Eric Smidt

Husband and dad of twins. VP, Marketing & Communications @AmesAlliance. Editor of TRACTION magazine. Documentary filmmaker. AREA Pod host. Bass guitar blues.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

Sugarland in Cedar Rapids last night!

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

One of the joys of producing Traction magazine is visiting places I might not otherwise have the opportunity to see. Recently, hat included Amcor where I learned how they produce more than 1.5 million bottles for beverage brands like Gold Peak Tea.
https://t.co/V4YdOTK2D6

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

It was the final Saturday of the 2026 season of the Ames Main Street Farmers' Market. Great weather led to a wonderful turnout. Elias was the official photographer of the Pet Costume Contest and totally rocked it! A huge shoutout to Lojean Petersen on another great season!

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

Great updates at the Ames History Museum board meeting tonight! The team does a wonderful job of preserving, curating and sharing our community’s history through engaging programming, social media and so much more.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

I'm excited to share that the Ames Documentary Film Festival is already looking ahead to year two in 2027!

Filmmakers, keep these key dates on your radar as you work on your next project.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

A week and a half ago, the Dogtown Rhythm Band had a great set during the 2026 Iowa Blues Challenge at xBk Live. Here are two more great shots courtesy R.K. Anderson and Mark Lage.

It was a ton of fun with Tom Buckmiller, David Lubbers, Ronley King, and Jordan Gould.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

The year-long journey of Leadership Iowa kicked off last week in Oskaloosa. It was an intense couple of days, but the 45th class is an incredible group of people. I’m excited to travel across the state, learn from the program and participants, and see what the year ahead brings!

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

I recently spent time and had a great conversation with Tyler Farner of Farner Storage. For Tyler, Ames has always been home and it was cool to unpack his journey and how he’s giving back. Traction story out later this year.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

Sure was cool to see the sunrise from Lutheran Church of Hope Ames this morning!

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

West Street Deli is a Campustown staple, and it was great to work with Matthew White on this story. I love laying out magazine spreads, especially when the photography takes center stage.
This Traction story is now online so check it out:
https://t.co/HPQPpBGbEL

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

It's a point of pride that the reviews we got about the inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival from filmmakers focused on clear and concise communication.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

The Dogtown Rhythm Band rocked the set we’d been planning all summer for the Iowa Blues Challenge yesterday. We worked it out while we were in South Dakota this summer, and all the iterations came together live. A joy to share the stage with these guys and play the blues.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

Elias and I spent the day Saturday with The Final Salute where unclaimed veterans were laid to rest. This year our friends with the YL-37 The Flying Memorial served as the transportation from the Waukee ceremony to the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. We were there to capture the moments.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

We had a great time Friday night rocking with Lauren Alaina at Hoyt Sherman Place.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

It was great to talk history with Amy Rutenberg, Assistant Professor of History at Iowa State, yesterday morning. I appreciate her willingness to sit under the lights and share her perspective as a local subject matter expert on the Vietnam War for a project I’m working on.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

It was a joy to lead the Ames Documentary Film Festival as Executive Director through its first year.

I have plenty of takeaways from year one, but it’s great to have a successful inaugural event to build from as we look toward year two.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with both Rob Sand and Zach Lahn for an upcoming episode of the AREA Podcast from the @AmesAlliance. Two conversations. Two candidates. Both episodes will be released soon. Stay tuned!

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

I flew along with the YL-37 crew today from State Center to Winterset, capturing footage along the way, this time from 1,000 feet in the air. Thanks to the crew for embracing my desire to tag along, throw a mic on them, and for trusting me to help amplify their story.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

It was a joy to talk with Iowa Public Radio reporter Nicole Baxter this morning about the inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival that will take place Sunday, September 27 in Downtown Ames. The article will be out next week.

[Eric Smidt @esmidt]

Issue 16 of Traction magazine is now out so it’s time to reset the board for Issue 17. Stories are underway now from the @AmesAlliance.