Ag Innovation Showcase 2017
The 2017 Ag Innovation Showcase (AIS), hosted at the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO, brought together inventive agtech companies from around the world to discuss innovation and the future of farming. While in its ninth year, the event maintained a small, “insider” profile, and provided an excellent networking experience for participants and guests alike. Larta Institute, the host of AIS, sought communications support that would elevate the conversation beyond the attendees to a more global audience, as well as bring greater recognition to the early stage companies and highlight key themes expressed during each session.
What We Did
Blue Practice engaged in advance media strategy as well as on-the-ground communications services, while collaborating with the Larta communications and ag team to plan announcement opportunities and press releases. We focused on establishing relationships with the Danforth Center communications team and encouraged showcase companies to profile announcements at the event while finding a common theme to promote. This year’s AIS placed a heavy focus on machine learning and big data in agricultural technology, and featured ARPA-E funded research in robotics and automation, and fast growing companies such as SomaDetect, beeflow, Aspire, as well as a keynote presentation from Dr. Adrian Percy, Head of Research and Development of Bayer Ag, Crop Science. We worked to build a thematic approach to event coverage, focused on the intersection of agriculture and machine learning, while highlighting news and high profile participants.
Blue Practice also supported social media content creation. With a primary focus on the @agshowcase Facebook page, we broadcasted Facebook Live videos of all the major Spotlight sessions, conducted video interviews with the Showcase presenting companies, and posted updated information to a growing online community throughout the event.
Engagement Highlights
This year AIS received more attention than ever. In addition to receiving coverage for the event and showcase announcements in key trade media, our social media effort brought thousands of relevant and interested people to the event Facebook page, and reached millions of industry professionals.
AIS received coverage in fifteen major agriculture publications, including St Louis Business Journal, Market Insider, Ag Funder, and The Lane Report.
AIS17 Facebook had a total reach of 10,200, with 4,500 video views
AIS17 Twitter had a total reach of 6.8M
Adrian Percy’s keynote received more than 3,400 views.
Coverage Highlights
Benson HIll Biosystems Launches Novel Genome Editing CRISPR 3.0 Technology in Market Insider
Ag Innovation is Not Slowing Down in Brownfield Ag News
New Bayer CFO to lead Monsanto integration in St. Louis Business Journal
The Future of Agriculture is Center Stage at Ag Innovation Showcase in The Lane Report