The NACAA Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference (AMPIC) is a wonderful series of events with all sorts of activities, trainings, meetings, tours, and social time. For most participants, you should pack clothing with a variety of options ranging from a beach party, to professional meetings, to the formal DSA banquet on Wednesday night. Here are some things to consider as you pack for the conference. The Florida Agents have been working for several years to make this a great event, so we want you to be well prepared for the full experience.

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Things to consider packing for the AMPIC

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BYOL

Bring Your Own Lanyard from your university or favorite organization. FACAA will not be provide uniqueing lanyards in an effort to recycle. This will be fun as everyone can customize their name badge with a lanyard that represents something from back home. Don’t have a fancy lanyard, it is OK, just bring something to wear to keep your name badge visible and your event/meal tickets handy.

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Beach Party

Don’t forget to bring pack swimsuit, beach towel, and flip-flops for the beach. It is summer, and the asphalt gets HOT. Even if you don’t plan to swim in the Atlantic Ocean, have some shorts, a t-shirt, and comfortable shoes to enjoy an evening at a county park on the beach. There will be games and activities in addition to swimming at this social event Monday night. Buses will provide the transportation, so don’t bring too many beach toys. Food will also be provided there as well. The event will take place from 5:00 – 9:00 PM, so we will not be out in full sun, but you still may want sunscreen as we will be outdoors. This is also prime time for mosquitos, so bug repellent may be something you want to add to your beach bag. (Don’t have a beach bag? Hint: the Florida agents will be giving you one soon.)

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Outdoor Tours

Summers in South Florida are hot and humid with rain likely many afternoons. Mosquitoes may also be buzzing around, so you may want to bring bug spray. Consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and bring a rain jacket and/or umbrella. Quick-dry, UV-protective clothes with long sleeves are nice to wear if you have them. Bring extra sunscreen to reapply throughout the day. We will be in and out of the air conditioning, so you may want to wear layers. Your tour involves getting on and off a bus and a moderate amount of walking. Wear comfortable, closed-toed shoes such as boots or tennis shoes. There may even be a little mud and manure at some stops, so sandals and flip-flops would not be a wise choice. You will spend most of your day in an air-conditioned bus, but for the tour stops and dinner at the fairgrounds, you will want something casual and comfortable.

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Convention Center Meetings

This may sound a little strange after the last paragraph, but pack a light jacket, sweater, or long sleeve shirt for events in the Convention Center. Cooling a single building with acres under one roof requires keeping a lower thermostat setting than a typical home or office. For those of you who are slim and trim, with less insulation, it might be a good idea to have something to wear, if you tend to get cold at meetings and restaurants. Every year I seem to meet someone who feels the room temperature is too low to suit them, and it keeps them from enjoying the event. If you don’t need it, you can just leave it in your room.

This is a professional improvement conference, not a vacation. For the Sunday night welcome dinner, Monday beach party, and Thursday, casual attire is appropriate. For the sessions and events, held in the convention center, standard professional attire is appropriate. NACAA officers and leaders will wear suits & ties or dresses throughout the conference, but participants should be dressed as professionals too. This is especially true if you make presentations. I don’t mean suits and ties, and formal dresses, but dress like a professional representing your organization. Button-down or polo shirts and khaki pants are prominently worn, but t-shirts and shorts would be underdressed. Use common sense here, as there is no actual dress code, these are just suggestions from a veteran agent who has attended numerous AMPIC meetings.

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Formal DSA Banquet

The final event in the convention center on Wednesday night is a formal banquet for the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) and Achievement Award (AA) winners. Bring a suit, formal dress, or other formal attire options for this capstone event. Jeans and a polo shirt would not be appropriate for this auspicious occasion. If you don’t want to wear a tie or heels, no one will l escort you out of the banquet hall, but look your best as we celebrate the success of our colleagues.

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If you have specific questions, you can contact the AMPICFL22 communication team through this email address:

Doug Mayo

Jackson County Extension Director, Livestock & Forage Agent, Lead Editor for Panhandle Ag e-News
demayo@ufl.edu - 850-482-9620
Follow me on Twitter
@UFCowman

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