Neither wind, nor sleet, nor snow, nor potholes...?

When it comes to creative competition and finding out who the winner is, neither bad weather nor bad driving conditions can keep entrants away.

Minneapolis was home to 50 degrees below wind chili temperatures, but that didn't stop 140 people from attending the annual Region III Best of NAMA banquet, January 13. The banquet was held at the beautiful International Market Square and was emceed by Jim Gresham of Adculture Group.

Region III, which consists of the North Central, Iowa, Cornbelt and Northern Prairie Chapters, had a total of 329 entries this year.

The top winners for the evening included: Case IH and Colle+McVoy for Best of Show Advertising with the Case IH Never Stop Driving Spread Ad Campaign; Best of Show Public Relations went to West Central Cooperative and Innova Ideas & Solutions with Seeded with Principles. Grown with Innovation. Cultivated by People and the Best of Show Specialty award went to Nestle Purina Pet Care and Colle+McVoy for Chewing the Fat about Pet Obesity.

In Chicago on February 20, it wasn't 50 below, but there was snow in the region and a pothole larger than a ear that shut down a portion of the interstate and tied up traffic for hours, making it difficult for attendees to get to the downtown Wyndham Hotel for the ceremony. However, the 100 attendees who made it were in for a treat as delicious food and a show hosted by Orion Samuelson from WGN made them forget those obstacles.

Region IV, which consists of the Chicago, Badger, Heartland, Michigan and Mid-America Chapters, had a total of 221 entries this year at the regional level.

Taking top honors at the Region IV ceremony were: Merial and Bader Rutter for Best of Show Advertising with the Igenity Campaign; Best of Show Public Relations went to Pfizer Animal Health and Rhea & Kaiser for the Pfizer Milk Vending Initiative; and the Best of Show Specialty award also went to Pfizer Animal Health and Rhea & Kaiser for their Cats of the Revolution Campaign.

Region II hosted their banquet, January 6 in Kansas City. Details from that ceremony were featured in the January/February issue.

In addition to these regional banquets, two NAMA chapters also hosted Best of NAMA events. Region V chapters, Carolinas/Virginia NAMA and Midsouth NAMA both hosted their events on January 13 to celebrate the victories of the winners in their chapter.

Over 500 regional first and merit winners are eligible to advance to the national judging February 22, 2005.

National winners will be announced at the National Best of NAMA Awards Ceremony, which will kick off the 2005 Agri-Marketing Conference and Trade Show, April 20-22 in Phoenix.

NEW NAMA MEMBERS

The following are NAMA members that joined in January, 2005. Welcome.

AT LARGE

Fred D. Morscheck, The McGregor

Company

BADGER

Karl Stanek, Accelerated Genetics

CHICAGO

John Blatnik, Vance Publishing Corp.

GATE WAY

Ed Martin, IRON Solutions LLC

HEARTLAND

Julie Toohill, Illinois Soybean Association

Karla Miller, Archer Daniels Midland

IOWA

Darcy Swon, Trilix Marketing Group

Jennifer Schaefer, Brownfield

Susan Davisson Cook, Pioneer Hi-Bred

Intl., Inc.

Todd Senne. Trilix Marketing Group

MID-AMERICA

Darren Hickman. Hickman + Associates

Scott Beck, Beck's Superior Hybrids, Inc.

MIDLANDS

Steve Goertz, DTN

MIDSOUTH

Brandy E. Craig. Archer>Malmo

MISSOURI-KANSAS

Anne D. St. Peter. Fleishman-Hillard Inc.

NORTH CENTRAL

Faye Bliese, Martin Williams

Summer Anderson, Goldstar Cooperative

Teri Huffaker, Minneapolis Grain

Exchange

OHIO

Susan Sheller. The Ohio State University