LAMARIBBEAN 2007 – THE CONFERENCE……

by Barb Baker

for LlamaLifeII

As much fun as the cruise portion of Lamaribbean 2007 was, the conference portion was equally as enlightening and educational and, after all, this was the primary purpose for Lamaribbean 2007. Although the ILR took on the responsibility of organizing the Lamaribbean, for the purpose of examining the industry and strategizing for its future, it should not be assumed that they will, or should, take on the entire responsibility of moving the industry forward – all of us as owners and breeders must take on that task. But the ILR is to be commended for providing a venue to explore the promotional possibilities for our animals and industry and for moderating the discussions. Those attending were in agreement that this was a worthy starting point.

The conference was held on-board on Tuesday and Friday and on Thursday evening. Each session was a full day of presentations, break-out exercises, panel discussions and group dialogue.

Tuesday’s session featured Kevin Ochsner, from the Agri Business Group of Indianapolis. Kevin was raised on a farm in Colorado and is a successful breeder of Limousin cattle and spends about three months a year making keynote presentations and facilitating sales and management-training programs for many of North America’s largest agribusinesses. Because of his hands-on livestock background, as well as his Masters in Management, Kevin came well qualified to address the group and to direct discussion on the llama industry. He spent several months prior to the cruise speaking with the Board of Directors and getting background on our industry and developing a sense of what the concerns are so that he could point the group toward effective discussions. Everyone in attendance was there because they were in agreement that our industry needs to acknowledge our stagnation and need for change in order to move forward.

Kevin started the presentation and discussion by stressing the need for a strategy and defined strategy as “the deliberate search for a plan of action that will develop a business’s competitive advantage and compound it” and underlined the necessity to develop uniqueness. We have an animal that is unique in its versatility and intelligence and we need to make that uniqueness a cornerstone of any strategy. He next directed the discussion to the dynamics of change and when all is said and done, it is the inability to escape the past and the inability to invent the future, that cause failure of an organization or industry. We broke into groups of five or six to brainstorm a list of the key drivers of change that impact the llama industry and, from that list, looked at the potential implications of those changes to individual llama breeders, the ILR and the industry. The “drivers of change” noted by the groups could be distilled down to: education of new and existing markets and the versatility of our animals, i.e. fiber, packing, showing, therapy, etc. The potential implications were the same: presenting our animals to new markets and education and support for both new and existing owners will mean more animals sold to more people. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it?

Our next challenge was to look at the following: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the llama industry or simply put, the SWOT Analysis. Again, after general discussion of each of these areas, Kevin had the groups split out and brainstorm a list under the above headings. Each group’s facilitator presented its collection and a lengthy catalog was created under each category. These lists/categories were then scored individually by everyone in attendance as to their importance within each category. The sheets were presented to the ILR BOD to be reviewed and summarized. The results, along with the ILR’s recommendations and requests, will be posted on www.lamaregistry.com. Once identified, an effective strategy can then be developed. The groups were asked to submit one to two critical questions/issues that they felt needed to be addressed in order to improve the ILR as well as grow the llama industry. The following words were ones to consider in formulating these questions and issues: capitalize, strengthen, leverage, develop, communicate, collaborate, explore. After much debate and discussion, two of these words stood out: Communication and Collaboration. No matter whether the discussion was/is about individuals with varied interests, organizations, demographics, or national promotion, it becomes very apparent that if we don’t employ both these words in a plan, we have no hope for success. The industry presentation for the FFA National Convention proved that local and regional groups can put aside individual geographic needs and interests and collaborate for the general good and national promotion of the incredible animals that we have. As an industry and community, we must apply this same approach to all our efforts because if we don’t hang together, we will certainly hang separately! (Not original, but apropos).

The balance of the conference was held on Friday and started with a slide presentation by Sally Rucker, ILR Board member. Titled Pedigree Power – How We Got Here, it was an exhaustive historical perspective on the genesis of all the types of llamas that have contributed to our current herd. There were photos of all the great early sires and dams and definitions and examples of Lanuda, Tapada, Ccara, Suri, Silky and Classic llamas.

It is essential to know where we came from in order to know where we are going (learn from our past in order to invent our future) and the audience responded enthusiastically to Sally’s talk.

Next on the agenda was an hour-long Vet Panel with Drs. Karen Baum, ILR Board member from Virginia and Kristy Brown from Wisconsin. They entertained questions from the audience and the bulk of the discussion was spent on the current BVDV (Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus) situation. Both vets have had considerable experience with BVD, especially in cattle as well as with alpacas and were able to dispel some of the myths that have been circulating on internet chat sites as it relates to llamas and BVDV.

Friday afternoon’s schedule included presentations by Canadian llama breeder, Sue Wilde on the importance of a website in promoting farms. She came with a great many excellent suggestions on setting up, maintaining and marketing sites as well as explaining numerous technical aspects of hosting, search engine optimization, key words and directories.

Jan Wassink, ILR Registrar, spoke on the topic of Navigating the ILR Website and Coming Attractions. He walked the group through the various headings on the site, explaining what information is available and how best to make use of the tools that are there. There is a wealth of genealogical information, in the database, for use in tracking specific animals as well as the ability to see offspring from sires, to help determine the best breeding combinations. There is also demographic and herd information, Board Minutes, Events Calendar, informational pamphlets and the excellent “I Want a Llama” booklet, online registration and payment as well as links to farms and services. Under the heading of “Coming Attractions”, there will soon be a “Llamas for Sale” category where, for a nominal fee, members may list animals. This should prove to be a great benefit since not only do existing llama owners use this site, but many potential owners also go to the Registry’s site for information. The cost/benefit ratio should be excellent. Keep checking the website for this and other updates as the registry staff is constantly looking for new ways to make the site more useful. Please feel free to contact them with any suggestions or ideas.

The final discussion for the conference, Where Do We Go from Here? was moderated by Darrell Anderson from Indiana. Darrell is not only a llama owner and ALSA judge, he is the CEO of The National Swine Registry and a lifelong livestock person. He spoke knowledgeably about the positive possibilities for the llama industry using his experience and background in the cattle, sheep and swine industries. Winning strategies from those industries could, and should, be adapted for the llama industry. One of the most successful can be seen in the National Swine Registry, where the various breed associations work together under the umbrella of the national registry, for common goals.

Each association has its own Board of Directors and sets its own agenda, but all cooperate and collaborate on a regular basis to promote the swine industry in general. Youth activities are also a critical component of this group, giving strong support to the future swine owners – something we talk about in the llama industry but can show only limited success.

After closing remarks from Kevin Ochsner, the conference was adjourned. There was a definite sense of “we need to do these things – we must do these things – if our industry is to survive”; better yet was the sense that everyone wants to do what is necessary to establish a strong, unified and national promotion of this intelligent, versatile animal and the community that cares for them.

The ILR BOD will be asking those who cruised and attended the conference to fill out a questionnaire to get feedback on the cruise and thoughts and opinions about arranging another. Whether it is another cruise or a land-based conference, the definite momentum created from this conference should not be allowed to diminish. Time constraints for many owners do not allow for the week needed for a cruise and it is critical that as many people as possible contribute to any national promotional campaign that is started. Perhaps alternating between land and sea conferences could be considered. Let the ILR BOD know your thoughts as well as what you are willing and able to do to help make a difference and move the llama industry forward.