Category: Insights

The opportunity to ‘Level Up’ means participants at CAMA’s Level Up Conference (November 1-2, 2023 in Winnipeg, MB) can challenge themselves to elevate their confidence, skills and experience to compete and engage with the best in marketing, in agriculture, agr-food and beyond.

What better opportunity for participants to ‘Level Up’ than networking with fellow industry professionals and suppliers? That’s why this year’s event features a novel component – speed networking.

Speed networking provides conference attendees with the opportunity for focused, one-to-one meetings with fellow conference goers. These professional networking sessions can break the ice and serve as the beginning of new connections that can carry on during, and after the event.

By downloading the Whova event app, attendees can view the list of fellow conference participants and suppliers ahead of the event. Attendees can connect through the app ahead of the event and book short introduction meetings. Leveraging the app and list of attendees can help participants plan ahead, while facilitating connection opportunities that could result in meaningful business relationships.

Speed networking events are scheduled within the conference agenda. Attendees can schedule networking directly into their own customizable conference schedule on the app, keeping all the contact info in one place.

The best way to prepare for speed networking is by reviewing the list of conference attendees, identifying people to connect with or gaps in their business network they would like to fill or expand. Local suppliers will also be participating, providing a new way to source marketing and communications business connections. Once a meeting has been scheduled, participants should plan ahead, making a list of questions to help guide the conversation to get the most out of the short meeting time.

Follow up is key to get the most out of the conference speed networking events. It’s also essential for building business relationships. The Level Up Conference event app can help with that too. Attendees will have access to fellow conference participant contact information, allowing them to follow up immediately after the conference to maintain connections and relationships.

CAMA is committed to providing opportunities for members to connect, inspire, share skills and experience personal growth. This new approach to professional (speed) networking will foster new connections, synergies and collaboration across the entire agri-food industry.

Have you registered for CAMA’s Level Up Conference? Click here for all the details.

Packed with networking, personal and professional development opportunities, CAMA’s Level Up Conference (November 1-2, 2023 in Winnipeg, MB) promises to be the premier agri-food industry event this year.

Our line-up of inspiring and innovative influential speakers is guaranteed to be a conference highlight.

Here’s a look at our November 2, 2023 keynote speaker line-up:

Shane Thomas – The Age of Marketing Enlightenment in Agriculture
Agribusiness Analyst and Founder of Upstream Ag Insights

Learn how the role of marketing is changing in a rapidly transforming industry, what’s working now and what marketing will look like in the future.

Passionate about the success of farmers and understanding how the industry works – from technology and business strategy to how collaborations work – Shane will leave conference attendees with a new context for thinking about marketing, considerations for marketing new technology and new mediums to tap into to get more out of every marketing dollar spent.

Focusing on the evolution of marketing – what’s changed and what hasn’t – Shane will share useful insights about what to watch for and how to stay ahead of the agribusiness, food and marketing curve.

Kristjan Hebert – The Art of What’s Possible – The Communications Strategy That Took a Farmer to the
Halls of Government
Hebert Grain Ventures, Saskatchewan farmer and EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 Prairie winner

Understand how influencers today are transforming the agriculture and agri-food industry. A farmer, visionary and champion of all things agriculture and food, Kristjan will discuss how the diversity of our sector offers new opportunities to share stories, experiences and customer journeys at every step of the value chain. He’ll focus on how conference attendees can leverage this information to influence industry growth and sustainability. Kristjan will highlight the importance of working together to drive progress.

Members of the Hebert Group public relations team, Jamie Anne Vaughan and Michelle Schurman will also share their strategic approach and experiences working with Kristjan.

Jed Schneiderman – The Acceleration of Marketing Technology and its Effect on Relationship Marketing
Head of Advertising, Kijiji

With AI technology rapidly emerging and over 8,000 marketing platforms now available, what will relationship marketing look like in the future? When it’s hard to keep up with the fast pace of media and marketing changes, Jed is able to cut through the clutter and noise to know what is relevant for audiences. A mobile marketing specialist, Jed will talk about changes in marketing technology and its effect on relationship marketing and leave conference attendees with clear, tangible tips on how to improve relationship marketing.

