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Dec. 4-6, 2012. Over 4,000 people from 42 states and six Canadian provinces registered for the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market Expo (which cohabits with the Michigan Greenhouse Growers’ Expo — since you ask). This is the show for Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Farm Marketers and Greenhouse Operators. Some of the types of companies that were exhibiting included seed, nurseries & packaging companies, chemical & fertilizer companies, equipment providers, processing equipment, lending and leasing, insurance, and investment companies… as well as Greenhouse-related products. Sessions that delegates could opt to attend included… Bakery Ideas for the Future, “Cheese-making 101 for Farm Marketers”, a seminar on the “Fan, Like and Follow” World of Social Media, and Taking Customer Service to New Heights. Oh, and, yeah: the pre-show ( you had to sign up early!) Farm Market Bus Tour visited six top farm market and agri-tourism locations in southwest Michigan. An opportunity to “veg out” before the main event, maybe…?
Oct. 18-20, 2012. If you need a drink, head to Vegas. InterBev is the premier beverage event in North America, featuring 200 exhibitors and 2,000 attendees. A biennial event held in even years, InterBev brings together the beverage industry for business-to-business interaction on the trade show floor, relevant education sessions, and key-noter sessions presenting important beverage-related topics. Representatives in attendance included bottlers, distributors and producers of soft drinks, bottled water, juice and juice drinks, tea, milk, sports drinks, beer, wine and distilled spirits. Other attendees were typically beverage company owners and CEOs, plant operators and managers, packaging and processing engineers, sales and marketing executives, warehousing managers, distribution managers and more. So drink up!
Oct. 2-6, 2012. Designed for dairy producers and industry partners, World Dairy Expo is a showcase for elite dairy cattle, cutting edge research and modern technologies. No other dairy event in the world compares, we were told. Visitors could graze through the commercial exhibit display area, or watch the virtual farm tours, or get corralled with the Coliseum crowd to see the dairy cattle exhibitors compete for coveted awards, or get caught up in the lively bidding at one of the breed sales, to get your hands on top genetic lines. Producers and their family members could compete in the World Forage Analysis Superbowl, Champion Dairy Products Contest, and the Youth Fitting/Showmanship Contest. 65,000+ dairy industry enthusiasts were reportedly enjoying the fun. That many? Hey, don’t have a cow, man…
Las Vegas has a food fest for just about every cuisine you can imagine: San Genaro, Mexican Independence, 9th Island (Hawaiian), Asian (covers all the Pacific Rim), Octoberfest and our collective favorite: Greek.
In continuing the trend from 2010 forward, G2E – the annual event that is every thing gambling was earlier this month, held at the Sands Convention Center. So many blinging lights – so little time. But if ever there was an industry that is better off in 2012 than in 2008 – it’s the gaming industry. There was a great social media seminar and always get good takeaway information. Thanks to Masterminds for sponsoring the tweet up.
Our biggest take-away was the implementation of hand held devices in the casino experience. Sports books are the 1st to take on online gaming but in the next 3-5 years (or sooner) slot machines will be replaced by the nextGen ipad (or tablet equivalent)
WMS gaming introduced a number of new pop culture centered slot machines including the KISS brand lead by the Demon & StarChild, Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley (who looked amazingly good for having lost his mom 2 days before the ribbon cutting, may she RIP) Kiss nation was out in force or at least hired models dressed as KISS were.
Automatic bingo is the next big floor game. No longer requiring a huge room with blue hair’d grammas hoping to hit it big on the 16 card sheets in front of them, an electronic version will be rolled out to casino floors very soon. Where will they put all the trolls & charms.
Hopefully once the G2E contract is up, they will move out of the Sands and into either Mandalay or Caesars which is much more trade show friendly.
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Kiss front men: Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley cut the ribbon for G2E
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Playing the new Kiss Machines
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Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley at the WMS Kiss booth
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Bingo: It’s not just for Grandma
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Booth Bunz for Girls
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Booth Bunny Show girls for boys
Sept. 21-23, 2012. This Expo is billed as the largest showcase of food service products in the Eastern US. Full title? The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Show. So you were welcome to stay on for some Lodging after you finished in the Restaurant. Besides board and lodging, delegates were invited to profit from the latest trends, charm their guests, inspire their team and reduce their costs … though not necessarily all at the same time. Delegates could get the keys to all aspects of a successful food service business from experts handpicked by Ferdinand Metz, Master chef and head of the Culinary Institute of America, or watch as professional baristas prepared their signature espresso beverages and compete for the title of Ultimate Barista. Could I get my coffee with a Betty Boop cartoon in the froth? She’s cute…
Aug. 2-6, 2012. IPCPR stands for the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association. The IPCPR is the oldest, largest and most active trade association representing and assisting premium retail tobacconists and their suppliers, so it covers everything from Big Tobacco to small tobacco. The IPCPR is a not-for-profit trade association organized as the advocate for the independent retail tobacconist and recognized (at least by the pro-tobacco lobby) as the “Voice of Authority and Reason” on premium tobacco related issues. IPCPR provides its members with assistance to fight “draconian and onerous tobacco legislation”, and brings retailers and manufacturers together in mutually advantageous business relationships. As someone once said philosophically, “A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke”….
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