages that consumers will listen to and move them into the direction of adoption.

3. To learn how to create and deploy tactics that will return a higher Return on Investment (ROI) crucial as budgets are tightening for an industry that is integral to economic recovery.

Sessions include:

• How to Tap Into Government Investments in Renewable Energy
• How the Administration’s Policy Will Change Your Tactics and Messaging
• A Strategic Relationship Approach to Fundraising
• Grant Writing 101

For more information about sessions and speakers and to register visit: www.CommunicatingRenewables.com. If you’re a member of NAMA, register by March 13, 2009. Registration will be $545.00 plus you’ll receive one FREE workshop session on April 21, 2009.

About 40 members and guests attended the February Mo-Kan NAMA meeting at the Golden Ox in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 18.

Following a buffet lunch, attendees were treated to the feature presentation by Carl L. Medley, Vice President, Business Strategist and Inspirational Speaker for Customer Communications Group. Medley’s presentation focused on the different generations in today’s workforce, and how they have different values, priorities, strengths and weaknesses.

The Matures, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and soon the Millennials are all valuable members of today’s workforce, but all have different experiences and values. Medley stresses there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to managing or marketing to these different groups.

Following the presentation, the NAMA Chapter drew for a cash door prize, which was won by Lori Kruger of Woodruff Sweitzer. Mo-Kan NAMA also held a drawing for free registration to the National NAMA Convention in April in Atlanta. That drawing was won by Stephanie Meyers of Osborn & Barr.

Approximately 35 – 40 participants attended the Carolinas/Virginia Chapter event at Novartis Animal Health in Greensboro, NC on February 11.

Bruce Zawadzi, email marketing manager at Novartis Animal Health, and Bryan Kristof, director of marketing at Signal Design, shared eMarketing tips and success stories on:

• Internal and External…getting the Web sites right for brand and corporate
• Email marketing
• Online games for lead generation and sales training
• Web analytics
• Utilizing video online

Several new terms were mentioned including BACN (pronounced bacon) which is similar to spam but it is unwanted email that you did request rather than unwanted email that you did not request.  Also used were, SEM is Search Engine Marketing and SEO is Search Engine Optimization.

Zawadzi discussed PaperPetPals.com which was developed by Novartis as a fun web site that reminds pet owners when it’s time to renew their pet’s prescriptions. This site also has games like Mabel’s Rescue which is a matching game and a page where you can make the animals dance by clicking on several different types of dance which strings them all together.

Several tips were mentioned for designing or redesigning websites.  First, have positive messaging.  Refocus 80% of a landing page on a single primary audience.  Remove extra columns and use a larger typeface.

The speakers also discussed Blogger.com which is free through a Google account.  It allows specific groups of people to communicate in a blog. Another free tool through Google is Google Analytics which allows you to analyze who has visited your website by city where they are located.