The Future is Young and Bright

Late April is that time of year to embark on the annual National Agri-Marketing Association Conference, so MMer Judy Rupnow and I packed our bags and headed for the Lone Star State.

Fun was had, smiles and handshakes were exchanged, and Best of NAMA awards were collected at the three-day conference in Dallas. As a first time attendee (me) and a seasoned attendee who had taken a few years off (Judy), there was a lot to take in. Below are five musings from our time at NAMA:

1. Grip n’ grin is the law of NAMA land

In all seriousness, if you’re looking for a conference to network with top professionals in the ag industry, NAMA is the place to be. More than 1,000 members descended on Dallas this year to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

2. The future of ag is bright

Sitting at the student-mentor lunch with NAMA students who came to compete in the 2017 Marketing Competition, it’s easy to see this is a crop of soon-to-be-professionals who are equal parts smart, savvy and passionate about moving the industry forward. Just like it’s important for farmers to sustain their businesses for the next generation, it’s important for today’s communicators to cultivate learning opportunities for those who will soon join our ranks.

3. Work hard, play celebrate hard

MM and its clients, the Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Farm Families and American Farm Bureau Federation, took home four awards from this year’s Best of NAMA ceremony, which recognizes the “best of the best” in ag communications. In categories ranging from public affairs to social media, these projects started on a drawing board. Then we brought them to fruition through strategy, planning, copy, creative, live events, digital spaces and so on. It’s our work; it’s what we do. And it’s always fun to celebrate what we do with the clients who make it possible.

4. Managing the millennial madness

Speaking of the new crop of soon-to-be-professionals, keynote speaker, Bruce Tulgan, shared insights about the generational gap in the workplace. Today’s millennials make up about 44% of the workforce. More adept than any generation at finding and managing information, today’s workforce wants to be taken seriously and desires to make an impact right away. Providing guidance, direction, support and coaching is critical in getting the best from this generation.

For all the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers out there who think you are very different in the work place – hold on. Evidently we are at a point in history where the older generations are taking on tendencies of the younger generation. Think selfies and Snapchat!

5. Gratitude matters

For what am I grateful? That’s a question we were asked to contemplate as we finished our time at NAMA.  We were encouraged by John O’Leary, our endnote speaker, to approach each day with the energy of a first-grader, recognize those who inspire us and say thank you to those who have helped us along the way. So, thank you, NAMA. We look forward to another great experience next year.