Boot Camp Schedule Announced

Written by admin on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 , 12:38 pm

Mark your calendars for the 6th Annual NAMA Boot Camp that will take place August 18-20, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City. Take a look at the Boot Camp schedule below to see what’s in store for you:

Tuesday, August 18
8:00 a.m. - MoKan Ag Tour
The MoKan Ag Tour will feature a trip to a seed production facility, NECO Seeds, in Garden City, Missouri. The group will stop for lunch at The Farm, a family owned and operated facility with a dining hall. The afternoon will feature a trip to a livestock operation and then it will be back to the hotel to get ready for the Boot Camp kick-off.

5:00 - 6:00 p.m. - Boot Camp Registration/Welcome Reception

6:00 - 7:30 p.m. - Dinner/Kick-Off Sesssion
The Physical Connection ~ Dr. Jennifer Martin
Are you aware of non-verbal messages you might be sending while giving a presentation? Do you send mixed signals to your audience without knowing it? Dr. Jennifer K. Martin, Hall Family Foundation Professor with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will present techniques you can easily apply to improve your professional effectiveness.

Wednesday, August 19
8:00 a.m. - Breakfast

8:30 - 10:00 a.m. - Opening Session
Producer Panel ~ Trudy Kramer, Kramer Vineyards in Gaston Oregon; Andy Kapp, Kapp Farms in St. Joseph, Missouri; Derek Fuemmeler, Harrisonville, Missouri
Learn how to communicate effectively with producers. The producer panel has become a Boot Camp favorite and attendees won’t want to miss the valuable insights from producers. This panel will be moderated by a representative from Successful Farming/Agriculture Online.

10:00 - 10:30 a.m. - Break

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. - Breakout Sessions (pick one)
Little Red Writing Hood
The client has asked you to write a communications plan. Don’t despair! Developing a  communications plan with concrete objectives, strategies and tactics is a lot like planning a trip in the land of fractured fairy tales. You have to know where you’re going, how you’re going to get there and what to expect when you arrive. This session will provide some useful hints and hands-on activities to give you the upper hand in the plan development process.

A Year in the Life of a Specialty Producer ~ Trudy Kramer, Kramer Vineyards
Spend a year in the life of a specialty producer. This session will explore the challenges and business decisions that a specialty producer faces in a year. Kramer Vineyards has 20 acres of vines with an average production of 2000 cases per year. About 85% of the wine is sold at the winery. Kramer Vineyards relies on marketing at the winery for most of their sales.

12:00 Noon - 1:30 p.m. - Luncheon w/ Speaker
Social Marketing and Southwest Airlines ~ Christi Day, Southwest Airlines Online Spokesperson & Emerging Media Specialist

Relax over lunch and learn about the integration of new and emerging media at Southwest Airlines, including video blogging and Twitter, from Christi Day, Southwest Airlines Online Spokesperson and Emerging Media Specialist. Christi serves as an online Spokesperson for Southwest Airlines. She specializes in Emerging Media and web 2.0. Christi consistently works to keep Southwest Airlines in the forefront of the new media world when it comes to messaging and trends.

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. - Breakout Sessions (pick one)
A Year in the Life of a Cow/Calf Producer

Step into a producer’s boots without having to head to the farm. From risk management to calving, this session will cover the events a producer endures throughout the year.

Pitching to the Ag Media ~ Colleen Church McDowall, Osborn & Barr Communications
Come learn the do’s and don’ts of pitching to the ag media with Colleen Church McDowall of Osborn & Barr. Plus pick up tips on how to keep your content relevant over a period of time and take a quick glance at how social media is going to impact the way you get your story out.

2:30 - 3:00 p.m. - Break

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Breakout Sessions (pick one)
A Year in the Life of a Row Crop Producer
Step into a producer’s boots without having to head to the farm. From field preparation to harvest, this session will cover the events a producer endures throughout the year.

