Engaging Networking and Inspiring Speakers at the 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference

NAMA did not disappoint with an unforgettable lineup of keynote speakers, innovative breakout sessions and countless networking opportunities at the 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference.

Over 75 attendees were up bright and early on Wednesday morning for the Fort Worth Ag Tour. The Southwest NAMA Chapter hosted this entertaining tour of “Cowtown.” The group visited the famous Fort Worth Stockyards, the Livestock Exchange Building and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. It was a great way to kick off the conference.

The Best of NAMA awards celebrated the agencies and companies that contributed the most strategic and effective campaigns of the year. As always, this annual awards ceremony opens the conference in an impressive way.

Conference attendees were back at it the next day with two keynote speakers who spoke on effective communication and management techniques. Herm Edwards reiterated the importance of teamwork and mentoring the next generation of workers, while Bruce Tulgan focused on the best way to manage the incoming generation.

These two opening sessions gave NAMA the chance to present some very prestigious awards to a couple of worthy longtime leaders in the agriculture industry. Mike Stern, Chief Executive Officer of The Climate Corporation, received the Agribusiness Leader of the Year Award. Greg Nickerson, Chief Executive Officer at Bader Rutter, was awarded the NAMA Marketer of the Year Award.

Original and innovative ideas continued in the afternoon’s breakout sessions with a producer panel, a look at immersive live brand experiences and a unique 3 in 1 digital track session which included short looks at the marketing ecosystem, sales automation and the field of user experience. Breakouts also included special sessions led by the morning keynoters that offered a deeper dive into the content they introduced earlier in the day.

The first full day of conference ended with a closing reception in the Connection Point where conference goers and exhibitors had the chance to network over drinks and get those last minute bids in for the ABEF Silent Auction.

At the Closing Brunch, inspirational speaker John O’Leary shared his remarkable tale of survival. As a child, O’Leary was in an accident that caused him to be burned on 100% of his body. Though he was given less than one percent chance of survival, he miraculously recovered. With a mixture of tears and laughter, O’Leary captivated conference goers and motivated them to cherish each day and all the possibilities of tomorrow.

Check out some great photos from NAMA’s week in Dallas on the NAMA Flickr page!