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AMS Has Big Fun in Texas By Greg Lamp, 2009 IFAJ / AMS Chair Remember when you were a little kid and couldn't wait for Christmas, and then it came and went in a flash? That sort of sums up the three years of waiting for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) group to join the Ag Media Summit in Fort Worth and then they vanished - in a flash. Mostly hearsay, but almost all reports from the big shin-dig have been downright glowing. We "done good" and everyone should be proud of the event we hosted for our international friends. From the start, the IFAJers were rounded up at the airport by the able-bodied crew of Willie Vogt, Larry Dreiling, limo organizer extraordinaire Don Norton and other helpers. They were whisked away to the fabulous, first-class Renaissance Worthington Hotel. What a wonderful way to start a Western experience in Texas. From Billy Bob's and rodeos, to country western music and dancing, to chuckwagon dinners, the group got an authentic taste of the West. Plus, they were introduced to some of the best professional development programs AMS has ever offered. Add to that local and farm tours and a surprise visit from the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, and you've got a recipe for success. As Liz Harful from Australia put it: "The photo workshop alone was worth the price of the trip. And I had a long trip." For those of us involved on the front end with just the IFAJ group, we felt like we'd already had one AMS and were just starting another when Sunday hit and the Americans started arriving. My windshield view told me that the two groups mixed well together and we've heard of many new friendships forged from this event. The successful buddy system played a big role on this front and I've heard talk that it's something IFAJ hopes to continue in the future. The farewell dinner, culminating with a slide and video presentation wrapped around a stirring country flag display by the student group, put some dazzle on the final day. And if anyone stuck it out and went on the post tours, like nearly 50 IFAJers did, the accolades didn't end. There was almost a healthy competition at the hotel the night before everyone departed for home about who had the best tour and best guide. "Our tour was better than yours because . . . Well, our guide was better because . . ." Our AAEA bus guides benefited from the post tours, too. Says Texas guide Ron Smith from Farm Press: "It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my career." How could we hope for a better ending? So to everyone who volunteered to help with this event and to everyone who attended - and of course to Kenna, Diane, Den and Steve - congratulations on a job well done. A special thanks goes to all the sponsors and InfoExpo folks who helped on the financial side of the event. I think we've sent our foreign counterparts home with some terrific memories that will last a lifetime. I sincerely thank all of you for making this year's IFAJ / AMS a hit. Click here for some fun photos. You can also check ZimmComm's visual coverage of the event. If you took some photos you're especially proud of, and that show off the flavor of the event, please send them our way and we'll keep posting them on the AAEA Web site. |
