That is why this seems like the right time to ask you to get a few dates on your calendar. We fully intend to be together in Oklahoma City in November and for every convention thereafter. Please join us.

2021 Marketing & Distribution Convention
Nov. 2 to 4
Omni Oklahoma City

2022 Supply Summit & Showcase
April 6 to 8
Hilton New Orleans Riverside

2022 Marketing & Distribution Convention
Oct. 25 to 27
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista

Directors will consider:

• The safety of members;
• Networking potential amid restrictions and fewer anticipated attendees; and
• The financial viability of a convention.

Directors also will discuss alternatives to a traditional fall convention, such as staging a smaller event or providing interactive, online content in coming months.

“There are many layers to this,” said Vernon Schmidt, executive vice president. “We are thinking about the hotel experience if groups cannot gather or are required to wear masks. We are thinking about the availability of dining options. Our preference is of course to host this convention, but our priority is to assure it is worth members’ time.”

The Association will communicate with members as quickly as we can to support you in planning your travel.

The Association has put together a speaker lineup that we hope will give attendees a bit of a firmer grasp on navigating business post-COVID-19.

Futurist
David Houle will open the convention. He is a futurist, writer and speaker who has advised more than 4,500 CEOs and business owners.

He has written a book defining the 2020s as the most disruptive decade in history. His areas of focus include brands and marketing, health care, and education.

Political/Economic Analysis
Ray Starling joined the White House staff in 2017 as special assistant to the president for agricultural policy. In 2018, he became chief of staff for USDA’s Sonny Perdue. He returned to his home state of North Carolina in 2019 to serve as general counsel to the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce. In spite of his remarkable career, Starling said the experience in his life that has most shaped him is growing up on a family farm.

Starling will offer analysis of how national and state elections may influence the economy, the regulatory environment, trade, and taxes.

How We Have Changed
The Association will bring a panel on stage to discuss how COVID-19 may influence manufacturing and the workplace, the supply chain, and sales.
Steve Wilson will focus on manufacturing. He is a consultant, coach, and trainer who has worked with hundreds of companies, including Deere.

Wilson also will lead a general session on operational excellence, which will kick off a five-part series of convention sessions and webinars.

Aleisia Dragon, who is a senior account executive for the West at YRC Worldwide, Inc., will discuss changes to the supply chain.

Greg Martinelli will focus on the new normal in sales and marketing. He is a trainer and coach who specializes in agricultural sales and the author of A Season for Sales.

We want to work with you on that.

We want you to register for the Marketing & Distribution Convention in Orlando, and in return, we will guarantee that if in September, or even on Oct. 24, if you feel like it is a bad idea to travel, we will refund every penny of your registration fee and cancel your hotel room. (The hotel needs 72 hours for a full refund. The Association will refund registrations until Oct. 26.)

That’s how badly we want to see you, and we want you to see one another.
“It is time to try,” said Vernon Schmidt, the Association’s executive vice president. “This extended isolation is not good for individuals, and it is not good for this industry.”

Now, do not misunderstand. We are on coronavirus high alert. The Association monitors the pandemic in our destination city and regions where our members live and work. We are in communication with the hotel, evaluating its safety protocols and discussing the logistics of a meeting that calls for abundant physical distance. We are tracking travel-related risks and airline policies. And of course, we are listening to you.

What we have heard is that a few of you might want to sit out this year. Others, however, are eager to reconnect with one another and meet marketers. We’re thrilled to hear it, and we will make it worth your time.

Nominees should be executives from manufacturing (designated as regular) member companies who serve in leadership positions and who have demonstrated a history of engagement in Association work and the farm equipment industry.

Those who are elected will begin their three-year terms immediately.

Directors are central to the work of identifying legislative priorities, growing membership, raising the Association’s visibility, and stewarding its resources to assure it remains financially strong.

If you would like to nominate someone for a director position, contact Mike Kloster, chairman of the Nominating Committee for Directors. His email address is mikek@worksaver.com.

A committee will review nominees and recommend a slate at the annual business meeting.