Kim
07-21-2012, 08:39 AM
Posting at the request of the event organizers: (LINK TO REGISTRATION FORM IS BELOW)
Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York Maple Producers to Launch New Maple Expo in November 2012
If you were to ask maple syrup producers what they like to do in the off season, one of the answers would have to be going to maple meetings and tradeshows. The world of maple syrup production is evolving quickly with new products and innovations coming out every year. The biggest problem facing meeting planning committees is the narrow window of time in which most are. Traditionally, January is the time for most maple meetings. With every maple producing state from Wisconsin to Connecticut competing for a time slot, there is almost no time for any new meetings to be developed. An even more daunting task is finding speakers that are available to present at these events. The producers from Northwestern Pennsylvania, Ohio and Southwestern New York may have come up with a solution to this meeting/tradeshow dilemma with the launch of the Lake Erie Maple Expo (LEME).
The LEME will be held in Albion Pennsylvania on Friday and Saturday November 9 & 10 2012 at the Northwestern High School. Albion is about 15 miles South of Erie on St Rt 18 and 6N. The format of the LEME is traditional, using a format similar to the New York State Maple Conference in Verona, New York. What’s new is the time of year that the LEME is being held. Expo Chairman and NW Pa Maple Syrup Assn member Daryl Sheets says “Why not? The Northwest Pa Assn has been considering moving their annual meeting to a fall time slot for several years. The attendance at their meeting has been going up annually but it was getting harder and harder to get speakers and to avoid conflicts with meetings in neighboring states”. “Late Fall is a great time to hold a meeting”, Daryl explained. It is after the fall tourist season and before the winter snow season. It comes at a time when producers are still working on modifications to their operations. For dealers and manufacturers it comes at a time of the year when it is still possible to sell equipment and get it out the door before the new season arrives.
So what can producers expect when they arrive at the LEME? The LEME will kick off Friday evening with a 4 hour tradeshow from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Rounding out the program on Friday evening will be a Maple Rap Session where producers will have a chance to ask questions and get answers from a panel of experts. On Saturday the program will run from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm with a break for lunch which is included in the registration fee. There will be breakout sessions that will cover a variety of topics. Presenting the topics will be speakers from the Maple Industry, Univ. of Vermont, Penn State University, and Cornell University. and The Ohio State University. There will also be producers from Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio presenting and working behind the scenes to make the expo a success.
The facility at Northwestern has over 5000 sq ft available for the tradeshow with additional rooms if needed. There is a 600 seat auditorium and multiple classrooms available for speakers. Most are equipped with modern audio visual equipment. The LEME Comm. has enlisted the help of the Albion FFA Chapter to help put on the Expo.
All of the registration information will be listed on the NW Pa Maple Syrup Assn and the Ohio Maple Producer Assn websites. There will be a complete list of speakers topics and times released by September 1st. Registration deadline is set for October 15, 2012 and preregistration is required. If you want to make a weekend out of your visit, the Erie Pa area is one of Pennsylvania premier vacation areas with something for all members of the family. In addition fall is a wonderful time to visit NE Ohio and Western NY home of some of the best wineries and most interesting natural and historical sites in the nation. Mark your calendar for the 2nd weekend in November and plan a trip to NW Pa. to talk Maple.
LINK TO REGISTRATION FORM: http://www.pamaple.org/LEME.html
Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York Maple Producers to Launch New Maple Expo in November 2012
If you were to ask maple syrup producers what they like to do in the off season, one of the answers would have to be going to maple meetings and tradeshows. The world of maple syrup production is evolving quickly with new products and innovations coming out every year. The biggest problem facing meeting planning committees is the narrow window of time in which most are. Traditionally, January is the time for most maple meetings. With every maple producing state from Wisconsin to Connecticut competing for a time slot, there is almost no time for any new meetings to be developed. An even more daunting task is finding speakers that are available to present at these events. The producers from Northwestern Pennsylvania, Ohio and Southwestern New York may have come up with a solution to this meeting/tradeshow dilemma with the launch of the Lake Erie Maple Expo (LEME).
The LEME will be held in Albion Pennsylvania on Friday and Saturday November 9 & 10 2012 at the Northwestern High School. Albion is about 15 miles South of Erie on St Rt 18 and 6N. The format of the LEME is traditional, using a format similar to the New York State Maple Conference in Verona, New York. What’s new is the time of year that the LEME is being held. Expo Chairman and NW Pa Maple Syrup Assn member Daryl Sheets says “Why not? The Northwest Pa Assn has been considering moving their annual meeting to a fall time slot for several years. The attendance at their meeting has been going up annually but it was getting harder and harder to get speakers and to avoid conflicts with meetings in neighboring states”. “Late Fall is a great time to hold a meeting”, Daryl explained. It is after the fall tourist season and before the winter snow season. It comes at a time when producers are still working on modifications to their operations. For dealers and manufacturers it comes at a time of the year when it is still possible to sell equipment and get it out the door before the new season arrives.
So what can producers expect when they arrive at the LEME? The LEME will kick off Friday evening with a 4 hour tradeshow from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Rounding out the program on Friday evening will be a Maple Rap Session where producers will have a chance to ask questions and get answers from a panel of experts. On Saturday the program will run from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm with a break for lunch which is included in the registration fee. There will be breakout sessions that will cover a variety of topics. Presenting the topics will be speakers from the Maple Industry, Univ. of Vermont, Penn State University, and Cornell University. and The Ohio State University. There will also be producers from Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio presenting and working behind the scenes to make the expo a success.
The facility at Northwestern has over 5000 sq ft available for the tradeshow with additional rooms if needed. There is a 600 seat auditorium and multiple classrooms available for speakers. Most are equipped with modern audio visual equipment. The LEME Comm. has enlisted the help of the Albion FFA Chapter to help put on the Expo.
All of the registration information will be listed on the NW Pa Maple Syrup Assn and the Ohio Maple Producer Assn websites. There will be a complete list of speakers topics and times released by September 1st. Registration deadline is set for October 15, 2012 and preregistration is required. If you want to make a weekend out of your visit, the Erie Pa area is one of Pennsylvania premier vacation areas with something for all members of the family. In addition fall is a wonderful time to visit NE Ohio and Western NY home of some of the best wineries and most interesting natural and historical sites in the nation. Mark your calendar for the 2nd weekend in November and plan a trip to NW Pa. to talk Maple.
LINK TO REGISTRATION FORM: http://www.pamaple.org/LEME.html