Suppose you’re standing on the main floor of the Cook Convention Center and you realize you had another question for someone at Company X’s booth near the entrance to this year’s Mid-South Farm and Gin Show.

Did Company X have that new widget you’ve wanted to see or was that Company Y? In the past, you probably would have had to walk back through the cavernous Cook Convention Center to the Gin Show entrance to see someone at Company X or find someone at Company Y.

Welcome to the new Mid-South Farm and Gin Show Mobile App. The app, which is being provided for the first time by Farm Press Publications and Penton Media Inc., will allow you to use your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry, Android or other web-enabled phone to receive up-to-the-minute news alerts and breaking information from the Gin Show.

The App for Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, which runs Feb. 25 and 26 in Memphis, will also help you:

“The new MSF&G Mobile App was developed by Penton Custom Media and has been used at some of the largest trade shows in the nation,” said Greg Frey, vice president at Penton Media and publisher of Farm Press. “We believe this new technology will greatly enhance participants experience at this year’s Farm and Gin Show.”

Farm Press, a member of the Agricultural Group at Penton Media, publishes Delta Farm Press, Southeast Farm Press, Southwest Farm Press and Western Farm Press. Delta Farm Press is a cosponsor of the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show and publishes the Farm Show Magazine.

“Tablet and mobile devices, as well as smart phones are commonplace and are driving development of applications for those devices,” says Tim Price, manager of 59^th annual show that is sponsored by the Southern Cotton Ginners Association.

“Ours is quickly becoming an application-driven world. Programmers are rushing to develop applications to make our business and personal lives flow more smoothly. You can find an application for almost anything, from Facebook and Twitter to yoga poses and an app to track your receipts and expenditures.

“The Gin Show Mobile App is a way for exhibitors and attendees to get the most out of the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show. All of the information about the South’s premier indoor farm show venue will be in the hands of many of the most respected and progressive growers in the Mid-south. The Gin Show Mobile App will provide multiple link opportunities for visitors to connect with a company before, during and after the show.”

The mobile application will include daily alerts and breaking news; interactive floor maps; mapping to booths; activities scheduled; download capability (brochures, catalogs, etc); and social media interaction. The application will be available on all mobile platforms.

“We are keenly aware that farmers’ use of mobile technology is increasing and becoming an important part of how they do business,” Price says. “We are pleased to be able to give farmers and others attending the show a tool to enhance their experience at the show and better connect with vendors who provide the products and services they need.”

To download the MSF&G Show Mobile App:

For iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Users: From your mobile device, visit the app store and search for Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, or MSFGS 2011 and click on the “free” button to take you to the install screen.

For all other phone types, including Blackberry, Google Android and all other web-enabled phones: Point your mobile device's browser to http://m.core-apps.com/msfg2011/. From there you will be directed to the proper app download for your specific device.