Jazzed!
The 2006 Agri-Marketing Conference & Trade Show, “Jazzed,” will celebrate change, flexibility, and growth…realities that define our industry. Now is the time to confirm your travel arrangements to attend the agri-marketing event of the year.
The 2006 Agri-Marketing Conference promises to benefit professionals from a range of backgrounds. Session topics range from consumer trends, to understanding the next generation of growers, to creative thinking, media ethics and more. We’re exited to bring you this powerful lineup of topics, events and activities to help you navigate the future. Join us in Kansas City, April 19–21, to get “jazzed” for the year ahead.
The early registration deadline for the Agri-Marketing
Conference & Trade Show is March 28! To register for the conference now visit, https://nama.org/amc/register.html.
The conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City. The hotel deadline for making reservations is March 28, 2006. Reservations made after this date are subject to higher rates and potential unavailability. Make sure you mention “NAMA” when making your reservations! For reservations call 816-421-1234 or reserve your room on-line at http://crowncenter.hyatt.com/groupbooking/mkcrknamp2006.
STUDENTS & ADVISORS: This year we have arranged for a “Student Hotel Block.” This block will allow students and/or advisors to be on the same floors. Please visit, http://crowncenter.hyatt.com/groupbooking/mkcrknams2006 to ensure your school is in the “Student Block.
For the complete conference information visit, http://www.nama.org/amc.
It’s time to hold on tight! The 21st Century will be driven by lightning-fast, complex and disruptive changes that will redefine risk and opportunity for every business, government and individual worldwide. This powerful presentation provides a strategic overview of the top changes that will shape tomorrow’s leaders, business and the economy. 
Advertising doesn’t build brands, publicity does, says marketing expert and bestselling author, Laura Ries. She fervently believes it’s only the credibility of public relations that truly builds a brand in the minds of consumers. 
This session, presented by Dr. Don Ranly, professor emeritus, Missouri School of Journalism, will take a candid look at ethics in advertising. He will draw on more than 30 years of experience in journalism and media to help clarify the boundaries, give examples and help us put all this in perspective. A representative of the American Agricultural Editors Association will also be on hand to discuss AAEA’s latest standards of integrity. 
Two-thirds of the roughly 300,000 commercial farm operators in the United States, who contribute 85 percent of all farm product sales, are over 45 years old. However, the number of producers age 45 or younger is increasing rapidly and they have a much different approach to business, farming operation and use of technology. Find out the key features of this younger set and hear firsthand from a panel of progressive young farmers as they discuss key factors that go into their business and purchasing decisions. 
Companies are understandably obsessed with measuring marketing performance. CEOs and CFOs want “accountability,” and all eyes are on marketers to produce a return on investment. Unfortunately, over-reliance on seat-of-the-pants approaches and unscientific tools to make critical marketing decisions is the cause of disappointing marketing performance and not metrics that are lacking. Dr. Clancy will describe three best practices for developing financially-optimal marketing strategies that marketers can use to dramatically improve marketing ROI. 
Creativity is no more than stretching our minds, viewing situations from different perspectives, having a healthy attitude about your ability to generate ideas, and having a problem solving philosophy that “anything is possible, anything can be!” This interactive session is the Richard Simmons workout program of mental aerobics. 
You may have heard the old saying, “you are what you eat.” At no time in history has this statement been more true. Consumer concerns about what they eat, where it comes from and how it has been produced has never been higher. Dr. Randy Westgren, University of Illinois, will discuss current lifestyle and demographic trends and how they affect consumers’ food choices-and the challenges facing marketers as they address these trends. 
The rapid emergence of the rural lifestyle producer has commanded the attention of most agricultural input companies and service providers. Marketers are searching for information to understand this evolving audience and communicate with them meaningfully. Gain an insightful look at the success of the pleasure horse industry in capturing lifestyler attention and influencing their purchase decisions. 
With the trend towards men and women living and working longer, U.S. employers now count four distinct generations on their payrolls. The leading edge of Generation X hits 40 this year, and they have issues with Generation Y. Boomers have to start taking Gen X-ers seriously. And they all need to figure out how to work with their elders-the Traditionalists. 
The media industry is facing its most severe challenge since the 1950s. Consumers exercise more control over how, when and where they interact with brands and product information than ever before. This has caused an erosion of the traditional media model-and media usage patterns have changed dramatically. Advertisers are looking for new strategies, and media is constantly being challenged to demonstrate direct value through ROI.
Sometimes it seems like magic when certain managers get better performance from employees than everyone else. People respond to their requests and follow their lead. Colleagues prefer to work with them on teams and they seem to get more done. The closing session speaker, Dr. Barrie Richardson, will look at what makes some individuals and organizations stand out from the rest.