NAFDMA 2009 Idea Report

NAFDMA Convention Yields Ideas Galore!

Our annual participation in the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association yielded a tremendous response for our TextPlay System, Finger Fortune Games, and our Corn Maze Franchise Program and/or Game Paks.

In this season of uncertainty having the best quailty, most operationally efficient maze REALLY matters. Learn more about why corn mazes are not just commodities from Designer Dave in his article below.

Here are some ideas and debates that surfaced at NAFDMA:

1. School Tour Automation vs. Teacher-Led Tours. Jan Vala and I chaired this season, one of the most spirited debates I've had in a while. I posed the argument that teachers and employees in general are unreliable and that machines and prerecorded audio is the way to go. Jan, after wacking me on the head (to the delight of the crowd, hmm...), felt strongly that personal instruction is better. Many in the crowd ran a hybrid system with some automation and some personal instruction.
2. Social Media is the way to reach young families...Maybe. The key in our discussions was to find the one social media outlet that works for you and your business. Find your "Voice" and the style that fits you. Do not mix business and personal editions (i.e. if you use your facebook.com page to post pictures of your weekend parties, it's probably not the place to promote your business).
3. Landscaping Superiority. On the bus tour (P1 being the best bus of course), I noticed that the #1 determining factor of a business' ability to "Wow" us was how it looked in the first 60-seconds. It really reinforced to me the importance of what Harold Lloyd calls "Landscaping Superiority". Some of the easiest, cost effective changes come from simply making your place look nicer. I know we could stand to focus on such details at our Fun Park.
4. Laugh yourself silly. Yes, on Bus P1, we laughed ourselves silly and had a great time. Carol Grace Anderson affirmed that laughter is the best preventive medicine. It's easy to be serious, but it's crucial to have a good time with your family,  your employees, and especially your guests. I haven't had a week that full of laughter all winter. (A special shout out to my Tennessee crew and the surprise birthday gang for all the fun.)

Conclusion: NAFMDA is a super way to connect with like-minded people. The part I like is that you can sit down at any table at any time with people you don't know and strike up a conversation– we're all people-people! If you haven't gone to a NAFDMA convention don't miss 2010 in Lancaster County. Plus, you'll get to see the Maize Quest Maze Fun Park at our home farm on the tour!