Dealing With The Client ~ Kristen Marshall, Nicholson Kovac
Are you concerned about making a good impression on your clients and keeping a good name for your agency? Hear valuable experiences in account service and gain helpful tips on staying in good graces, even with those ‘problem clients.’

4:30 - 6:30 p.m. - Reception at Boulevard Brewery
A shuttle will take attendees to a special reception at Kansas City’s own Boulevard Brewery. Founded in 1989, Boulevard Brewing Company has grown to become the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest. The reception will take place in the Heim Room which features a beautiful view of the Kansas City skyline.

7:00 p.m. - Dine Around (optional)
Attendees can attend an optional dine-around at Milanos in Crown Center. This is a great way to get to know your peers and learn about NAMA. This event is optional and dutch treat.

Thursday, August 20
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. - General Session
Retailer Panel ~ Moderated by Michael Berry, Osborn & Barr Communications & Boot Camp Chair
Agricultural retailers are an important part of our businesses whether they are an influencer in a B to C market or a direct customer in a B to B market they are extremely valuable. Get an inside look at what makes these segments of the ag retail segment tick. This panel will be moderated by Michael Berry, Osborn & Barr Communications and 2009 Boot Camp Chair.

10:00 - 10:30 a.m. - Break

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. - Closing Session
Jedi Marketing or Everything I Needed to Know About Advertising I Learned from Star Wars ~ John January, Sullivan Higdon & Sink and Tug McTighe, Callahan Creek

How can Yoda help you write a better headline? Why is Darth Vader hiding in your client service report? Learn the answers to these questions and many more when you attend this unusual and enlightening presentation. Whether you’re a writer, designer, an account type or even a client, you’ll find this perspective on enjoying daily life in marketing very refreshing. Presented by John January, Executive Creative Director and Senior Vice Muckity Muck at Sullivan Higdon & Sink and Tug McTighe, Vice President, Creative Director and Pisces, Callahan Creek.

11:30 a.m. - Boot Camp Adjourns

To register for the NAMA Boot Camp visit https://payment.nama.org/bootcamp09.htm.

For more information on the NAMA Boot Camp visit http://www.nama.org/programs/index.html.

Sponsorships for the NAMA Boot Camp are still available! To view the list of sponsorships and to sign up as a sponsor visit http://www.nama.org/programs/bootcamp-spo.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at jennyp@nama.org or call 913-491-6500.

Upcoming Chapter Events

Written by admin on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 , 12:38 pm

Mark your calendars to check out an upcoming chapter event for the spring/summer!

If you have any write-ups or photos from your previous events, please send the information to Kathi Conrad at kathic@nama.org to get it in the NAMA e-News.

June 12 ~ Eastern NAMA
Student FFA Banquet

Please save the date June 12 on your calendars. You are invited to attend the Student FFA Banquet on June 12 where NAMA East will present scholarships to two Class of 2009 graduates of the John Bowne High School Ag Education Program. This year’s winners are outstanding achievers in the fields of plant and animal sciences. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Catherine Wang, Gibbs & Soell, at 212-697-2600 ext. 1202 or at cwang@gibbs-soell.com.

June 18 ~ North Central
Golf Outing

The North Central Golf Outing is planned for Thursday, June 18. Keep checking the NAMA Calendar for the latest information on this golf outing.

June 18 ~ Ohio NAMA
Buckeye Tour

It’s been a while since we just got together and had a fun day of networking and catching up on what everyone’s up to. We’ve been discussing this fun day for a while and we finally have some details to share with you.

1. Private morning tour of the Buckeye’s (“The Horseshoe”) football stadium (approx 9:30 am -11:00 am)
2. Afternoon business day special Columbus Clippers Baseball Game (12:00 pm)

We’ll have the tour in the morning followed by some drinks and food at the ballpark. We hope to see you all for this fun-filled day!!

The RSVP’s for tickets and other details will be coming soon. Students, you’re also more than welcome to join us. Keep checking the NAMA Calendar for more information.

