By Carey Brown, AMS co-chair and publications coordinator of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association
The Agricultural Media Summit LLC (AMS) has selected Innovative Association Management Solutions (IAM Solutions) to serve as its full-service conference management service effective with the 2020 AMS.
Starting in 2020, the AMS will be run by this group, instead of LPC and AAEA staff taking on that responsibility. For both AAEA and LPC, we hope that this change will be good for our members and AMS. It should open up more time during AMS for our staff to interact with our membership and become more engaged in the actual event instead of working behind the scenes. While this has worked wonderfully in the past, we are excited for the new opportunities this change brings.
AMS is owned by AAEA – the Ag Communicators Network, the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) and Connectiv Ag Media.
IAM Solutions will assume all meeting and conference coordination duties and serve as the single management firm for AMS. these roles were split between staff of AAEA and LPC and contractors.
Tina Bowling is president of IAM Solutions based in Berea, Kentucky. IAM Solutions currently manages the American Forage and Grassland Council (AFGC), the Western Seed Association (WSA) and the International Grassland Congress 2023 (IGC). Tina will be at AMS this year to learn more about our event and will be working with our staff to begin plans for 2020.
“IAM Solutions is excited to work with AAEA and LPC to continue advancing the Agricultural Media Summit as the premier media professional development conference,” Bowling said. “IAM staff will attend the 2019 conference so they can plan accordingly for 2020 and future conferences.”
Steve Drake, president of SCD Group Inc. and an AMS consultant, facilitated the 3-month search process.
The 2019 Ag Media Summit will be held in conjunction with the International Association of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Congress in Minneapolis on July 26-31.
For more information about Ag Media Summit, please visit www.agmediasummit.com.