NAMA Student Marketing Competition

Another NAMA convention came and went last week, with networking opportunities and professional development seminars recharging our batteries. I had the opportunity to sit in on the student marketing competition, my first time taking part in that process. It was a great experience, as I sat in on five presentations from student groups across the country. Products ranged from Ultra Natural Chicken to corn-based bale wrap. All presentations were great and exemplified the hard work, dedication and passion the college students have for agriculture. The other two judges and I felt bad for the students, however—their months of hard work boiled down to a twenty-minute presentation and five-minute critique from us. Of particular value was the Q&A session later that afternoon that allowed us to visit with each group and explain how each presentation could have been better. All in all, I hope I get the opportunity to judge this competition again next year. It is much better than the Best of NAMA judging.