The following Trend Sessions will take place Thursday, April 20 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Seeing Ahead: Underpinnings for What’s Next for the Media Industry
The media industry is facing its most severe challenge since the 1950s. Consumers exercise more control over how, when and where they interact with brands and product information than ever before. This has caused an erosion of the traditional media model-and media usage patterns have changed dramatically. Advertisers are looking for new strategies, and media is constantly being challenged to demonstrate direct value through ROI.

Tom Troland, Meredith Corporation, will explore the “underpinnings” of tomorrow’s marketplace: new consumer, shifts in media usage, shopping patterns and the “value battleground” of the future.

Troland is the senior market analyst for Meredith Corporation in New York, where he focuses on business intelligence, trend analysis for market positioning and new product development, especially in the areas of demographic and consumer trends. Previously he was the director of market development for Meredith Integrated Marketing. Troland has been a regular participant in trend clinics for major companies such as Kraft Foods and Toyota.

The Crossroads of Agriculture – Which Way to Go?
In this session, Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh, Kansas State University, will explore three key forces that will influence the direction of the 2007 Farm Bill-the Federal budget, the WTO and Congressional and Ag Industry leadership. He predicts that market forces will be a driving factor in the design of new legislation, but will they be strong enough to move U.S. agriculture away from historical farm programs? Learn key insights to help you position your products and services with producers in the years ahead.

Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh is a professor of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University. A co-author of Agricultural and Food Policy, Dr. Flinchbaugh is a top advisor to the USDA, and served as chairman of the Commission on 21st Century Production Agriculture.

Special thanks to Syngenta for sponsoring this session.