Ag Media Summit - A Lesson in Cooperative Management

[Photos by Chuck Zimmerman and Kenna Rathai]


This was the 10th Ag Media Summit. As one of the "original organizers" of this collaborative event, it is really awesome to see how it has grown. I can still remember Warren Morse (Vance Publishing) introduce the idea of an "all print conference" at one of his first meetings of the Ag Publishers Association (now the ABM AgriCouncil).

It took three years of leg work to get the first joint meeting developed and held ... 1999 in Denver.

A 7-member volunteer steering committee manages the Ag Media Summit, now organized as an LLC. The committee includes a chairperson and two members from each of the three associations that own AMS (AAEA, LPC and ABM). Several subcommittees (Program, Sponsors, InfoExo) plan and develop the events of the meeting. Staff from each of the sponsors manage the event ... they include Diane Johnson of LPC; Den Gardner and Kenna Rathai of AAEA and John Holden of ABM. The Drake & Company staff manages the AMS finances and coordinates the activities of the Steering Committee.

Last week, we concluded the 10th event ... with the largest attendance, the largest trade show and the most sponsors ever. A testament to the original belief that if the three organizations (American Agricultural Editors' Association, Livestock Publications Council and ABM AgriCouncil) came together for a single meeting, we could create a much more meaningful meeting with outstanding speakers and superior professional development. And, have some fun too! Along the way, we become the "official" meeting of the Ag Communicators of Tomorrow and have benefited from having about 50 to 75 students attend our meetings.

We've succeeded! And, now even have our own band (Quasimojo) to help kick off the entertainment. And, this year's even featured a "Dive-in Movie" Monday evening.

During the conference, I discovered at least three new associations.
* Eric Mader of the Zerces Society
* Ben Richey of the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA)
* Scott Heiberger of the Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America (ASHCA)

In addition, I had a chance to "mentor" first-time attendee Nancy Bunker-Koester, the new communications director of the National Corn Growers Association.

And, thanks to long-time colleague and friend Gene Hemphill (New Holland), had a chance to visit with Chuck Leavell (keyboardist of The Rolling Stones) about his tree farming. Shared with him that my Dad's careeer included a role as farm manager of Malabar Farm which was owned by author Louis Bromfield ... a noted author and early conservationist. Chuck mentioned he was working on a new book at thought some of Bromfield's writings might be good background.

Two of Drake & Company staff joined me this year:
* Becky Rasmussen, associate director of the National Christmas Tree Association
* Courtney Yuskis, executive director of the Country Living Association

Next year's AMS will be even bigger as it joins with the International Federation of Ag Journalists (IFAJ) for a huge event in Ft. Worth, TX, July 29-August 5.

It has been a privilege to be part of this highly successful joint venture!