Please visit the Web site for this year’s National ACT Professional Development Conference, February 25-28 at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas: http://www.tarleton.edu/ACT/act2010conf.html

The Tarleton State University Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow members are pleased to present the 2010 National ACT Professional Development Conference, “ACT…Follow Our Lead!”

http://www.tarleton.edu/ACT/act2010conf.html

Please note that the registration cost remains the same as 2009 ($50), but includes meals for Thursday evening (heavy appetizers), three meals Friday and Saturday (hotel hosted breakfast both mornings), and Sunday morning continental breakfast for Vespers. The host hotels (La Quinta and Holiday Inn Express and Suites) each have all of the double-double rooms blocked for our event and they are $79 per night (about $85 with city tax; please bring your own tax exempt forms).

The Animal Ag Alliance is launching a program called “College Aggies Online” and is a contest for college students involved in ag clubs across the country. Students create personal accounts on our Web site and upload ag-related photos, blogs, videos, etc to share their story of agriculture. We are very excited about the opportunity to help young people speak out about ag online and think this would be a great experience for future ag communicators such as yourself and your members!  There are sponsorship opportunities, too, if you think that would be something you would be interested in!

Here’s a link to program materials: http://animalagalliance.org/current/home.cfm?Category=College_Aggies&Section=Main

A past newsletter about the program: http://eepurl.com/dNiT

This is the log-in to the CAO network, where students create their account: http://aggiesonline.ning.com

The Livestock Publications Council (LPC) invites you to bombard LPC members’ offices during September — the LPC Office Bombardment Month.

During Office Bombardment Month, our professional journalists, designers, production specialists — agricultural communications gurus — will open their doors for student visitors. Contact one of our participating offices to set up a visit. You can swing by with a question or stay for the day.

Give us a call or drop an e-mail — we’ll help you on your way any day!

For more information, contact Christy Couch Lee at 765.463.3594
or christy@nationalswine.com.

Click to view the flier for LPC - OBM

Greetings from day two of AMS in Ft. Worth!

Last night was the welcome kickoff dinner event where business professionals ACT members danced the night away. Conference goers also were able to make their own “brand” with the help of the local ranch hands.

The Big ‘Ol Western Welcome party capped off the end of a short day of activities. The interesting news in the ACT world was at lunch. Shortly after finishing our salads, those ACT members who had sat down were asked to quietly exit to allow those guests who were standing in the back a place to sit and eat. While ACT registrants were given tickets, the lunch with National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson was not an event open to ACT members. Members took it in stride, and were eventually fed a in a neighboring conference room. Many thanks to the Conference Committee and LPC for seeing to it that we were fed!

ACT members gather in confusion outside of lunch.

A few members were allowed back in to the lunch to listen to Mr. Richardson’s presentation. I was one of five ACT members who were allowed back in to take the opportunity to see the presentation, which I tweeted on yesterday @nachreiner

While blury, at least I was there!

The reports back from those who participated in workshops have been very positive, especially from those who went through the Adobe Photoshop workshop.

Today’s workshops and activities will have much more in store for members.