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MORGANTOWN SITE OF AGRITOURISM CONFERENCE
It’s not too late to register for the “AgVentures” Fall Agritourism Conference, scheduled for September 27-28, at Lakeview Resort near Morgantown.
Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass said the Conference has a lot to offer aspiring entrepreneurs. “This is an excellent opportunity for anyone who is involved in agritourism in the Mountain State. I think the speakers on the program will be excellent and there will be something for everyone at this conference, whether they’re just exploring the idea of starting a business, or looking to take an existing enterprise to the next level,” he said.
Featured presenters are associations/tourism expert Ross Ament, MA, CAE, and communications specialist Stu Nunnery, currently Director of the Rhode Island Center for Agricultural Promotion and Education (RICAPE).
Cindy Martel, conference organizer and Marketing Specialist for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), said she was excited about the conference. “Each of our featured presenters have agreed to do two sessions. They both have stellar resumes, they’re highly regarded presenters, and they should have very interesting and informative presentations,” said Martel.
Ament has worked as the CEO of a large regional convention and visitors bureau and as a meetings specialist for the Canadian Consulate General Office in Chicago. He is a founding board member and newly elected vice president of the Agriculture Tourism Partners of Illinois.
A writer, speaker, trainer and consultant, Nunnery’s diverse career has included corporate marketing and communications, broadcast production, singing, composing and founding the Campaign for Food Literacy.
Other conference highlights include comments from Commissioner Douglass and Tourism Commissioner Betty Carver, and a field trip to the West Virginia Buckwheat Festival, Montcroft Farm and West Virginia University Farm. Other sessions will explore culinary tourism, agritourism risk management considerations, ADA compliance and media relations.
Download the Conference agenda and registration at www.wvagriculture.org. For more information, contact Cindy Martel at 304-541-9756, or e-mail cmartel@ag.state.wv.us.
Conference fee is $50 and includes lunch at the Buckwheat Festival, and continental breakfast and lunch Friday. Make checks payable to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and mail with registration form to 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, WV 25305, Attn.: Agritourism Conference. The registration form may be faxed to 304-558-2270 and payment made at conference sign-in.
Hotel reservations must be made individually. Call Lakeview Resort at 1-800-624-8300 and mention the agritourism conference for a room rate of $76 a night. Registration deadline is September 21, but conference walk-ins will be accepted on a space-available basis.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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