Rural Issues: Networking still the heart of every event

Every year, during the National Agri-Marketing Association annual conference, Brownfield Ag News throws a party for our advertising partners and everyone else attending the meeting.

Those celebratory gatherings have changed significantly in the past 28 years that I have been part of Brownfield.

When I first started attending NAMA, I was on the younger side of the crowd. Back then, our party officially started at 9 p.m., but to be honest it didn’t really get rolling until 10:30 or 11 p.m.

Most everyone had gone out for long, multicourse dinners with big steaks and lots of wine before they came to our party. By the time they arrived, they were ready to get the real party started.

Cold beer, a dance floor and a pretty good band that played songs everyone knew — and we were set for the night. People would dance to every single song the band played.

We didn’t need a theme, a photo booth, or interactive games. We were perfectly content standing around with friends, catching up, laughing too loudly and singing along to songs where we knew every single word.

Back then, the party started late and went on into the wee hours of the morning.

Many of those familiar faces from the early years have since retired. Some have moved on to slower schedules, some are enjoying grandkids and golf courses and some are simply names and stories we still talk about when the old crew gets together.

These days, I’m part of the seasoned, older crowd. The younger professionals entering ag marketing today bring a different kind of energy.

They want experiences. They don’t want the multicourse meals. We start the party at 8 o’clock now, and our guests actually arrive during that first hour.

They want games, themed activities, selfie stations, contests and things that create moments to post and share on social media. They still value connection, but they often want it packaged a little differently.

Every generation finds its own way to build relationships. What mattered then still matters now — or at least I hope it does — people connecting with people.

I still smile when I hear a good live band strike up a song from the ‘80s or ‘90s and watch people of every age make their way to the dance floor. For a moment, it feels like not much has changed at all.

The truth is that the party was never really about the beer or the band. It was about relationships.

Agriculture is still a people business, and ag marketing is built on trust, friendships and showing up for each other year after year.

The music may change. The schedule may shift. The younger crowd may want pickleball instead of a polka. The bar bill is half what it was back in the day.

But gathering together still matters, and I hope it always will. And I, for one, am quite content being tucked into bed in my hotel room before midnight.