Annual Convention
Make plans to join industry friends and colleagues at the upcoming Vermont Food Industry Convention & Expo. This year's event will be held at the Sheraton Burlington and the Miller Centre South at the Champlain Valley Exposition in nearby Essex Jct. September 14-16, 2012.
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2010 Highlights
September 24-26 marked the Vermont Grocers' Association "Spirit of '76" convention & expo at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction and Sheraton Burlington. The Vermont Food Industry Convention & Expo is the state's most comprehensive trade show featuring the latest in products, services, and equipment. This year's show occupied over 30,000 square feet of exhibit space in the Miller Expo Centre South. The Sheraton Burlington Conference Center is the host hotel.
The Expo featured over 140 exhibit booths. Vendors, including about 20 new ones, offered a wide variety of products and services for all food and beverage retailers and restaurants.
The convention featured a host of workshops, seminars, events, and entertainment for participants and attendees. For the "links enthusiasts," all had a good time at the opening day Farrell Golf Outing. The Kwiniaska Golf Course hosted a full flight of golfers for this popular outing. Later that day members and guests enjoyed an opening reception at the Fleming Museum at UVM. Congressman Peter Welch was honored with the Spirit of America Award for his public service and leadership on credit and debit card reforms.
Seminars and workshops included Using Social Media to promote your store; Alcohol and Tobacco Certification Training; Updating your Lighting and New Card Processing Security REquirements. A lineup of fine entertainment was lined up throughout Saturday's show, including acts from Wunderle's Big Top Adventures and the Seth Warner Mt. Independance Fife & Drum.
The annual Silent Auction was held at the Sheraton, with proceeds benefiting the Vermont Grocers' Scholarship Fund. The association annually awards $21,500 in scholarships to Vermont students. Other events at the Sheraton included a Saturday evening reception and dinner with entertainment by Rusty DeWees at the Logger and the closing brunch at the VGA annual meeting on Sunday morning.
Several of the state's food retailers had their best baggers on hand to compete for the state title and opportunity to represent Vermont at the national competition in Las Vegas this coming winter. The competition featured reusable bags this year. This year's winner was Krystal Smith of Hannaford.
Brian Dubie edged out Peter Shumlin in the first ever gubernatorial candidate bag-off.
This year's convention co-chairs were Andy Willette of Hannaford and Jeremy Larock of Cabot.
Photo Highlights of 2010 convention.
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