Missourians have the opportunity to learn more about agritourism at the sixth annual Missouri Agritourism Conference.
The conference will be held July 29 to 31 at the Drury Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Cape Girardeau. Sponsors of the conference are Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Missouri Grown program and Missouri Wine and Grape Board.
Attendees will participate in roundtable discussions on the evening of July 29, guided bus tour on July 30 and presentation sessions on July 31.
The bus tour will visit agritourism venues such as Beggs Family Farm, Blodgett Paintball Planet and Fun Factory, Beggs Berry World, Meier Horse Shoe Pines, Knowlan Family Farm, Lazy L Safari, Hemman Winery, Eggers and Company General Store B&B, and Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum, Altenburg. The group will also enjoy a German Farm to Table Dinner at Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum.
This year’s keynote speaker is business destination expert Jon Schallert. Schallert will present two sessions:
Mom and Pop on Top: How to be Small but Play Large—will show agritourism operators how any farm or agricultural business can now use the same techniques that are being used by the top Fortune 100 companies who are knowingly marketing themselves as small, independently-owned businesses. There’s a reason they’re doing this: Consumers are choosing to spend more at independently-owned small businesses where tax dollars stay in the local economy.
Transform Your Business Into A Consumer Destination—attendees will learn how to apply Schallert’s 14-step trademarked Destination strategy to their businesses, immediately helping them attract more consumers from both the local area and from outside the marketplace.
Other presenters will cover topics such as: What You Need to Know about Animals and Agritourism Venues; How Do I start a Food Hub in My Community; and Health Insurance Challenges for Small Businesses.
Conference registration is available at mofb.org. Early bird registration is $125 and is available until July 15. After July 15, registration will be $150. Hotel rooms will be available at a discounted rate of $109.99 per night (includes breakfast, evening kickback and pool) until July 15. To make reservations, please contact the Drury Plaza Hotel at 573-334-7151 and reference group number 2339151 to get the discounted conference rate. Reservations after July 15 are not guaranteed to receive the conference rate and are subject to availability. For more information about the conference, contact Kelly Smith, Missouri Farm Bureau director of Marketing and Commodities, at 573-893-1416 or at [email protected].