University of Guelph students to compete in agri-marketing competition
Guelph, Ontario, April 7, 2011 – Members of the University of Guelph chapter of the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) are participating in an international marketing competition at the 2011 Agri-Marketing Conference next week in Kansas City.
“The upcoming competition is an excellent learning opportunity for agricultural business and marketing students as it allows us to showcase our talents and put our education into practice,” says Elizabeth Schouten, student chapter president.
Schouten and her teammates have been working for over six months to develop a comprehensive marketing plan for a chosen agricultural product. Students are required to decide on a project and develop a plan to successfully bring the product into the marketplace, following the same principles used by agri-marketing professionals.
Teams submit a written project summary and make a formal presentation in competition against other agriculture college teams from across North America at the Kansas City, Missouri conference hosted by the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA).
University of Guelph representatives have focused their project on providing progressive dairy producers with an Internet-based herd management program that utilizes smartphone technology.
“Students attending the University of Guelph have been participating in the NAMA competition for over ten years and we are thrilled to represent the next generation of agricultural marketers on an international level again this year,” says Schouten.
Student chapter members are Anne Borgijink, Rebecca Hannam, Erin Harris, Leigh Hudson, Sarah McIntosh, Rebecca Richards, David Schouten, Elizabeth Schouten, Ben Versteeg and Rachel Weber.
Funding for the 2011 team has been provided by Alltech, Denise Bott, CAMA, Farm Credit Canada, Monsanto Canada, Ontario Agricultural College, Ontario Plowmen’s Association, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Student Federation of the Ontario Agricultural College Teaching Trust and travel grants, Syngenta Crop Protection Canada, TD Canada Trust Agriculture Services and The Western Producer. In-kind support has been provided by Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and McCormick Global Communications.
CAMA is a network of agricultural marketing and business professionals with chapters across the country. The NAMA conference takes place April 13 to 17. Visit www.nama.org for more information.
