Sponsorships are available for the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference. Get your company noticed!  Companies with marketing budgets of all sizes can participate. The higher your support, the more benefits you’ll receive….Sustaining Partner, Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze. In addition, you can get more company visibility by claiming one or more of the sponsorship opportunities. These opportunities are available on a first come, first serve basis, with first right given to last year’s sponsor.

Please review the benefits and opportunities of sponsorship at the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference and confirm your interest to Jenny Pickett at (913) 491-6500 or email to [email protected] or fill out the online sponsorship form at http://www.nama.org/amc/sponsor/form.htm. In-kind sponsorships, e.g., printing, can be considered.

Students hungry for advice (and lunch) need you!  This event has been an annual success and we plan to improve it even more this year.

Don’t miss your chance to come face-to-face with topnotch employee candidates!  In an effort to provide students with an opportunity to connect with professionals about careers and job opportunities, we are organizing this event during the Thursday, April 19, luncheon from 12:30 – 1:30 in Kansas City.  It will be held along the windows in the Connection Point (Exhibit Hall A).

All you need to do is click here by Friday, March 23, to sign up http://www.nama.org/amc/student.htm.  Then, come to the luncheon and chat your heart out with the students for 60 minutes.  For this effort, you’ll gain the satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped a young person along his/her way and you will gain one more special ribbon on your NAMA badge when you check in at registration.  In addition, students have been encouraged to share their résumé with us electronically.  We will provide you with a free CD containing all of the résumés that we collect – no extra paper to carry!

When you arrive at the Connection Point, a member of the Careers Committee will tell you which numbered table to go to.  We will also provide a list of questions at each table to help initiate your conversations.

Organized by the NAMA Careers Committee, the luncheon is intended to:

• Provide professionals with an opportunity to interact with students and answer student questions.
• Provide students with the opportunity to share their résumés.
• Mentors and students are welcome to keep in touch, however, there will be no specific responsibilities designated for the mentors after the meeting.

Meet your customers in The Connection Point at the Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City.  If your company has products and services to put before decision-makers in the ag marketplace, NAMA’s Connection Point is for you.  Over 90% of the exhibitors return each year!

With nearly 1,200 professionals in attendance, there’s no better way to get noticed. Influencers and decision-makers will take note when you purchase booth space on this trade show floor. Lunch and refreshment breaks are scheduled to maximize traffic and draw the clients and customers you want to meet!

The Connection Point will be open Wednesday, April 18 from 6:00–7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 19 from 12:30–2:00 p.m., 3:00–4:00 p.m. and 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Booth space price (10’ x 10’ space) is $475 (includes one exhibit hall only pass). Trade in your exhibit hall only pass and receive $100 off one full conference registration. Additional exhibit hall only passes are $250 with a maximum of two per booth space.

Multiple space discount:
2 spaces = 10% off of the single booth price for a total of $855
3 spaces = 15% off of the single booth price for a total of $1,210
4 spaces = 20% off of the single booth price for a total of $1,520
5 or more spaces—call for price

Exhibitor Fees Include:
• One 10’ x 10’ exhibit space
• Uniform back wall and side rails (both draped)
• One-line company identification sign

To sign up for a booth in the Connection Point, visit http://www.nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm or contact Jan Cichello at [email protected] or call 913-491-6500.

Regional Best of NAMA Winners

If you place first or merit at the regional level, you are eligible to advance to the national competition. To advance your entries, visit www.nama.org/amc/advance.htm.

Please click on a region below to view the first and merit winners in that region.

Region I

Region II

Region III

Region IV

Region V

Region VI

Regional/Chapter Best of NAMA Highlights

Region II Best of NAMA
The Region II Best of NAMA Ceremony took place on Thursday, January 12, at Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City, Missouri.

Nearly 130 people attended this event! The ceremony honored the best work of the Rocky Mountain, Southwest, Missouri-Kansas, Great Plains, Gateway and Midlands chapters.  These chapters and others were represented by event attendees.

Taking home Best of Show awards were:

Best of Show Advertising
Category: Premiums/Specialties directed to farmers, growers and ranchers
Company: Monsanto
Agency: Osborn & Barr
Campaign: DEKALB Luke Bryan Concert Collateral

Best of Show Public Relations
Category: Events – Internal
Company: Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
Agency: Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications
Campaign: Boehringer Ingelheim Pet Sales Meeting – San Antonio

To view photos from the Region II Best of NAMA event, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/namaflickr.

Region IV Best of NAMA
A record 114 people participated in Region IV’s Best of NAMA Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 19, at the Crowne Plaza Madison in Madison, Wisconsin.  All Region IV chapters were represented – Badger, Chicago, Heartland, and Mid-America.  Attendees from many other chapters were there, too.

Merit and First Place winners in each category were recognized, with awards given to First Place winners.  The evening wrapped up with awards being presented to Best of Show winners in both Advertising and Public Relations.

Best of Show Public Relations
Category: Other Social Media
Company: Mycogen Seeds
Agency: Bader Rutter & Associates
Campaign: BMR Connection

Best of Show Advertising
Category: Single Page Ads, Series
Company: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board/Wisconsin Cheese
Agency: Shine Advertising
Campaign: Definition Campaign

To view photos from the Region IV Best of NAMA event, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/namaflickr.

Region III Best of NAMA
The Region III Best of NAMA Ceremony took place on January 26, 2012, at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis with a record 130 in attendance.  All Region III chapters were represented – Cornbelt, Iowa, North Central and Northern Prairie, along with attendees from other chapters.

Best of Show Public Relations
Category: Public Affairs/Issues Management Program
Company: Minnesota Pork Board/Minnesota Pork Producers Association
Agency: Weber Shandwick
Campaign: Oink Outings: A Passion for Pork, From Farm to Fork

Best of Show Advertising
Category: Multi-Media Campaigns – Regional
Company: Wyffels Hybrids
Agency: O&H Brand Design, Melzer & Musta, In-house
Campaign: Wyffels Hybrids Brand Campaign

To view photos from the Region III Best of NAMA event, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/namaflickr.

Carolinas/Virginia Best of NAMA
The Carolinas/Virginia Chapter celebrated its annual Best of NAMA award’s ceremony on Jan. 24 at Mez Contemporary Mexican in Durham, N.C.

The highlight of the event was the student members from North Carolina State University’s student NAMA Chapter who emceed the awards ceremony and helped pass out plaques to honorees. The Best of Show Public Relations and Advertising awards were bestowed upon Syngenta and Gibbs & Soell for their customer events and exhibits entries, respectively. More than 50 agri-marketers attended the event and ten sponsors helped make it a night to remember.

Southeastern Best of NAMA
Southeastern NAMA chapter members and other guests gathered at Norcross Station Café in Norcross, Georgia on January 25th for their annual Best of NAMA Celebration. A delicious buffet was served and awards were handed out to the regional merit and first place winners. A good time was had by all.

Midsouth Best of NAMA
More than 20 different companies, organizations and agencies were honored for their work in Midsouth agriculture.  The Midsouth NAMA Chapter event took place on January 26 at the Butcher Shop in Cordova, Tennessee.

Region I ~ February 14, 2012
Region I will host a Best of NAMA event on February 14 at the 2012 World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA. The event will take place at the Wine and Cheese Pavilion at the corner of “S” Street & Expo Lane – by the Seminar Center, from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm.  All NAMA members are invited to attend!

To RSVP visit http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/reg1register.htm.