By Jessica Wesson, ACN Communications Specialist
The 2025 Ag Media Summit is set for July 27–30 at the Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas Hotel, Spa & Convention Center, offering ACN members four days of professional development, networking and hands-on learning opportunities. The summit brings together writers, editors, photographers, publishers and strategic communicators from across the agriculture industry.
“AMS is the ideal family reunion because it’s full of people we genuinely like,” says ACN President and AMS Steering Committee Member Pam Caraway. “We meet our next generation of ag communicators, reconnect with experienced colleagues, and continue to learn from those who came before us in these roles. We find joy and create memories through this time together. But that’s just the underpinning of the highest quality professional development opportunity available specifically for communicators in our industry.”
Caraway says it is important to attend Ag Media Summit for several reasons.
“By advancing our art and adding to our skillset, those who attend AMS continually level up in our roles as communicators with a passion for agriculture,” she said. “The 2025 AMS is particularly important at this time in our careers because two of the primary focuses are integral at this point in communications across all roles and industries: expanding technical knowledge of artificial intelligence in order to embrace it and use it to our professional advantage and studying the art of storytelling to engage our audience on any topic using any platform.”
Willie Vogt, ACN member and AMS Steering Committee member, adds that the summit is a great place to find connections.
“Even a veteran journalist can gain insights from the professional improvement offered at AMS,” Vogt said. “Delving into AI is just one advantage. Add in networking, and it’s a solid investment for anyone in our industry. As a past freelancer I chose to invest in ACN and AMS because it delivered a return on my investment like no other event. I can specifically tally up work I’ve won because of the relationships made through ACN and AMS.”
The program kicks off Sunday, July 27, with board meetings in the morning, an ACT Student Welcome Session from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the Ag Media Council meeting from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Famous Welcome Party at Topgolf Rogers rounds out the evening, providing early-arrival attendees a chance to connect with peers.
Monday, July 28, begins with acclaimed columnist and humorist Sean Dietrich—known as “Sean of the South”—delivering the opening keynote, “Skill, Craft or Art?”, sharing insights on storytelling’s role in modern agriculture communication. The rest of the day features breakout sessions spanning digital media strategy, advanced photography techniques and emerging agricultural technologies, alongside a bustling tradeshow floor.
Educational sessions continue Tuesday with a focus on editorial best practices and multimedia content creation, capped by the annual ACN and LPC awards luncheon recognizing excellence in ag-media writing, design, photography, marketing, and digital engagement.
On Wednesday, July 30, for an additional fee, attendees can choose to attend the post-conference specialty tour of Northwest Arkansas. The tour includes visits to various farms and agribusinesses, offering firsthand experience with production practices and communications challenges in the field. It will conclude with a night photography workshop, led by Lindsay Kennedy, assistant professor of practice, agricultural communications, and program director of the Matador Institute of Leadership Engagement at Texas Tech University.
Registration remains open to ACN members at the early-bird rate through July 10. Full details, including the complete agenda and speaker bios, are available at agmediasummit.com. Don’t miss your chance to join the largest gathering of agricultural media professionals in the United States this summer!