Several NAMA members and non-members celebrated their wins at Regional and chapter Best of NAMA events. Check out the highlights of a few events below as well as information on regional winners and how to advance entries.

REGION II
The Region 2 Best of NAMA Ceremony took place on Thursday, January 7, at Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City, Missouri.

Although attendance was a little lighter than usual due to blustery weather across the Midwest, many attendees braved snowy conditions to take part in the event. The ceremony honored the best work of the Rocky Mountain, Southwest, Missouri-Kansas, Great Plains, Gateway and Midlands chapters.

Taking home Best of Show awards were:

Best of Show Public Relations
Category: Producer or Company-Funded Public Relations Campaigns
Company: Field to Market, The Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture
Agency: Fleishman-Hillard, Inc.
Entry Title: Field to Market Communications Campaign

Best of Show Advertising
Category: All Elements
Company: John Deere
Agency: In-House
Entry Title: John Deere Photo Library Volume 7

REGION III
Region III hosted their Best of NAMA Ceremony on Thursday, January 14, at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, MN. Nearly 100 people came to  celebrate the best of the best in Region III.

The ceremony honored work from the Northern Prairie, Cornbelt, North Central and Iowa NAMA chapters. Taking home the Best of Show Awards at the event were:

Best of Show Public Relations
Category: Producer or company-funded public relations campaigns – directed to consumers
Company: Midwest Dairy Association
Agency: Demeter Communications
Entry Title: People Behind the Product Influencer Audience Outreach

Best of Show Advertising
Category: Producer or Company-funded advertising campaigns or campaign elements – directed to consumers.
Company: Midwest Dairy Association
Agency: Sullivan Higdon & Sink
Entry Title: Put Some Cheese On It! Advertising Campaign

Special thanks to the sponsors of the Region III Best of NAMA:

Gold Level
Colle + McVoy
Padilla Speer Beardsley
Lee Agri-Media including Farm & Ranch Guide, Minnesota Farm Guide, Iowa Farmer Today & Tri-State Neighbor

Silver Level
Two Rivers Marketing
Successful Farming
J.L. Farmakis
Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl., Inc.
Martin Williams
CHS, Inc.
Albarella Design
Farm Progress Companies
AdFarm
Brownfield Network
Learfield News
Penton Agriculture Group
Metro Iowa Plus

Bronze Level
High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal
The Meyocks Group
Broadhead + Co.
Paulsen Marketing
DTN/The Progressive Farmer
John Deere Credit
Strategic America

REGION IV

Over 80 members from the Badger, Chicago, Heartland and Mid-America NAMA chapters met at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Madison, WI, on Thursday, January 21, to celebrate the Best of NAMA winners in Region IV.

The Best of Show winners in Region IV were:

Public Relations
Category: Producer-funded public relations program directed to ag audiences
Company: Dairy Management, Inc.
Agency: Weber Shandwick Minneapolis
Entry Title: My Dairy: A Social Media Program for Dairy Advocates

Advertising
Category: Producer or Company-funded advertising campaigns or campaign elements – directed to consumers
Company: Wisconsin Cheese
Agency: Shine Advertising
Entry Title: Cheese Connection :30, Wheel of Cheese :30, Cheese Nation :30, Know that Cheese :30

Special thanks to the sponsors of the Region IV Best of NAMA ceremony:

Gold Level
Bader Rutter & Associates
Charleston/Orwig
World Dairy Expo

Silver Level Sponsors
Rhea + Kaiser
Rural Mutual Insurance Company
High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal
Hoard’s Dairyman
J.L. Farmakis, Inc.
DTN/The Progressive Farmer

CAROLINAS/VIRGINIA NAMA

The Carolinas/Virginia chapter hosted a Best of NAMA event for their members at the Chatham Hill Winery in Morrisville, NC, on January 26^th. The Carolinas/Virginia event included winners from 72 entries. Out of those 72 entries, 42 are eligible to advance to the National Best of NAMA competition. Special thanks to all who attended the Carolinas/Virginia Best of NAMA event.

Winners & Advancing

A complete list of the first and merit winners in all the regions, can be found at www.nama.org/amc/bon/winners.htm.

If you won a regional merit or first place award, you are eligible to advance to the national judging. The deadline for advancing your entry is February 17. Please visit http://www.nama.org/amc/advance.htm to advance your entry.

There is a $100 fee to advance each entry, it is not necessary to re-create your entry. Winners of the national judging will be announced at the Best of NAMA ceremony, Wednesday, April 21, in Kansas City.