If you’re a new member of an organization you rarely get a chance to get oriented to things like who’s who and what’s what. Here at the NAFB convention you get your opportunity right away at the new member orientation breakfast.
It’s a great chance to interact with some “old timers” and have a full meal deal breakfast too.
If you’ve never attended an NAFB Convention and experienced Trade Talk then you haven’t seen a whole lot of interviewing going on simultaneously. It’s an interview marathon going on here in Kansas City. To see what it’s like I did a short walk through video:
Here is a whole bunch of video from the NAMA Agribusiness Forum thanks to the agriblogging folks at Paulsen AgriBranding. Let’s hear from the award winners!
NAMA Professional Development Awards of Excellence
Each year, NAMA honors members with hands-on responsibility in marketing communications, public relations, product/species management and sales.
Here are the winner’s thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in agri-marketing.
Peter Kovac, Nicholson Kovac
Marketing Communications Winner
Greg Smith, Padilla Speer Beardsley
Public Relations Winner
Klaas Okkinga, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
Product/Species Management Winner
Bill Heffron, Recently Retired from Bock & Associates
Sales Winner
Large, professional operations, that’s what Case IH focuses on in Western Europe. So, it’s fitting that Case IH is introducing the largest tractor to ever hit the European Market at the farm machinery event in Europe, Agritechnica 2007. The new MAGNUM 335 delivers up to 368 hp with 1,900 rev/min. Case IH also claims the MAGNUM 335 delivers the highest torque of any standard tractor in the world.
Sylvan Blaise, the Marketing Director in Europe for Case IH, says Germany, France and Austria are the biggest markets in Western Europe for the MAGNUM 335 and other high horse power tractors and Agritechnica is an optimal place to introduce the entire redesigned line of MAGNUM tractors. Sylvan says emerging markets for these tractors and the other products Case IH offers are concentrated in central Europe.
Precision farming and autoguidance are also big selling technologies in Europe for Case IH. Sylvan says there is a heavy demand for more integration of precision farming and autoguidance as farmers look to productivity.
Sylvan says the demand for automatic technology, such as the stepless transmission system, is greater in Europe and is, therefore, much more developed. But, he says the North American market is more advanced in precision agriculture and technology. He adds that while Case IH offers a full line of Equipment in North America, the company focuses on tractors, combines and balers for the European market.
You can listen to my interview with Sylvan here:
caseih.mp3
New Holland Communications Manager, Klaus Senghaas like to think their exhibit is the major player in Hall 3 of Agritechnica 2007. The three medals New Holland has secured this year suggest that just might be the case. With 2,000 meters of floor space, New Holland has a handful of tractors and 4 combines on display. The German Agriculture Society, or the DLG, has awarded New Holland with a gold medal for its new Grain Cam feature on the CR series combines. The Grain Cam is a sensor mounted to the side of the gain elevator that uses image analysis to measure what goes into the grain tank. The DLG also awarded the CR series combines with two silver medals for its Opti-Clean cleaning system and it’s IntelliCruise system.
Silvia Ortiz, the PR Manager for New Holland, says the New Holland exhibit also stands out at Agritechnica 2007 because the company offers what dealers and farmers are looking for. She says unlike the North American market where consumer demand is greater for equipment with high-end productivity, the European market demands more variety and maneuverability with specialty equipment like vinyard tractors and orchard tractors.
You can listen to my interview with Klaus and Silvia:
newholland.mp3
If you missed the NAMA Agribusiness Forum then thank the agriblogging folks at Paulsen AgriBranding for providing another interview. This time you’ll get to hear from Kevin Coupe:
“The Decision Zone: Six Issues the Food Industry Must Confront in 2008, 2009…”
Kevin Coupe, MorningNewsBeat.com
The issues that face the food industry in the coming years are key to the industry’s survival. According to Kevin Coupe, the stakes are too high, the time too short and customers too demanding for the industry to put off critical decisions.
It’s Trade Talk day at the NAFB Convention. Most of the companies and organizations are set up in traditional booths but the show has spilled out into the open area outside the ballroom. So you’ll find interviews taking place everywhere, including the front seat of a Ford Mustang that’s partly made out of soybeans.
I’m just getting ready to head on in for interviews and pictures myself. In the meantime, enjoy the growing photo album.
One of the biggest client-customer programs offered at the John Deere Agritechnica exhibit is the iSolutions program. Paul Leathem, the manager of John Deere Advertising in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, explains that AMS technology is well known in both North America and Europe, but the technology is less understood in Europe. He says iSolutions is meant to explain the different packages of AMS solutions John Deere can offer to farmers.
You can listen to Paul give a detailed explanation of iSolutions and several packages offered for different types of farmers here:
Leathem005iprecision.mp3
Don Imus and Rural Media Group, Inc. signed a 5-year agreement to simulcast the popular Imus In The Morning program exclusively on RFD-TV (which reaches 30 million homes and has a loyal, growing fan base in all 50 states in just 7 years) and RFD HD. The announcement was made by Patrick Gottsch, Founder & President of Rural Media Group, Inc.
Imus is bringing his team back to the air including newsman Charles McCord. The show will air live on weekdays from 6-9am (EST). Imus in the Evening, a rebroadcast of the morning’s program, will air in primetime on RFD HD from 6-9pm and will be featured on video-on-demand enabling west coast viewers and millions of fans to experience the show at their convenience. As previously announced, Imus in the Morning will be broadcast on the radio from 6-10am by Citadel’s WABC and will be syndicated across the country by ABC Radio Network.
Consumers have the chance to fuel up on E85 for $1.85. The ZX snack shop in Kirkwood, Missouri is hosting a grand opening for its first E85 fuel pump. The celebration will begin Thursday, at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until 4:00 p.m at 10921 Manchester Rd.
General Motors and the MO Corn Growers Association will be displaying “Live Green Go Yellow” wrapped GM Flex Fuel Vehicles. This station opening marks a first of its kind in the state as it is located within 2 miles of an Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch. Enterprise will be fueling their fleet of Flex Fuel rental cars with E85 at this location from now on. Enterprise will be announcing that the local Kirkwood branch is the first E85/FlexFuel branch in the St. Louis area. Please see the attached releases from Enterprise. Representatives from ZX Snack Shop, JD Street Oil Co., Enterprise Rent-A-Car, St. Louis Clean Cities, General Motors, and the Missouri Corn Growers Association will be on hand to answer questions and help customers fuel their FFVs.
