April 29 – 2013 – Catching The Wave – the theme in development for 2014. Should be exciting ! How will you catch the organic wave?
*** * ***
MARCH 23/13 – get ready for January 30-31 and February 1-2 which are the Guelph dates for 2014. If things go as well this fall and winter as they went leading up to this January’s event, you are in for a great show in 2014. Plan ahead… bring a friend.
*******
Earlier: though the Conference is over, digested and put to bed, we’re always planning ahead. Thank you to all who attended. More news here soon about 2014. In fact, the next Conference is pretty well advanced in its planning, title, speaker selection, etc. For more, stay tuned here over the next 8 weeks. There were approx. 830 paid registrations for the 2013 Conference, a record attendance !
————
The MEET & GREETS on the front menu of this Web Site – are truly a free CONFERENCE WITHIN A CONFERENCE since most require no registration fee. Start planning your Guelph visit: the Delta Guelph, Royal Brock, Days Inn, Staybridge, Hampton, Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express are all anxiously awaiting your hotel stay – each has its own special features – some are offering deals, shuttles, gift bags, etc. Some local B&B’s still have room. Social evenings are being planned (Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings) and a dozen or more downtown Guelph restaurants await your visit or private party. Put on your tackity boots and get yourself to Guelph !
PAYPAL ON-LINE REGISTRATION – closed, for everyone but just bring your cash or cheque to the door.
The brochure was mailed on November 1 to everyone who was on the mailing list. Bulk brochures went out to stores and food box outlets – but the 7000 brochures are now all gone so just download the copy + registration form off the front of this Site.
Just pay cash at the door.
Parking passes – no longer being mailed since you’ve missed the advance mailing deadlines. But, just show up to the Guelph campus, find a spot and come up to the Guelph University Centre.
Where are the close-by locations?? : OMAFRA – the Ministry of Agriculture Building [northwest corner Stone Rd. & Gordon St.]; University Centre [northeast corner Stone Rd. & Gordon St.]; Delta Guelph [southwest corner Stone Rd. & Gordon St.]; Days Inn [just south of the Delta, west side Gordon St.]; Royal Brock Best Western [southeast corner Stone Rd. & Gordon]. Now ! do you feel better oriented?
As always, time is speeding on – this is the irresistable force vs. the immovable object ! Sometime round about the morning of January 31 while you’re standing in the Michael Phillips registration line, the excitement surrounding the Conference will be incredible. All of the Conference staff is working every hour now, organizing the final workshop details, confirming the Mezzanine Level exhibitors and toiling away at the 1001 details which need to be expertly sorted out… so please plan to be at Guelph this winter to take it all in.
IMPORTANT NOTE: THE ORGANIC EXPO ONLY RUNS SATURDAY-SUNDAY - please do not plan to arrive on Thursday or Friday looking for an Expo, because it doesn’t exist. The Expo actually starts at about 6.30 am Saturday when the flurry of exhibitors starts arriving. Saturday, be an early bird, grab an organic coffee and get a head start on your networking.
Day-By-Day Conference Details (Thursday, January 31 through Sunday, February 3) – there is no single, unified registration fee – this would be totally unfair to those who only want small parts of the program – you pay only for the workshop segements which you want – or if coming only to the Expo, pay $0 (repeat $0 Zero Dollars) because Expo attendance is free to anyone walking through the doors of the Guelph University Centre. If you want to donate for this great free Expo, please leave your personal contribution with the registrar in Room UC103, thanks.
Thursday: CLOSED – major full-day seminar on organic fruit production with Michael Phillips [see also the evening Meet & Greet with him]
Friday: 4 major seminars on important organic development topics + The Organic Food & Wine Dinner + the Keynote Forum – do you want to get immersed in the key issues which drive the organic sector in North America?… if so, sign up for the Friday program.
Saturday: 20 workshops in 5 distinct streams or themes – this is the core program of the Conference – up to 1200 people will pass through the Guelph University Centre on this day – be there ! … experience the buzz ! Check also the Saturday Meet & Greets. REMINDER: this is the first day of the Expo.
Sunday: now re-organized as a full day 14 workshops with a broad selection of ideas – workshops tastefully scheduled as 1-hour + 1.5-hour programs, so you can scurry between rooms and catch up with all your friends (who will of course be at Guelph). Check also the Sunday Meet & Greets. REMINDER: this is the second day of the Expo.
FOR YOUR GPS: OFFICIAL University of Guelph’s actual address:
50 Stone Rd. East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
paypal gUEST REGISTRATION: STILL ACTIVE but soon to be cut off. THE brochure + REGISTRATION DOCUMENT/form ARE NOW distributed – final call to mail in your cheque.
| Thursday | FRIDAY | SATURDAY | SUNDAY |
| Paid Workshops | Paid Workshops |  |
|
| CLICK HERE for THURSDAY PAID WORKSHOPS | CLICK HERE for FRIDAY PAID WORKSHOPS | CLICK HERE for SATURDAY PAID WORKSHOPS | CLICK HERE for SUNDAY PAID WORKSHOPS |
|
|||
| CLICK TO REGISTER FOR THE G.O.C. | CLICK TO REGISTER FOR THE G.O.C. | CLICK TO REGISTER FOR THE G.O.C. | CLICK TO REGISTER FOR THE G.O.C. |
| Paid parking on the Guelph campus – regular parking runs about $16-or buy a parking pass | Paid parking on the Guelph campus – regular parking runs about $16-or buy a parking pass | FREE PARKING | FREE PARKING |
| The Guelph U.C. Cafeteria open for regular lunch purchase. | The Guelph U.C. Cafeteria open for regular lunch purchase. | SATURDAY & SUNDAY NOON; BUY YOUR ORGANIC LUNCH ON-SITE. | |
| Pre-Paid Organic dinner | |||
| KEYNOTEFORUM | |||
DO YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER & GET INVOLVED… or maybe start something big in the organic sector ?
- We encourage everyone to start your own organic marketing project
- Or, if not quite ready for that jump, you can volunteer at this Conference for any of 100 jobs, so that you can learn about the organic market…
- You can volunteer to help refresh the Central Info Literature Table…
- You can help set up the Trade Expo as a helper where you can “work” the Expo and meet people…
- You can monitor a workshop (check badges, watch for audiovisual challenges, collect evaluations, report back to Volunteer Co-ordinator)…
- You can be a parking monitor at 6.00 am, early on the Saturday morning, to guide guests & exhibitors to nearby parking spots
- You can stand in at a booth to help an Expo exhibitor take a break for an hour…
- You can be a greeter at the Expo entrance where you will answer questions and welcome guests to specific workshop rooms…
- For all of 2012, this being the International Year of Co-operatives, you could start your own organic food co-op enterprise…
- Volunteering at this event is a very active job. Please contact Kerry/Volunteer Co-ordinator, to inquire about the volunteer jobs listed above at VOLUNTEERING (menu). Kerry needs volunteers right now, for the 2013 event, so contact her at volunteergoc@bell.net
