Ag Media Summit is July 19-21.
By Pam Caraway, AMS Chair
A dream of previous leadership for our organizations quickly turned into the largest professional development event for agricultural communicators. And we continue the tradition July 19-21 in St. Louis.
At a time when some question the value of in-person meetings, the energy attendees bring each year shows that AMS not only boosts careers and charges strong relationships, but it also drives our industry.
The 2026 schedule for our time at The Hyatt Regency at The Arch includes:
· Welcome Party: What’s your superpower? In the age of AI, the superpower of agricultural communicators is to bring the humanity.
· Monday Keynote: Grit. Growth. Gratitude. Leading with Heart in Ag Media, Aaron Putze, chief officer, brand management and engagement, Iowa Soybean Association
· Monday newsmaker panels: Fields, Farms & Financial Stability: What’s Really at Stake for American Agriculture and Sound Science and Smart Farming
· Freedom of the Press: Bring your questions for Gunita Singh, Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press.
· Nuts and Bolts: Canva, Adobe Photoshop, video editing and AI for ag work. Sharpen your skills for using technology to create content that resonates.
· Ethics: Balancing sponsored content and editorial trust
· Leadership: How to lead the conversation
· Writing: You have 50 words. What do you do to grab your audience?
And, of course, awards. ACT presents its student awards at the Monday luncheon and ACN and LPC present their top awards at Tuesday’s luncheon.
Finally, complete your trip to St. Louis with Wednesday’s tour schedule: The Gateway Arch National Park, ADM Grain Barge Loading Facility, Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour, and dinner and video training at Eckert Family Farm.
The world is run by those who show up. Thank you to everybody who is showing up in St. Louis: the sponsors who help make this meeting affordable for our membership, the speakers who share their time and expertise, and the attendees who make it all worthwhile. Together we will propel our craft and our industry to new heights.
It’s not too late to register. And if you can’t be with us this year, perhaps we’ll see you in Omaha in 2027?
– Caraway is editor of Farm Futures