Tennessee Agritourism Conference, Tennessee Horticultural Expo Convenes January 26-28
Monday, January 09, 2012 | 08:13am
NASHVILLE – The 2012 Tennessee Agritourism Conference is being held in conjunction with the Tennessee Horticultural Expo Jan. 26-28 at the Nashville Airport Marriott in Nashville. The expo offers educational sessions, trade show exhibits, networking opportunities and association meetings for current agritourism operators and farmers interested in agritourism; fruit and vegetable growers; grape growers and wine makers; flower growers; and farmers market managers.
A $105 registration fee includes all meals, breaks, banquet, sessions and conference materials for the agritourism conference. Online registration is available at register online at www.tnthe.com. Conference registrations can also be made by calling 865-974-0280 or by mail or fax with the printable registration form found on the expo site.
Make hotel reservations at the Nashville Airport Marriott by calling 615-889-9300. Mention the group “Tennessee Horticultural Expo” before Jan. 12 to receive the expo rate of $109 plus tax per night.
This is the 7th annual statewide agritourism conference and the second time Tennessee’s “farm fun” association has partnered with several related statewide organizations in a single exposition.
Agritourism is the term for any aspect of agriculture that involves inviting the public directly to the farm for activities or farm products. Many aspects of agritourism involve growing fruits, vegetables and other crops for visitors to purchase on the farm or at a farmers market, making the combined statewide expo a natural choice.
Hugh McPherson, owner of Maize Quest Fun Park in Pennsylvania, is the event’s featured speaker. McPherson shares his experiences in “A Goal without a Plan is a Wish,” which focuses on the roles of goal setting and planning for long term success. Carolyn Raasch of Carolyn’s Country Cousins and Liberty Corn Maze in Missouri will host educational sessions about her family’s agritourism operations and share innovative attraction ideas, employee management strategies and effective promotion efforts.
Other expo sessions provide the latest news on current issues, trends and practices for the production and marketing of fruits, vegetables and other plants.
A separate pre-conference day of agritourism operation tours is offered for Jan. 25.
Learn more and register online at www.tnthe.com.