2012 ORGANIC EXPO HOURS in the Guelph University Centre

2012 EXPO SOLD OUT but please check back here this spring for 2013 info

The Expo is held on 2 distinct levels of the building:

**Main Level –  ground floor level accessed by 5 separate doors, including the U.C. south doors where the bus drop-off and taxi stations bring guests right up to the building

**Basement Level which includes Peter Clark Hall Foyer (basement lobby) + Peter Clark Hall (large auditorium)

Saturday hours: Jan. 28, 2012 – 9.00 am – 5.30 pm [note: public often arrives at 7.30 am]

Sunday hours: Jan. 29, 2012 – 10.00 am – 4.00 pm [traffic may start 8.45 am and go past 4.00 pm]

“POTENTIAL EXHIBITORS: How to register for a table in the 2012 Guelph Organic Expo”

We welcome all exhibitors, however there is a minimum pre-screening process for qualification:

1. Please read the Terms & Conditions for exhibitors
2. If you feel your company, group, product, service, association, methodology, credo, belief system, etc., qualifies for this Expo and that you can commit to a 2-day Expo in January, please immediately phone the Expo Manager at (705) 444-0923 to inquire.
3. At this stage, you and the Expo Manager can decide if you meet the minimum entry standard for the Expo based on the TERMS & CONDITIONS (i.e. certified organic products, or a service consistent with the event mandate).
4. The Expo Manager will then immediately send a detailed Exhibitor Registration package by mail while also tentatively confirming a table # for you (the table is held awaiting payment)
5. Upon receipt of the Exhibitor data, you will fill this in and FAX or mail back the appropriate **registration form, **equipment & electricity declaration, **sampling form declaration (for food samplers)
6. For those paying by cheque, there are various payable deadlines and amounts depending on **for-profit status, **non-profit status, **Main Level table, **Basement Level table – all these variables are explained in the Exhibitor data. The first payment deadline (Main Level) – i.e. the advance registration date, ends as of Sept. 15/11 (EXPIRED). and all Main Level table payments are due Nov. 30/11. (EXPIRED)
7. Basement Level payments are all due Dec. 15, 2011. (EXPIRED)
8. For those paying by PayPal, these same payable deadlines and amounts are reflected at the “On-Line PayPal Registration” but this option cannot be used unless you have previously confirmed your PayPal intentions with the Expo Manager who will give you the password for accessing the PayPal form.

If you are still not clear on this process, you are welcome to phone the Expo Manager at (705) 444-0923 to discuss it, or to send an E-Mail with your detailed inquiry to: organix@georgian.net

Final word: people ask why we don’t post the complete and total exhibitor forms at one spot on this Web Site.  Reason: we fear a flood of non-qualifying applications coming in which in most cases, we would have to return to the applicant due to non-qualification, as this is a restricted show. In our view, it’s simpler just to go through the process described above, so that everyone is clear.  If you feel that you qualify, then you and the Expo Mgr. can agree to this fact.

 

 

Any question over compliance to the Expo terms will be referred to our ‘Certification Oversight Sub-Committee.’

Thank you for supporting the Organic Conference & Expo and we look forward to seeing you in January !

• • •

FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS – FOR EXHIBITORS – ENHANCE YOUR EXPO MESSAGE

1. ALL EXHIBITORS: Purchase extra exhibitor badges for your staff at a $28.25 deep-discount per badge (includes HST). Each Main Level table already gets 2 badges included in registration price; each Basement Level already gets 1 badge included in registration price. The badges contain your company/group name – to improve the image of your table. Each badge is transferable and allows the wearer from your company to attend any of the 28 Saturday-Sunday workshops. The extra badge purchase option is listed on the printed Exhibitor Registration Form which you receive(d) and is also listed on the PayPal form (which you access by asking the Mgr. for the private log-in code).

2. CENTRAL LITERATURE TABLE – Jan 16, 2012 is the final payment & confirmation deadline – 1 sq. ft of display space on the official Conference Info Table placed prominently within the Expo near the UC103 Registration Room. The table is staffed & supervised so all the info you provide (magazines, flyers, cards, buttons, etc.) will be tidy, maintained & re-stocked – $28.25 (includes HST)

• • •

Organic Exhibitor Terms & Conditions For 2012

JANUARY, 2012 – The 2012 Terms & Conditions have been and are continually under review by the Board Committee which oversees Expo standards. There are minor changes over last year’s version – the new document is published here.

As always, your comments are welcome and will receive a prompt answer.

[EXPO Manager's special note: for the 2012 show, these terms were re-written to try to include a greater number of organic categories and situations. If you are thinking of exhibiting in this Expo, please read these carefully and then call me at (705) 444-0923 if you have any doubts on whether you qualify]

Special note: to all Organic Expo participants – approval of your space is subject to the decision of the board of directors of Organic Food Conferences Canada (the non-profit event organizer). We will consider each & every application on its own merits.