June 25 ~ MoKan NAMA
MoKan Golf Classic

Join MoKan NAMA for their annual Golf Classic at Falcon Lakes Golf Course in Basehor, KS. Registration for the golf outing will begin at Noon and tee off will be at 1:00 p.m. Dinner and an awards ceremony will follow the outing.
This annual fund-raiser event helps provide additional financial support for both of our student chapters; Kansas State and Northwest Missouri State. To register visit, https://payment.nama.org/mokan.html.

August 18 ~ MoKan NAMA
MoKan Ag Tour

Join MoKan NAMA for the annual Ag Tour, prior to the NAMA Boot Camp, on August 18. The MoKan Ag Tour will begin at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri and will feature a trip to seed production facility, NECO Seeds, in Garden City, Missouri. The group will stop for lunch at The Farm, a family owned and operated facility with a dining hall. The afternoon will feature a trip to a livestock operation, then back to the Hyatt Regency Crown Center.

To register for the MoKan Ag Tour and/or the NAMA Boot Camp, visit http://www.nama.org/programs/index.html.

Awards of Excellence

Written by admin on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 , 12:37 pm

The deadline for submitting nominations for the Professional Development Awards of Excellence is September 1, 2009. These awards will be presented at the 2009 Trends In Agriculture meeting, November 10-11, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

The Professional Development Awards of Excellence were created in 2001 to demonstrate NAMA’s commitment to the four professional development areas.

Below is a list of the past Awards of Excellence recipients:

Marketing Communications
2008 - Paul Redhage
2007 - Pete Kovac
2006 - Steve Engle
2005 - Bev Larson
2004 - Neil DeStefano
2003 - Sarah Vacek
2002 - Ken Anderson
2001 - Doug Headley

Product/Species Management
2008 - No award was given in this area
2007 - Klaas Okkinga
2006 - No award was given in this area
2005 - Dennis Gehler
2004 - Wendy Elliott
2003 - Brian Markwardt
2002 - Tony Klemm
2001 - Tony Solon

Public Relations
2008 - Beth Andersen
2007 - Greg Smith
2006 - Barry Nelson
2005 - Janice Person
2004 - Kendal Frazier
2003 - Mike Ricciuto
2002 - David Buchholz
2001 - Ken Gordon

Sales
2008 - Vernon Benes
2007 - Bill Heffron
2006 - Anita Vanderwert
2005 - Margaret Wallace Oldham
2004 - Allen Barkve
2003 - Cliff Becker
2002 - Bob Deiss
2001 - Tom Taylor

Nominees for the Awards of Excellence must be NAMA members. Nominators should target individuals with direct planning and execution responsibilities in the respective Professional Development Area from agribusiness and related companies. If you have any questions regarding these awards, please contact Jenny Pickett at jennyp@nama.org.

To download the nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format, visit http://www.nama.org/awards/PDAapplication.pdf.

You can also fill out the form on-line at http://www.nama.org/awards/pdaonlineform.htm.

See How We’ve Grown

Written by admin on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 , 12:37 pm

NAMA would like to welcome 87 new members since January 1, 2009. Please join us in welcoming our new members!

At Large
Rachel Faust, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Ltd.
Darren Palendat, Novozymes Biologicals
Dastina Johnson, USDA/NRCS
Daniel Cote, Producteur Plus
Scott Campbell, Syngenta Crop Protection

Badger
Jennifer Rabitz, Alltech
Kevin Klubertanz, Digi-Star
Amy Richards, Charleston/Orwig
Dean Helmke, Equity Brand Design
Charles Skendziel, Equity Brand Design
Brant Ausenhus, Bader Rutter & Associates
Cal Krisher, Wisconsin State Farmer
Nesh Malinovic, Bader Rutter & Associates

CAMA Alberta
Jason Forster, CRVG

CAMA Ontario
Ross Gill, Gill Agribusiness
Christopher Johnston, Glacier Ag Products

Carolinas/Virginia
Courtney Beck, Howard, Merrell & Partners
Clifford Perry, Bayer CropScience
Kylee Birchenough, Technekes

Chesapeake
Caitlin Sheffer, University of Delaware

Chicago
Laura Schmidt, Rhea + Kaiser Marketing Comm.
Paul D’Anna, Farm Journal Media
Bekah McCurdy, BFI Innovations, Inc.
Chris Dillman, Kincannon & Reed

Florida
Diann Ilkenhons, Senninger Irrigation, Inc.