Can’t wait to learn from these amazing speakers? Sign up for CAMA’s Level Up Conference here. Don’t wait, early bird registration closes August 31, 2023.

CAMA’s Level Up Conference is an opportunity for marketers to accelerate their skills to keep pace with new and emerging technology, channels and trends. The agenda and activities are planned to offer conference attendees experiences that will challenge their thinking, learn something new about the agri-food industry, marketing and communications, develop personal and professional skills, and make lasting professional connections.

This event – November 1-2, 2023 at the Fairmont in Winnipeg, MB – is the only conference dedicated to Canadian agriculture and food marketing and communications professionals. The conference is designed to accelerate marketing skills to advance Canada’s agri-food sector as a global leader.

So, what can you expect from CAMA’s Level Up Conference?

Experiential learning

Go behind the scenes on a walking tour to learn about thriving agri-food businesses in Winnipeg’s downtown core. Tour stops are still being finalized, but this tour will offer conference attendees the chance to hear from top food experts, business and restaurant owners. Together, we’ll learn about their food chain experiences, what it takes to be successful, obstacles they’ve had to overcome and lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Networking

Starting with CAMA’s Modified Manitoba social to kick off the event, attendees will have a chance to mingle, catch up and meet new friends. Speed networking sessions will also be featured throughout the event, providing participants with a formal opportunity to connect on a professional level.

Every CAMA event is created for our members. And what better way to support members than by connecting everyone to strengthen industry relationships!

Inspirational and influential speakers

Have you seen CAMA’s can’t-miss keynote speaker lineup?

Shane Thomas – The Age of Marketing Enlightenment in Agriculture

Agribusiness Analyst and Founder of Upstream Ag Insights

Kristjan Hebert – The Art of What’s Possible – The Communications Strategy That Took a Farmer to the
Halls of Government

Hebert Grain Ventures, farmer and EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 Prairie winner

 Jed Schneiderman – The Acceleration of Marketing Technology and its Effect on Relationship Marketing

Digital marketing expert 

Read more about these speakers and what you’ll learn from their presentations here.

A celebration of agri-food marketing success

A highlight of the year for every CAMA member, the Level Up Conference will wrap up with Best of CAMA. The Canadian agri-food marketing industry’s annual showcase of creativity, marketing and communications expertise, Best of CAMA is our industry’s ‘Academy of Awards’ where we present awards to our peers for their effort and ability in marketing and communications. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the best in Canadian agri-food marketing and communications!

CAMA’s Level Up Conference supports our members and Canada’s agri-food industry. By offering the latest professional development, learning and networking opportunities, we are investing in the strength and success of our sector’s agri-food marketing professionals.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to Level Up – click here for registration details.

Agri-food industry professionals are invited to take their networking and professional development to the next level at the Level Up Conference in Winnipeg, Man. November 1-2, 2023. Hosted by the Canadian Agri-Food Marketers Alliance (CAMA), this premier event features interactive learning, engaging, networking, and industry recognition of the best in agriculture, food and ag-tech.

“CAMA’s Level Up is an opportunity for marketers to accelerate their skills to keep pace with one of the best in the world agri-food sectors,” says Susan Groeneveld, conference chair. “No one person or company is an expert in this ever-changing landscape of new technologies and marketing channels, so why not bring everyone together for an exclusive opportunity to reach the next level? This is a best-in-class event that will inspire attendees to level up every aspect of their professional goals, networks, and achievements.”

This year’s Level Up Conference is designed to add immediate value for marcomms professionals, accelerating their professional development, networks and marketing investments. The inaugural event features a dynamic speaker lineup including thought leadership innovators like Shane Thomas, author of UpStream, one of Canada’s largest primary agriculture influencers, Kristjan Hebert of Hebert Grain Ventures, a farmer, farm consultant and EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022, plus Jed Schneiderman, a sought-after digital marketing expert and Country Manager for Jebbit. Formalized networking is a part of the conference design, and Level Up attendees will have opportunities to engage with partners, clients and vendors during one-on-one settings throughout the event. A CAMA student case competition will round out the event, providing participants with opportunities to learn from the next generation of marketers. CAMA’s annual Best of CAMA awards gala will also be hosted in conjunction with the event.

The conference will be held at the Fairmont Winnipeg from November 1-2, 2023.

