Check out a slideshow from some of our members and there equipment

Farm Progress Attendance Data Courtesy of:

Membership Director Matt Rice spent time earlier this month at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. Time was spent checking in with members and highlighting the many benefits of Association membership to prospective members.

More than 80 “Proud Member” signs were displayed throughout the show by the many members in attendance. While the Association does not have a booth at the show, there was a noticeable presence around the show grounds. 

As it looked at the landscape of competing events in the context of COVID-19, it planned an event that it promises will deliver double the return-on-investment of the Farm Progress Show.

The mostly virtual Farm Journal Field Days is Aug. 25 to 27. It will feature hours of live-streamed educational content for farmers, a series of half-hour sessions with live Q&A, and controlled, socially distanced in-person programming.

Farm Progress was scheduled to be an in-person show in Boone, Iowa, until Monday. Andy Weber, CEO of Farm Journal, said in a conversation with Folio earlier in June that “we decided to go after Farm Progress” in early April.

“I wondered, what are they going to do about it,” he said. “Meanwhile, we’re thinking, this is a chance to put a template out on the future of what events are going to be.”

Weber says he’s confident that Farm Journal Field Days can deliver on the promise to outperform Farm Progress based on the strength of its connection to its audience as well as the extensive data it collects through its media channels.

He said the 144-year-old company has built up trust among farmers, “and then we’ve got AgWeb, which generates more traffic than our direct competitors’ websites combined. We collect behavioral data on every piece of content that they consume, on an audience of well over a million farmers.”

Weber promises sponsors a 125 percent return on their investment by the end of 2020 and a 200 percent return by June 30 of next year.

Source: Folio

Prior Release

In response to farmer and exhibitor interest, Farm Progress Show will proceed as planned, Sept. 1-3, 2020 with enhanced health and safety.

For more than 65 years, farmers have turned to the Farm Progress Show for the latest information about new products and tools they can use to boost productivity and profit for their operations. And that tradition continues for 2020. What attendees will find when they travel to Boone, Iowa, for the show is an important event modified to serve this essential industry during a challenging time.

“We know that the market is dealing with a lot of issues,” says Matt Jungmann, events manager, Farm Progress. “But agriculture is a critical business for this country and farmers are seeking ways to be better at what they do. And nowhere is that more possible than the Farm Progress Show.”

Important business gathering

State fairs across the Midwest have had to make the tough decision to cancel for 2020, often driven by the financial burden of losing key money-making components like concerts and midway carnivals. These are mass gatherings that serve a much different purpose than an Ag tradeshow. Of interest to many is that while the state fairs are canceled, many states and groups are working to hold on to livestock events – further proof that agriculture is essential.

What separates Farm Progress Show from a state fair is that this is an important business event for an essential industry where targeted business is conducted between exhibitors and farmers. And in light of the current crisis, farmers are seeking more information and tools to boost profitability than ever before.

“The Farm Progress Show is not the place you turn to get the latest deep fried anything,” adds Jungmann. “We’re focused on providing a venue where farmers can see new tools, talk to industry experts and work to enhance the way they farm.”

State and local support

With support from officials in Iowa, show management is confident that hosting the Farm Progress Show in 2020 is filling an important service. “Farmers are challenged to find better ways to do everything from planting to spraying to harvest,” says Don Tourte, senior vice president Farm Progress. “That’s not easily done simply by sitting at home attending a virtual event. There’s a need to see this equipment up close and gain a better understanding of how it will work in their operations.”

Tourte adds that the Farm Progress events staff is working closely with a range of Iowa state agencies to ensure the show is conducted in a way that enhances safety of all those who participate while providing exhibitors the chance to reach key customers.

“Our events team has reviewed every aspect of this event with an eye toward exhibitor and visitor safety,” says Tourte. “Long-time visitors to the show will see immediate changes the moment they arrive, from one-way streets to more space for physical distancing.”

Health and safety commitments

The show staff is working diligently to deliver an impactful and engaging event that prioritizes the health and safety of our visitors and exhibitors. New carefully considered plans for safety precautions and procedures will be introduced for this year’s Farm Progress Show. From easily accessible hand sanitizer stations, to enhanced cleaning procedures for buildings and facilities, changes to the event are working to enhance safety for all participants. The show has a long-time history of safe operation, while offering visitors the most extensive gathering of exhibitors in the country.

Farm Progress parent company, Informa, which annually holds more than 600 in-person and virtual content-driven events, and to continue that effort has worked with a range of industry and event association partners to create AllSecure, a set of enhanced standards and guidelines to provide the highest level of hygiene and safety at all Informa’s events. Farm Progress Show will be organized in accordance with the AllSecure standard, providing visitors and exhibitors with reassurance and confidence they are participating in a safe and controlled environment.

“It’s hard to quantify the amount of work that has gone into creation of these standards,” says Jungmann. “The key for farmers, exhibitors and all who plan to attend is that your safety is critical at our events. That’s really always been true, but AllSecure adds that needed, extra layer during a pandemic. We’re excited to host farmers in Boone this year.”

“This is not necessarily about me coming with my children to look at some farm equipment,” said Tim Reid, president and CEO of the Regina Exhibition Association Limited, which announced the rebrand. “It’s actually about business exchanging, networking and collaborating, and what we want to do is we want to make sure that businesses can do business deals at this show.”

The show will move indoors to eliminate uncertainty over weather conditions. That may lead to floor space limitations, Reid said, but he expects the same number of vendors. The show’s top 30 manufacturers have made a three-year commitment to the rebranded show.

Source: Regina Leader-Post