EXTENSION & OUTREACH
Strategic Marketing Conference
Capitalizing on Group
Action & Business Alliances
to Improve Marketing Returns,
November 7-8, 2011
2011 Conference Agenda (70k pdf)
2011 Registration Form (369k pdf)
2011 Poster (2.1MB pdf)
Online Registration
Training Session on Food Safety for Farm Direct Marketing Activities (283k pdf)
Conference Information
Consumer interest in 'local' foods and other products has increased sharply in recent years, prompting substantial changes in food supply chains. Accessing markets can be particularly problematic for smaller-scale businesses that lack sufficient volumes of products to feasibly attract and retain larger-scale and more-distant buyers. Economies of scale can often result with producers and agribusinesses working together to address these production and marketing barriers. However, existing infrastructure and logistical arrangements may not be appropriate or feasible for today's emerging local and regional food systems. Challenges also arise in determining the appropriate forms of business arrangements, governance structures, and marketing strategies to maximize the probability of success. What is the best way to move forward as a group of producers and/or marketers? What types of business alliances with related firms up and down the food supply chain should be prioritized?
These types of issues and questions will be addressed at this year's Strategic Marketing Conference. We are assembling an outstanding field of agricultural producers and academic, industry, and government speakers to discuss and highlight innovative agricultural marketing models that have capitalized on the benefits of group action and business alliances. On the second day of the conference, we have assembled a team of experts to discuss the ins and outs of new agricultural cooperative development. An evening dinner at the Culinary Institute of America promises to be the tastiest networking experience you'll have all year!
With a focus on small- and medium scale agricultural producers and value-added food processors, the goal of the conference is to improve the understanding and application of innovative agricultural marketing practices to improve firm competitiveness. We strive to put forward a conference that attendees can walk away from and apply new skills and ideas to their own agribusinesses. Conference attendees also include ag-based economic development specialists, extension educators, agri-service providers, and food distributors, wholesalers, and retailers.
New this Year! To encourage additional attendance by agricultural producers, partial scholarships will be offered from program support available from the Ruth and William Morgan Assistant Professorship in Applied Economics and Management fund. In addition, a training session for educators immediately follows the conference this year. Representatives from CCE - Jefferson County and the Farmers Market Federation will present a training session on a new training curriculum developed for farmers and producers on food safety issues in direct marketing venues. The training session is scheduled for 1p.m. on November 8th immediately following the marketing conference and will last approximately 1 hour. More information on both of these items is included below.
The 2011 Cornell Agribusiness Strategic Marketing Conference will be held on November 7th and 8th at the Henry A Wallace Visitor Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home in Hyde Park, NY. The event is organized by the Agricultural Marketing and Management Program Work Team (PWT), with support provided by CoBank, the Cornell Program on Agribusiness and Economic Development, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and CCE - Dutchess County. All members of the agricultural and food system community are encouraged to attend.
Conference Location and Travel Information
Henry A. Wallace Visitor Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home
4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538
Phone: 1-800-337-8474
Check the following web site for information on nearby airports and driving directions. The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. each day, with registration and a continental breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m.
Registration Information
The pre-registration fee for the conference is $80 if postmarked or purchased online by October 31st; $95 if postmarked or purchased online after October 31st or if registering on-site. The fee for media personnel with valid ID will be waived. Registration fees include continental breakfast on both days, all networking break refreshments, and lunch on day one. An optional boxed lunch to go is available for an additional $10 and can be picked up at the conclusion of the conference on day two.
Farmer Scholarships!! To encourage additional attendance by agricultural producers, the conference registration fee ($80) for the first 30 farmers to register will be paid with program support available from the Ruth and William Morgan Assistant Professorship in Applied Economics and Management fund. Additional costs for travel & lodging and the optional meals (box lunch to go, CIA dinner) are not included. Depending on demand and the availability of funding, additional scholarships may be available. Follow the instructions on the registration form to take advantage of this generous offer. NOTE: Only one farmer per farm can use the scholarship and mail in your registration form, do not complete the online registration at acteva.
Registration forms can be downloaded by clicking HERE. You may print out and complete the registration form and mail it to Carol Thomson, 116a Warren Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7801 (checks should be made out to Cornell University) or go to register online and pay with a credit or debit card go to www.acteva.com/go/cornell-pwt. For additional questions on registering, please contact Carol at 607-255-5464 or cmt8@cornell.edu.
Dinner Event at the Culinary Institute of America
There will be an optional four-course dinner on Monday evening, November 7th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Caterina de Medici restaurant at the incredible Culinary Institute of America (www.ciachef.edu). The Institute is located at 1946 Campus Drive, Hyde Park, NY (851-451-1544). The cost will be $50 per person and the menu will consist of:
• Appetizer: Warm Salad of Shrimp with Classic Sicilian Eggplant Relish
• Second Course: Pasta Roll filled with Spinach, Ricotta and Ham
• Main Course: Slow Roasted Sea Bass with Capers, Olives and Tomato and Parsley Potato
• Dessert: Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard
Be sure to note on the registration form any allergies or other dietary restrictions you may have and we will do our best to accommodate. The Institute can make substitutions, but they request advance notification. Attendees are responsible for their own drinks and refreshments with the meal.
Training Session on Food Safety for Farm Direct Marketing Activities
The purpose of the Food Safety Recommendations for Farm Direct Marketing Activities curriculum is to provide educators with the tools to examine the potential food safety hazards of direct marketing techniques, apply food safety regulations and farm-friendly resolutions, and effectively utilize the policies and procedures guidelines to help farm direct marketers ensure they are providing a food safe environment for their farm customers. The Food Safety Recommendations for Farm Direct Marketing Activities expand on the food safety lessons that have been taught through Cornell University's Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for production and post harvest handling.
Click HERE for more information on the curriculum to be presented. The training session is scheduled for 1p.m. on November 8th immediately following the marketing conference. The training session is expected to last approximately 1 hour.
Lodging Accommodations
Conference attendees are responsible for their own hotel reservations. A block of rooms has been reserved at the following hotels for conference participants. State and local taxes can be waived upon receipt of a valid NYS Tax Exemption certificate. When making your reservations, refer to "Cornell Marketing Conference" to get the negotiated rates.
Quality Inn - Hyde Park
4142 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park, NY 12538
Phone: 845-229-0088
Rate: $79.99/night plus tax, single or double occupancy. A block of 35 rooms have been reserved and will be held until the cutoff date of October 21, 2011. After this date, additional rooms will be reserved on a space and rate availability basis.
Other lodging choices that are near or in Poughkeepsie (20 min. drive to conference site)
The Cottonwood Motel
Route 44, Millbrook, NY 12545
Phone: 845-677-3283
Rate: $110/night
Clarion Hotel & Conference Center
2170 South Road, Rte 9, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Phone: 845-462-4600
Rate: $99.99/night
Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
Todd Schmit, Ruth and William Morgan Assistant Professor in Applied Economics and Management
Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University
Phone: 607-255-3015
Email: tms1@cornell.edu
Or
Carol Thomson, Conference Administrator
Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University
Phone: 607-255-5464
Email: cmt8@cornell.edu