Gateway
Rick Tolman, Natl. Corn Growers Assn.
Katie Smith, Osborn & Barr Comm.
Cheryl Bergeron, Osborn & Barr Comm.
Mary Hagan, Osborn & Barr Comm.

Great Plains
Ed Frey, Farm Credit of the Heartland

Heartland
Katherine O’Hara, USDA/ARS - Natl. Ctr. Agr. Utilization Research
Rodney Riech, Brandt Consolidated, Inc.
Philip McCutchan, AgriGold

Iowa
Liz Smith, The Scoular Company
Brian Sexton
Dwight Fritts, Hellman

Mid-America
Megan Sheridan, Center for Food & Agricultural Business - Purdue Univ.
April Sauer, Center for Food & Agricultural Business - Purdue Univ.
Lindsey Miller, Farm Credit Services of Mid-America
Adam Manwarren, Dow AgroSciences
Liza Markle, National FFA Organization
Emily Myers, Farm World Newspaper

Midlands
Terry Anderson, Midwest Producer/Midwest Messenger
Joanna Pope, USDA/NRCS
Kyla Wize, Nebraska Pork Producers Assn.
Dee Peterson, Nebraska Pork Producers Assn.

Midsouth
Michael Park, University of Tennessee-Martin

MoKan
Stephanie Meyers, Osborn & Barr Comm.
Oscar Will, Ogden Publications
Rob Tremble, Vance Publishing
Eric McEwen
Tom Sizemore, John Deere
Danielle Deitch, Ag Career Spotter
Stephanie Pruitt, Nicholson Kovac
Sarah Jolliff, Avatar Studios
Michael McCrave, Saepio Technologies

North Central
Matthew Bradford, DTN/The Progressive Farmer
Terri Fast, AgStar Financial Services
Cheri Jensen, AgStar Financial Services
Sasha Beckrich, Martin/Williams
James Gustafson, InHouse Media
Jennifer Ringler, Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl., Inc.
Tim Holmes, Campbell Mithun
Marie Jacobsen, Martin/Williams
Matt Falck, AgPhD
Joe Gustafson, AgPhD
Mike Dowling, Paulsen
Alicia DeGeest, Paulsen
Kathy Albarella, Albarella Design

Northern Prairie
Leslie Prins, AGWEEK

Rocky Mountain
Courtney Gaudet, Trimble Navigation
Sara Konkel, Natl. Cattlemen’s Beef Assn.
Tom Morgan, Consultant

Southeastern
Tim Byrne, Main Street Management Group, LLC
Susan Otten, AGCO Corp.
Brenda Ourada, Deere & Company
Robert Castleberry, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health
Jana Korn, Merial, Ltd.
Beckie Peskin, Merial, Ltd.

Southwest
Nancy Gill, Superior Productions
Greg Wilson, National Country Market

Western Pacific
Leslie Wahongan, Jain Irrigation, Inc./Acu-Drip
Steven Knudsen, Intl. Agri-Center
Jake Mortensen, AgraQuest
Remi Lohse, AgraQuest
Jeff Reynolds, Rizen Creative Co.

NAMA Chapter’s Hit The Links

Written by admin on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 , 12:36 pm

badgolf091Hawk’s View Golf Club in Lake Geneva, WI, was the setting for the Badger/Chicago/Cornbelt Chapters’ Annual Golf Outing on Thursday, May 21.

