"AG CONNECT GIVES US A CHANCE TO HAVE MEANINGFUL ONE-TO-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS AND DEALERS."

Back when AG CONNECT was still a gleam in the eyes of a handful of key ag executives, their vision was to reinvent the ag show concept for North America. They wanted a bigger, more impactful event; something where producers would not only be able to kick the tires on the latest equipment, but also have access to the brightest minds, latest ideas and most advanced technologies in the industry. In short, they wanted a “must-attend” show focused on giving leading producers access to the best-of-the-best in every ag category; information that could truly help them achieve greater profitability with their businesses.

By all accounts, that vision was achieved with the third edition of the event; AG CONNECT Expo & Summit 2013, held in Kansas City, Missouri, January 29 through January 31. The show drew almost 11,000 registrants, nearly double the 5,800 in attendance at the 2011 show (Ag Connect is a biannual event). The number of exhibitors was also up significantly with more than 400 in attendance displaying their wares on 220,000 net square feet of exhibit space.

MacDon itself brought 60 representatives to the event including many of the company’s top engineers, product specialists and service experts, providing attendees with direct access to the people best able to answer their questions in the company. In addition, MacDon invited over 500 special guests including MacDon dealers, customers, Owner’s Circle members and prospects who were able to participate in a number of informative product sessions as well as a special MacDon hosted dinner (with entertainment from Juice Newton and Exile) and breakfast.

“AG CONNECT gives us a chance to have meaningful one-to-one conversations with our customers and dealers away from the pressures of day-to-day business,” said Gary MacDonald, MacDon’s Executive Vice President. “It’s as much a learning opportunity for us as it is for our guests, and we are able to bring away a lot of valuable feedback about how we can improve our products and our service.”

The next edition of AG CONNECT is scheduled to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, in January 2015.