Potato conference returns to Moses Lake
Free fresh shipper training kicks off spud event
MOSES LAKE — Potatoes take the center stage next week in Moses Lake, as the 2007 Washington State Potato Conference and Trade Show returns to town.
Prior to the event, which officially kicks off Tuesday, the U.S. Potato Board, with partner The Perishables Group, holds a free full-day training seminar for fresh potato shippers Monday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Best Western Lake Inn in Moses Lake, at 3000 Marina Drive.
At the seminar, shippers are instructed in the benefits, structure and practice of a new Best in Class training module. Each shipper receives step-by-step training materials to guide them through the process following the workshop.
Washington State Potato Commission Director of Trade Matt Harris explained the board has gone into the retail section, sitting down with stores and planning how to best manage a category, ensuring consumers can see in one location all potato varieties in eye-pleasing fashion.
"They've run through their statistics on this so far, and it has increased the volume of product to flow out of those stores which have adopted this Best in Class program," Harris said. "They're coming to Moses Lake … and offering a free training module to our fresh shippers just how to communicate, how to adopt this process, communicate it back to the retailer, work with those retailers in developing (plans)."
The commission hosts the event, and plans to work with shippers who find the program valuable in developing a specific package to each retailer, Harris added.
"So they can go into their retailer and have something customized specifically for their needs," he said.
The seminar is the first industry education event of the conference and trade show, which kicks off Monday with the Early Bird Reception, also at the inn, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday events include a Spanish session from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the ATEC Building on the Big Bend Community College campus, the trade show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Ardell Pavilion at Grant County Fairgrounds and grower education sessions from 10 a.m. to noon in the ATEC Hardin room, with a trade show reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., also in the Ardell Pavilion.
Production sessions kick off in the ATEC Building Wednesday at 8:20 a.m. until 11 a.m. The trade show runs again from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Ardell Pavilion. Keynote speaker Ed Barlow delivers his presentation, "Would You Know Opportunity If You Tripped Over It?", at 11 a.m. in the ATEC Building. A potato bar is held in the Ardell Pavilion from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Washington State Potato Foundation holds its annual banquet from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, honoring Pete Taggares.
Production sessions kick off again at 8:20 a.m. Thursday until 11 a.m. in the ATEC Building. The spouses program begins at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the Moses Lake Convention Center. Keynote speaker Ray Cesca's presentation, "Is the World Becoming Flat?" takes place from 11 a.m. to noon in the ATEC building, followed by an hour-long lunch break. Production sessions resume at 1 p.m., and run until 4:30 p.m.
A continental breakfast is held all Tuesday through Thursday mornings at 8 a.m. in the ATEC East Gallery.
Reached Friday morning before the conference, Secretary-Treasurer Karen Bonaudi said she and other coordinators have reached the point where the event was rolling along under its own momentum and they're feeling positive, albeit with a few hiccups.
Grant Transit Authority buses are not offering a shuttle due to a change in federal regulations, she said. Other changes have been made intentionally, such as shifting schedules to make it possible for growers to earn pesticide credits in one day and inclusion of a historical exhibit at the trade show.
A Spokane agriculture expo took away three exhibitors, Bonaudi noted, but it is not much competition, as it is a general ag show.
"Potato growers are there for potatoes," she said.
But Bonaudi hopes to see attendance numbers up from last year's conference.
"Our numbers were off a little bit last year. That's one of the indicators of success, so we would really like to see our numbers back," she added.