There was a great turnout of 44 golfers. The winning team was comprised of Jim Van Proosdy, Priority AIC; Gary Vorpahl, Hoard’s Dairyman; Dick Burckhardt, Western Plows; and Mike McFarland, of the McFarland Group. A wonderful dinner buffet and awards were enjoyed afterwards by the golfers and additional guests.

The chapters appreciate the support of Penton Media, the beverage cart sponsor, and Bader Rutter, who provided the use of their new online registration system. Hole sponsors included Accelerated Genetics, Bock & Associates, Charleston|Orwig, Dairy Herd Management, Hoard’s Dairyman, Iowa Farmer Today, Open Roads, Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications, and World Dairy Expo.

NAMA Webinar Thursday, May 21

Written by NAMA on Monday, May 18, 2009 , 12:27 pm

Kathie Thomas, Director of Innovation, Fleishman-Hillard, was a panel participant for the breakout session, Tapping The Power of Innovation to Create Sizzling Solutions, at the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference. If you missed that session at the conference, you’ll want to sign-up for this webinar!

Thursday, May 21, 2009 ~ 1:00 p.m. (CENTRAL TIME)
How To Spread Innovation Across A Willing-But-Distracted Organization

Surveys show that top managers of global corporations are convinced that innovation and creativity are critical to the future success of their companies. However, these same managers are sometimes slow to implement the training, tools, and process changes needed to support the spread of innovation throughout their organizations. While their intentions are good, the ever-present demands of customers, investors, and other stakeholders just keep getting in the way. What can you do to move innovation from your organization’s wish list to the top of its to-do list? Fleishman-Hillard Director of Innovation, Kathie Thomas, offers a lively, interactive session, packed with proven tips and strategies on how to inspire and promote innovation in a well-intentioned, but distracted, organization.

This practical workshop is designed to help you:

  • Identify your company’s innovation hot button
  • Enlist senior management support
  • Successfully pollinate innovation throughout your organization
  • Build awareness and inspire employee engagement
  • Create easy-to-use tools
  • Evaluate results

You’ll come away equipped to develop a practical roadmap for nurturing a climate of creativity that consistently converts fresh thinking to competitive advantage.

To register visit https://payment.nama.org/webinar.htm.

NAMA Boot Camp is Shaping Up

Written by NAMA on Monday, May 18, 2009 , 12:27 pm

Mark your calendars for the 6th Annual NAMA Boot Camp that will take place August 18-20, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

Enlist in the Boot Camp to learn more about agri-marketing! Did you attend last year? If so, we want you back! This year’s program is a perfect continuation of the previous programs. Topics will include:

Networking
A Day in the Life of a Crop Producer
A Day in the Life of a Cow/Calf Producer
A Day in the Life of a Specialty Producer
Social Marketing
The Big, Scary Communications Plan
Producer Panel
Pitching To Ag Media
How To Deal with a Client & How To Make the Agency Do What You Want
Retailer Panel
Jedi Marketing

Come in early and attend the optional MoKan Ag Tour! All Boot Camp attendees will receive a notebook packed with ag terminology and facts as well as case studies and speaker presentations.

To register for the NAMA Boot Camp and/or the MoKan Ag Tour, visit https://payment.nama.org/bootcamp09.htm.
If you are interested in sponsoring a session or event at the NAMA Boot Camp, please fill out the sponsorship confirmation form at www.nama.org/programs/bootcamp-spo.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at 913-491-6500 or via e-mail at jennyp@nama.org.

Special thanks to our current Boot Camp sponsors!

John Deere - Tuesday Evening Reception
Hoard’s Dairyman - Wednesday Continental Breakfast (co-sponsor)
High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal - Wednesday Continental Breakfast (co-sponsor)
Fastline Publications - Resource Notebook
Farm Industry News - Thursday Morning Break
Osborn & Barr Communications - Two Breakout Sessions
Broadhead + Co. - Promotional Materials

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