AgWired

Our NAMA President-Elect, Susie Decker, Farm Progress Companies, spoke to students at their lunch today. She made a very nice gesture and gave out her “tractor numbers” to the group and told them that whoever found them should bring them to her and she would give them her tractor.

In case you don’t know what that means, AgriMarketing Magazine provides scale model tractors each year in each NAMA Connection Point booth. All registrants get a number and if you find a tractor with your number on it, you get it. This year we have McCormick MTX150 Tractors.

After Susie spoke, luncheon emcee, Curt Blades gave out some of the NAMA student scholarships and announced the student marketing competition semi-finalists. They are competing now and include:

Wisconsin-Madison
University of Florida (Go Gators – I graduated in ’80)
New Mexico State
Iowa State
Michigan State
Virginia Tech
North Dakota State University
Purdue
Wisconsin-Platteville
Mississippi State
Ohio State
Nebraska

Goog luck to all of them!

NAMA Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by:
and .

Gator NAMA is just one of the student NAMA chapters I ran into this afternoon. They were all busy but I did get my alma mater chapter to pose for a quick pick. After all they are the reining champions from 2008!

Advancing Your Career PossibilitiesThe National Agri- Marketing Association is a great way for college students to begin their careers in agribusiness. As a student NAMA member you have unlimited resources at your fingertips to help market yourself in the industry.

Since 1969, when the first NAMA student chapter formed at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, NAMA has grown to 34 accredited chapters and over 1,200 student members. We attribute this tremendous popularity to the variety of programs initiated to benefit the students.

I have started the NAMA Photo Album which Cindy and I will be adding to over the coming days so check it often.

AgWired coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by:
and .

ZimmComm is on location at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Cindy and I are just finishing up a little pre-show booth setup. This is where you go to register for an HP Mini Netbook or desktop cube iPod speaker. The NAMA Connection Point will open up tomorrow evening after awards.

When you come in the entrance just look straight ahead to the left of the DTN booth and there we are. While I was in the Connection Point room I interviewed Gary Bates, George Fern Company. They’ve been the NAMA convention trade show service provider for years. He says they really enjoy working with agrimarketers. I can also say that we’ve enjoyed working with them in the 4 years that ZimmComm has been exhibiting at the convention.

You can listen to my interview with Gary here: nama-09-bates.mp3

I’ve already run into multiple student NAMA chapters waiting their turn to compete. They didn’t look nervous at all, just confident.

I’ve already started taking photos and will have an online album started later today. Right now I’m going to try to find the IFAJ/AMS meeting and see what that committee has done without me.

AgWired coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by:
and .

Thanks to Brian Reuwee’s phone I got a photo from the Gateway NAMA chapter meeting I missed last week. The chapter hosted the John Brown Scholars of the University of Missouri for a crash course in public relations before heading out to a St. Louis Cardinals game. Almost 60 people attended which would make this meeting one of our largest in a long time.

Osborn & Barr hosted the session and panelists included representatives from Monsanto Public Affairs, Monsanto Social Media Group, Elasticity and Osborn & Barr. looked at crisis communications – both proactive and reactive – and how social media is changing the game. The Mizzou students were asked to share their insights, too.

I see a Facebook and YouTube logo on that screen. Are we talking about anything but social media lately?

Now if we could just get Mizzou NAMA going again . . .