29th NAFDMA Convention to be Held in Kansas City.

The 29th Annual NAFDMA Convention (North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association) will be held January 31 - February 5, 2014 right in our own backyard in Kansas City, MO.  The theme of the convention will be “Makin' Hey in the Heartland”.

There will be opportunities galore for you to see, learn, and experience firsthand and I am speaking from experience.  I attended this convention twice and feel it is THE direct marketing and agritourism conference to attend.  This convention moves across the US and Canada and you won’t find it this close again for quite some time.

The convention includes a conference with great nationally known keynote speakers, breakout sessions with producers from all across the country, pre- and post- conference farm tours with chartered busses and a fabulous trade show where you can see and order just about anything you might need to direct market your farm products.

The actual agenda is not posted yet but here is a peak at some information to give you an idea of what this convention will offer.

Educational Breakout Sessions

Educational Sessions are the heart of the NAFDMA Convention. While you wish to enjoy your time away from home and your business, we know you attend the convention to learn, network, and get the inspiration and tools you need to meet the challenges of your business. The Sessions and Workshops will bring a variety of subjects including social media, cutting edge agritourism, and business management. Keep an eye out for the announcement of our Keynote Speaker and additional topics. In the meantime, here are some of the sessions we are working on:

Colleen Newvine Tebeau on Social Media Strategy
Rachelle Wegele on Haunted Rides and Zombie Paintball
Tim Vala on the “Best Little Things”
Erin Pirro on Pricing Profits

Farm Tours

The Bus Tour Farm Visits for the 2014 NAFDMA convention will bring you to the operations of some of NAFDMA’s long time and most giving members. These folks have been attending the convention alongside fellow members for years. They know what you want to learn – and they know how to throw an event on the farm to welcome you with open arms. Their hospitality and willingness to share is sure to delight you. There will also be stops that you may not have heard of yet, but you will certainly learn plenty from them, too!

Carolyn’s Country Cousin Pumpkin Patch, Liberty, Missouri
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park, Kansas
Gieringers Orchard, Edgerton, Kansas
Renyer’s Pumpkin Farm, Wetmore, Kansas
Shatto Milk Company, Osborn, Missouri
Walter’s Pumpkin Patch, Burns, Kansas
Weston Red Barn Farm, Weston, Missouri

Trade Show

This year our host hotel gives us the unique opportunity to transform the Trade Show into a Business Exchange. The vendors and their products and services will be integrated into the meeting space and events that happen at the convention.

Keep an eye out for more information about this fabulous direct marketing and agritourism convention.