More than 220 agri-marketers converged on St. Louis, Mo., for the eighth annual NAMA Fall Conference, “HuSTLe.” It was a banner year for this signature NAMA event, shattering all goals and attendance records!
The
week kicked off with a Gateway NAMA tour of some of the most inventive ag
operations near St. Louis: Purina and Stumpy’s Spirits. The high-energy day
capped off with an elegant sushi reception at The Ritz-Carlton sponsored by Brownfield
Ag News.
The
first main day of Conference kicked off with former Google executive Steve
Lerch. He shared stellar examples of breeding a culture of innovation. “Move,
change and invent quickly,” he urged the audience. He called on attendees to
accept failure as part of the process and pursue bold gains.
- Neil Caskey shared a behind-the-scenes look at how the National Corn Growers Association took control of the national conversation after a misguided attack ad about corn aired during the Super Bowl.
- Attendees learned about the birth of True Food TV, YouTube’s most watched food education channel. Nicole Cotroneo Jolly shared practical tips for creating powerful video storytelling.
- Bestselling author of InstaBrain Sarah Weise delivered compelling insights into mapping and optimizing the customer experience.
- Four agency c-suite leaders took to the stage to reveal keys to success. The leadership powerhouse included Melissa Galazka, VP Account Service, Paradowski; Suzan Knese, Chief Operating Officer, Osborn Barr Paramore (OBP); Tina VonderHaar, President & CEO, Brighton Agency; and Alison Berry, Chief Operating Officer, HLK.
Other
conference highlights:
NAMA’s
Professional Development Awards of Excellence were also presented during the
conference. These 2019 awards were sponsored by Farm Progress and honorees included:
Doug
Reynolds, Corteva Agriscience
Hannah
Thompson-Weeman, Animal Agriculture Alliance
Bob Brunker, J.L. Farmakis, Inc.
The
conference ended on a high note with a spirited presentation by Dr. Jacqueline
M. Applegate, President, Global Vegetable Seeds & Environmental Science, Crop
Science division of Bayer. She said effective organizations have what she terms
OPTICS: Openness, Purpose-Driven, Trust, Imagination, Customer-Centricity and Soft
Skills.
Takeaway
Conference Themes
- To foster innovation, leave room for failure and evolution.
- Move to market quickly and adjust strategy accordingly.
- Today’s customers respond to authenticity and transparency. Go to the source to learn.
- Accept that change is inevitable and empower junior team members.
- Find your purpose first and stay focused.
Check out the photos on NAMA’s flickr.