“The CAMA Level Up Conference 2023 presents a unique opportunity for those involved in agri-food, ag-tech, and marcomms,” says Groeneveld. “CAMA is our industry’s professional organization that can help everyone keep informed and stay ahead of trends, opportunities and what’s coming next, to help propel us all further and faster. And that’s what the Level Up Conference is all about.”

Level Up Conference sponsorship, registration and hotel information is available here.

The partners in a new event-experience truly believe that by investing in people, we will elevate the whole agri-food sector for the future. The Grow Your People Summit will be hosted in-person in Niagara Falls from November 2-4, 2022.

People are at the heart of Canada’s food system and should be valued as the most important asset in any business. The new Grow Our People Summit was created specifically for people who work in agriculture and food to help them build business and leadership skills, while making new connections and having some fun along the way.

How is it an ‘unconference’ experience? 

The Grow Our People Summit is not a spectator sport. This ‘unconference’ experience will include galas, bus trips, and 12 skills-based workshop opportunities offered by leading non-profit partners. Leadership lessons with a little Disney magic will serve as the call to action in an inspiring keynote, “Be the hero in your own story” by Dr. Jeffrey Barnes.

Breaking through silos    

One of the Summit objectives is to take networking and connections to the next level – across typical sector divides. This starts fundamentally with Summit founding partners and sponsors and continues with every attendee. For example, attendees will choose who they would like to meet and discuss interesting topics with at the ‘Meet the Character’ Power Lunch.

To take it to the next level and maximize travel value, the Summit is built around the Best of CAMA agri-food marketing awards gala, the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame induction ceremony all happening the same week.

The goal is for all Summit attendees to leave with new skills, deeper networks, and a renewed sense of enthusiasm and connection with our agri-food sector. Register yourself, your teams, your customers, your leaders, and future leaders today. It’s always a great time to invest in people, including yourself!

Register and find out more today by visiting www.loft32.ca/growourpeople.

Article provided by Crystal Mackay.

Over the past year, you’ve put everything you’ve got into creating the best campaigns, writing, ads, posts and creative for your company and clients. Now it’s your turn to shine at the Best of CAMA Gala Awards.

Here are our top tips to help make your category entry submissions stand out:

1. Review the entry form. Each category entry form is made up of three sections and criteria for judging: planning & development, executive and results. The weighting varies depending on each category, so be sure to read the category entry form before entering your submission and make your entry form count!
2. New judging rubrics for 2022. New this year, CAMA has updated and improved the judging rubrics. All categories have been grouped into three areas: strategic, creative and digital. Each of the three new sections of the entry form are weighted differently for each category, so be sure to review the new judging criteria rubric before completing your entry form.
3. Make the entry form count. Best of CAMA brings out everyone’s BEST, including the amazing creative we all see at the Awards Gala, but remember judging is also based on your entry form and the three criteria categories: planning & development, executive and results. Amazing creative is only one piece of the entry, and if important information is missing from the entry form, you risk a lower score.
4. Submit your best. We get it, filling out CAMA entry forms may not be your top priority, and sometimes it makes sense to assign the task to a junior or someone with a little more time to write the entries. But remember, your entry form is a reflection of yourself and your company, so make sure it meets your highest quality standards by proofing for completion and accuracy before submitting.
5. Have fun. Best of CAMA is meant to be a celebration of our industry’s achievements. The categories are meant to get you thinking about all the work you’ve completed in the past year and to submit the work you’re most proud of for healthy competition. We can’t wait to see all your submissions and celebrate your successes with you at the Awards Gala.

Don’t miss the Best of CAMA award entry deadline: Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 5 PM EDT

A note to Best of CAMA judges. First, thank you to everyone who has volunteered to judge the 2022 Best of CAMA awards. Your time is valuable and we appreciate your commitment to our industry. Please remember, you may be required to judge work submitted by a competitor, we’re a relatively small industry after all. So, let’s keep it professional and remember to leave your biases at the door.

Good luck to all CAMA members as you complete your Best of CAMA 2022 entry forms. And we can’t wait to see you in person at the Best of CAMA Awards Gala November 3, 2022 in Niagara Falls, ON.

Submitted by Jeanine Moyer, Barn Door Communications