By Kellie Lasack, Alltech Cultivating Young Journalists Award Winner and AMS First-Time Attendee Stipend Winner
This year’s Ag Media Summit was one for the books. Not only was the venue amazing, but the experience left me feeling energized and ready to move mountains.
As a first time attendee I wasn’t sure what I should expect. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was exactly where I needed to be as a professional in the agricultural communications industry.
The first session I went to was with Scott Trees and that set the mood for the entire conference. I left that session feeling excited, motivated, and ready to ‘up’ my photography skills. One thing that Trees said that stuck with me was, “Show people what they can’t see.” Which is a very open ended statement, but one that was very true. People who don’t work at your business or experience farm life have no idea about the intricate details that make your story unique. Showing them what they can’t see shows them a side to your business that they could have never imagined.
One of the other sessions I attended was ‘Master the Writing Process’. There was an incredible panel of professionals that not only told me what I needed to hear to improve what I’m doing, but reassuring me there isn’t just one way to write a story. When I walked out of that session I felt rejuvenated and ready to write a thousand articles. It gave me new insights into the world of writing and how I was perceiving writing. If this was the only session I would have been able to attend, it would have been worth it. That’s how much I learned and appreciated it.
Ag Media Summit wasn’t just a learning experience either. It was amazing to meet new people, finally meet face to face with people I’ve meet through social media, and to see old friends. Even though was I was hundreds of miles away from home I felt right at home with so many others who share the same passion and love for agricultural communications. It was an experience that I was thrilled to have and if you’re involved in agricultural communications, you need to attend. I’m already looking forward to next year and the amount of information I get to bring home.