Industry Visits Emphasize Importance of Networking
By Kilah Hemesath, Latham Hi-Tech Seed’s Marketing Intern
If you don’t live for the here & now, what are you living for?
Last week I had the opportunity visit the Twin Cities with fellow members of the ISU National Agri-Marketing Association club. After the vans were packed and we had our Casey’s breakfast pizza, we were off! In addition to traveling with a fun group of people, I got the chance to meet people in the industry who have interests similar to mine.
We started off Thursday by visiting CHS Inc. in St. Paul.
CHS encompasses all parts of agriculture: energy, grains and food. I enjoyed hearing about the coordination between these three area and CHS’ strategies to serve its members while increasing stakeholder value. The importance of thorough communication was highly emphasized as the millennial generation finds it too easy to stay behind a screen. Communicating virtually often times relates in simplicity, but it lacks the irreplaceable value of face-to-face communication.
Next up was a General Mills Inc. tour and presentation. A former ISU NAMA member hosted us at General Mills, which was great! He kept the conservation relatable and light hearted. Plus he’s a Marketing Associate for the baking division, so we got to take home some baking treats. J I was amazed by the General Mills facility, as every floor was a different division: baking, cereal, yogurt, etc. We also toured General Mills’ in-house kitchen spaces for testing and photography.
Friday kicked off with a visit to Martin Williams Advertising in Minneapolis. There was a panel of about six employees from different departments. It was interesting to see how an agency runs, as well as experience the creative thinking environment! We connected with the Martin Williams Adverting agency through a member of the ISU NAMA, which confirms the importance of networking.
Our last stop was a USBank Stadium Marketing tour. Our tour guide worked with SMG, a worldwide entertainment and convention management business. I was amazed by the infrastructure of the new USBank Stadium; I had never seen anything like it! Secondly, it was intriguing to hear about SMG’s role in managing events and marketing the space.
As a senior in college, this trip to Minneapolis was a fulfilling experience because of the applicable advice I received from all business professionals. I am looking forward my full-time position with Latham Hi-Tech Seeds and being on the other end of the table!
