Conventions

Virginia, we were told, is for wine-lovers, and Richmond’s Wineries Unlimited show never lost sight of that message. Wineries Unlimited is a division of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, the leader in wine industry professional development and North America’s leading independent wine trade publication. Any idea how much stuff you need to be in the wine-making business? Think barrel and tank cleaning systems, cork supplies, bottling plant, label-printing, fencing, measurement and analysis tools, barrelage, vine-stock acquisition… The list goes on and on. Special Guest Speakers this year included Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, and Virginia’s Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Todd Haymore. Back by popular demand was Virginia native Andy Beckstoffer of Beckstoffer Vineyards, delivering the General Session Keynote. Oh, and you had to be over 21 to attend. May I see i/d please?

“Call it by its full name: CONEXPO+CON/AGG 2011. It was the international gathering place for the construction industries. Held every three years, the exposition showcased the latest equipment, products, services and technologies in the building trade. With over 2,000 exhibitors shouting for your attention (this is an industry unafraid of making noise, people), you could get up close and size up the newest equipment and technology in the construction industry, bring yourself up to speed on new systems and instrumentation, and see all the latest innovations making the industry greener, safer and more precise. A comprehensive education program during the five-day exposition offered attentive delegates a program of sessions emphasizing industry issues and trends, management do’s and don’ts, and applied building technology. It was so quiet in the seminar rooms you could hear a ton of bricks drop…

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“You wanted to see the Man with the Meat? Well, what sizzles on the griddle in Vegas, stays in Vegas, if you know what we mean. The search for That Man ended at the Mirage, at the National Meat Association MeatXpo’11 Suppliers’ Exposition and 65th Annual Convention, this time co-located with the NGA or National Grocers’ Association Show. You would have been rubbing shoulders with equipment and machinery manufacturers, providers of services to the meat industry, meat product manufacturers, and a host of other committed carnivores. As the New York Times recently pointed out, “”the world’s total meat supply was 71 million tons in 1961. In 2007, it was estimated to be 284 million tons. Per capita consumption has more than doubled over that period. In the developing world, it rose twice as fast, doubling in the last 20 years. World meat consumption is expected to double again by 2050, which is resulting in a “relentless growth in livestock production.” That makes this one mighty meaty industry…

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WorldAG Expo is presented by World Agri-Center, and the nuts-and-bolts-and-wrenches motif tells you it’s about “tools for Agri-Business”. Apparently “the world’s largest annual agriculture exposition” was celebrating “44 years of innovative agriculture”. The colorful locale of Tulare is somewhere in between Fresno and Bakersfield, just off Highway 99. (“You can get nice wine — on Route 99″, as Bob Dylan DIDN’T actually sing). And there they were: 1,600 exhibitors displaying the latest in farm equipment, chemicals, communications, and technology on 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space — a stirring sight. Seminars homed in on topics important to dairy producers, farmers, ranchers and agribusiness professionals. And for their lady wives, there were cooking demonstrations by chefs from California’s top restaurants, in the World Ag Women Pavilion. May we recommend this presumptuous but well-rounded little red Tempranillo with your main course, ma’am?

Did you know Americans eat 8 billion chickens a year? Add in international volumes and we’re talking a market that is… well, no chicken! The International Poultry Expo is run by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the world’s largest and most active poultry organization. It represents the entire industry as an “All Feather” association, i.e. membership includes producers and processors of broilers, turkeys, ducks, eggs, and breeding stock, as well as allied companies. Formed in 1947, the association has affiliations in 27 states and member companies worldwide. The association represents its poultry and egg members through research, education, communications and technical services. You want breast meat or leg and wing?