Ride-and-drive opportunities at MAGIE

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Over 80 vendors highlighting the newest application equipment, precision technology and expertise were featured at the 45th Midwest Ag Industries Exposition Aug. 26-27 at the McLean County Fairgrounds.

“The crowd has been fantastic. We’ve had people streaming in all day. We had 2,300 badges printed in advance for pre-registration, and we printed a lot more today. So, walk-in registration has been great, as well,” Jenny Webb, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association president, said on the show’s opening day.

This was Webb’s first MAGIE show after being named IFCA president on July 20.

“It’s exciting to be out here for my first MAGIE and to meet our exhibitors and meet some members. There’s been a lot of folks that I’ve been emailing with the last few weeks that I’ve been able to meet in person. So, it’s been really good to get to put some faces with names,” she said. “It’s great to dive right in and get to meet people right off the bat.

“We have over 80 exhibitors, including some new ones this year. We’re kind of on par with what our normal numbers for the show are.”

A highlight of the annual show is the unique ride-and-drive opportunities that numerous companies provide on the fairgrounds.

“Something really great about MAGIE that you don’t get at every show is our ride-and-drive exhibits,” Webb said.

“So, rather than just having the opportunity to take a look at a piece of equipment or check out the spec sheet, this gives the operators a chance to get into the cab and see what that new technology looks like. They can then head back to their locations and maybe make some requests as far as looking at new equipment purchases and what’s out there.

“The equipment is really impressive. They’ve really brought out the best of the best to showcase their latest in technology and equipment. It’s great to see.”

MAGIE is held the week before the Farm Progress Show, and whether that’s in Decatur in central Illinois or Boone in central Iowa, exhibitors and visitors plan their end-of-August travel around both shows.

“There will be a lot of people heading to the Farm Progress Show in Iowa as they move from show to show, but I’ve heard from some exhibitors that this is one of their favorites. They feel like it’s not just folks out to kick the tires — they really want to talk business and take a look a things,” Webb said.