AMI and Georgian College plan food entrepreneurship conference March 3 and 4

Feb. 10, 2016

Food entrepreneurs from across Ontario interested in moving their businesses forward won’t want to miss a unique two-day conference in Barrie March 3 and 4.

“Food Entrepreneurs: Building Ontario innovation one product at a time” will offer food business owners practical information on overseeing and executing strategy, product idea viability, collaborating for growth, food safety culture, innovation, and more.

The two-day event is offered by the Agri-Food Management Institute (AMI) in partnership with Georgian College and local municipalities and economic development partners, as well as the County of Simcoe and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The conference is being held at the Barrie Campus of Georgian College on March 4, preceded by pre-conference seminars at the Kempenfelt Conference Centre in nearby Innisfil on March 3.

The pre-conference seminars will introduce new entrants or newly established businesses to food safety regulations and food nutrition labelling considerations.

The conference includes a “Made in Ontario Showcase” where successful entrepreneurs will share the stories of how they developed their businesses, display their products and provide products for sample and sale.

Input supply companies and a “business development alley” with supporting organizations such as Community Futures, AMI and Georgian who work to help businesses increase their competitiveness

Concurrent breakout sessions will be tailored to two streams of learning: established and newly established businesses.

Plenary sessions will speak to innovation and the future of food, while pitch sessions will help entrepreneurs looking for tips on pitching a new product or business to possible investors, buyers, distributors and/or partners.

The “Connection Café” will allow participants to get the most out of their conference experience by joining in on a facilitated networking session to network and look for input from their peers on burning issues impacting their operations or business planning.

Georgian College and its Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre are leaders in sector to provide events and training for food and beverage entrepreneurs. Georgian and HBEC work with local municipalities and economic development partners, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and local leaders in the food sector.

The Agri-food Management Institute (AMI) promotes new ways of thinking about agribusiness management and aims to increase awareness, understanding and adoption of beneficial business management practices by Ontario agri-food and agri-based producers and processors.

Learn more, email foodinfo@georgiancollege.ca or call 705.728.1968, ext. 1774.

Ready to sign up? Register now.