June, 2011 – BACKGROUND – over the years, the Conference managers were asked to justify “who is allowed to exhibit in this Trade Show” – thus, these Terms & Conditions were developed to answer that question. We want to present a consistent image to the public, to federal organic food regulators, to organic food producers and processors, as well as to the media. The COR – the Canada Organic Régime came into force as of July 2009 and the 2-year ‘Stream of Commerce’ phase-in ends July 1/11, so we are bound to represent “organics” fairly, clearly, legally. The rules and guidelines below help all of us to communicate a consistent message.

COMPLIANCE to the Canada Organic Products REGULATION is requested from all participants. Can you, in fact, comply with the following ???

 

All Expo exhibitors who sell ‘organic food products’ in this Expo are expected to use certified organic production (and processing) for their product lines. This is our goal: to have 100% of the food products in the Expo as “CERTIFIED ORGANIC” ! However, as explained below, several other organic farming, processing and contingency categories exist.

•Effective deadline – today: these terms apply to all exhibitor applications received for the 2012 Organic Expo. All Expo participants must comply to the best of their ability.

•Products: all products claiming to be ‘organic’ must be certified BY A CFIA ACCREDITED CERTIFIER or recognized under an organic trade arrangement with a foreign competent authority under the Organic Products Regulations, 2009. Processed product must be certified and the certifier’s name or applicable seal must be visible.” Please submit your current, valid certificate with the booth application.

•Exemptions: if your product is not certified or if not certifiable in its current form, we reserve the right to exclude you from the Expo. However, approvals may be made on a case-by-case basis. If you do, in fact, exhibit in the Expo with conditional approval for these (transitional) products, you must display clear, explanatory signage at your booth. For instance: “this product is not currently certified organic, though we have applied for certification (i.e. certification pending). XX % of the raw ingredients used in the product are certified.” Anticipated certification date: ___

•Agricultural/farm inputs: ‘input products & substances’ used in certified organic farm production must be in accordance with the “Permitted Substances List” (PSL) as referenced by the Canada Organic Product Regulation. Your product or substance must be approved according to the PSL and/or approved by an accredited organic certifier with your applicable certificate or the certifier attestation/approval letter visible. To grow Canadian organic crops, your product must be approved to the PSL. If your product is directly approved by an accredited certification body for use in Canada, a copy of your certificate will verify that fact. No testimonial from a non-accredited consulting body is accepted. ‘Un-approved input use’ can affect the certification of all growers in this Expo, where they buy non-compliant products, whose use can result in loss of organic status for •fields, •entire farm or for •products.

•Ag inputs which are non-registered, non-certified or non-compliant to Canada’s PSL: these are excluded from the Expo. They pose a liability risk to you and to our Conference Committee by risking loss of organic status of fields or for products.

•Fair trade: must also be certified organic or show a clear time line for certification.

•Seeds: seed producers, handlers or vendors must either be currently selling certified organic seeds; or, must be certified as a trading enterprise (seed cleaner, etc.). Alternatively, your enterprise must give a valid and tangible reason why the seed is not yet available as ‘organic.’ Alternatively, you must provide a statement outlining why the seed is still transitional with a firm date for certification. If you sell only non-certified organic or untreated seed, we reserve the right to refuse you space in the Expo unless you have a tangible and verifiable reason for maintaining this status.

Small seed grower-packer-vendors: low cost organic certification is available through one or more certifiers. All seed vendors currently in the Expo are certified.

•Hemp: certified organic hemp products are widely available, thus your hemp must be certified to be in the Expo.

•Wildcrafting: within the ‘certified’ category, we must know what wildcrafting practices you follow and which certifier supervises your operation. If your handling, blending, mixing, etc. are not certified, please send a statement on how and when you plan to get certified. Wildcrafting exhibitor approval is on a case-by-case basis.

•Other categories making organic claims: the Committee welcomes other important categories which may currently function outside the regulation, such as pet food, textiles, cotton, cosmetics, soaps, retailers, restaurants, etc. Though not yet included in the scope of the current Canadian organic regulation, they may be covered by a private organic certification such as a Global Organic Textile Standard, or others. We will consider your product if you are following an industry best practice, or if you have a 3rd party certification, or can provide other data. Approval to exhibit will proceed on a case-by-case basis, overseen by our board-authorised group called the “Certification Oversight Sub-Committee.”

•Trade associations, services, groups, movements, methodologies. belief systems – without organic in their title: every year, we are asked to accept groups whose organic link is marginal. If you feel you belong in the 2012 Organic Expo, please send a policy statement right away confirming your relationship to organic foods, organic farming, organic processing, etc.,. For instance: “as an educational body, we support the promotion of organic foods as a way to enhance human nutrition…” or “our work supports sustainable food production.”

Organically yours… your written concerns will be transmitted immediately to our board and to the Certification Oversight Sub-Committee for review. We have sincerely tried to cover every eventuality for the upcoming Expo but your issue may be a ‘special organic case’… so please tell us.

Tomás Nimmo

Guelph Conference Manager (705) 444-0923 – organix@georgian.net

Click here to download the 2012 TERMS & CONDITIONS