CAFE Annual convention is right around the corner and we are excited to welcome the 2022 annual convention in Ottawa, Ontario this fall. Save the date for November 16-18, 2022! Gather with your peers to celebrate the past year and learn new things! Early bird registration is available until September 9, 2022.
Here are just a few highlights of the convention:
Pre-Tour
Join us on Wednesday, November 16th as we board the bus to tour some of what OTTAWA does best - “History”- new and old for the day. First, you will be off to tour the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum in the morning. “The Diefenbunker is a massive four-story underground bunker, built between 1959 and 1961. During the Cold War, top officials were to take shelter here in the event of a nuclear war. It was active as Canadian Forces Station Carp until 1994.
Today, it operates as a not-for-profit, charitable museum with award-winning tours and programs.” Next, you will stop at the local fairgrounds to enjoy a catered lunch with fellow fair friends. Then off to the Dairy Distillery, Almonte, where you will see their operation upfront and of course sample some of their great spirits. “At Dairy Distillery, innovation is at the heart of what we do. So is a deep desire to champion our community and the environment. We’ve married artisanal distilling techniques with cutting-edge science to transform unused milk sugar into an incredibly smooth and clean spirit. In doing so we create new opportunities for dairy farmers while reducing waste. We craft great spirits that do good.” Final details and schedule coming soon, save the date and join us for a fun day in the Ottawa Valley.
Fair Day on the Hill
CAFE is excited to host our second “Fair Day on the Hill” for our Wednesday night reception. Join your peers and politicians for an evening to celebrate everything great about our industry, while enjoying fair food, some games and camaraderie. This is also an excellent opportunity to invite your members of Parliament and have a conversation with them about the importance of our sector and how he/she/they can better support us. Essential messaging will be available, and presentations will be made highlighting this as well!
Closing Keynote: Chris Cummins
The world needs Chris’ energy and messaging now more than ever! Chris is a professional speaker and 6-time TEDx presenter who combines personal stories of adversity and human perseverance through intelligent humour, character voices, beat-boxing, and high-level business strategy, all in the same presentation. Join us this fall at the closing keynote as he “sets the room on fire!”
Other great sessions to keep an eye on
● Creative ways to keep the family focused on programming
In this session, you will learn about both new and tried and tested methods to engage the family audience through fun and creative programming. Aggregating ideas from international thought leaders on how to create a family experience and what factors you should consider, you'll walk away from this session with a fresh perspective and new ideas on family programming.
● 60 tips in 60 minutes
This is a fast-paced workshop with quick tips in every area of fair operations which can be implemented at any size fair. Operation areas covered include Carnival, Food & Concessions, Agriculture, Competitive Exhibits (Homecraft), Sponsorship, Promotions & Marketing, and General Operations. With speakers: Marla Calico, International Association of Fairs and Expositions.
● Success story: Ladies and men’s night
Judy McFaul (Russell Agricultural Society), Annie Craig and Shannon Gillan (Carp Agricultural Society) As you look to bring new programs to your organization, find out how both Carp and Russell Agricultural Societies have been successful in starting and growing their Ladies and Men's Nights.
● Know your audience: the passion points and trends you need to know today
Ever wonder what insights to leverage when pitching to potential sponsors? How to demonstrate the benefits of an association with your property and the best ways your partners can intercept your fanbase? What the emotional and experience connection pillars of your event are? Join our presentation as we discuss these questions and other various trends among Canadians attending fairs and exhibitions through a consumer data lens. With speakers: Neal Covant, SponsorPulse.
● Panel: Special Events and Payoff
Brent Palsson (Carp Agricultural Society), Mike Vokey (Fredericton Exhibition) Moderate by: Wade Jensen, Saskatchewan Association of Agricultural Societies In this panel, listen to and participate in a discussion about bringing in special events: the pros, cons, and other things to consider when looking at derbies, lumberjack shows, fireworks, Ribfests and everything in between.
● Engaging youth volunteers
Cassie Sharp, 4-H Canada This session will explore youth engagement from a non-formal education programming perspective. This will include topics around barriers and strategies for increasing overall engagement. It will explore a unique perspective from a lens of Positive Youth Development (PYD) – recognizing youth as assets and important partners in the community.
● Success story: Ancaster's new building
“If you build it…” What we’ve learned about entering, enduring, and coming out ahead of a Capital expansion.
● The evolution of experiential marketing
A sampling at Fairs and Festivals has been a mainstay of the industry for decades. With tighter budgets and more competition in the marketplace, brands and their agencies are demanding increased results from events and looking to stand out in the crowd. In this session we will explore: What is the difference between the “food sampling” programs commonly seen in the Fair and Festival environment and how is Experiential Marketing (XM) different; How to discover, understand and deliver on an increased need for results by the properties and how to use XM to increase your programming at your event to drive gate. With speaker: Melissa Moskal, Pacific National Exhibition.
● Becoming a High Performing Organization
You’ll learn what a High-Performance Membership Organization is, and why it matters. You’ll learn the 8 elements of the HPO and how to reach the high-performance level in each area. High performance is accessible to all organizations; large and small. You’ll walk away with ideas and tips that you can implement immediately. With speaker: Erin Roberts, Zzeem.
● Passing the reins
Is your fair prepared for the planned – or worse, sudden, and unexpected loss of a key leader such as Board President or Fair Manager? What is your plan for finding and recruiting new board members and volunteers? We’ll discuss strategies and tips for preparing your fair’s succession planning. with speaker: Marla Calico.
● What can online ticketing do for you?
Regardless of the size of your organization, you can benefit from online ticket sales. In this interview-style session, learn about the value of integrating online ticketing into your programming. Online ticketing is more than just a new way to sell tickets, it helps you gather important data, generate pre-sale revenue, and can streamline and improve the customer experience. This session will; Highlight the benefits of online ticketing systems, share ways to analyze the best ticketing platform for you, including factors such as fees vs. revenue, platform integration, etc., and answer burning questions specific to small organizations. With speaker: Michelle Pattison, Pacific National Exhibition.
● Diversifying your organization’s revenue
● Minimizing your risk of an animal disease outbreak
While livestock shows, competitions and petting zoos provide a fun atmosphere for people to enjoy animals, they can also contribute to the spread of disease. Infectious animal diseases can have a serious impact on animal owners, farm operations and the broader livestock industry. Organizers, exhibitors, and attendees need to understand infection control techniques. The AHEM team specializes in the development and delivery of resources, workshops and training related to animal disease. Through a presentation by AHEM, CAFE members will learn how to mitigate transmission risks by, recognizing site needs, making advance arrangements, implementing biosecurity protocols, and having an animal disease emergency response plan in place. With speakers: Shauna Mellish, Animal Health Emergency Management.
● How to build relationships, and why you should
Your personal and professional network is one of your greatest assets. Growing and maintaining that network is not always easy or fun. Lee Patterson will share with you some actionable tips on how to become a networking ninja. Come and learn some real-world ideas to simplify and develop your contact network.
● Panel: What does the future of the Canadian fair and exhibition organization industry hold?
Join Sandra Jackle (Regina Exhibition Association Limited), Scooter Korek (North American Midway Entertainment), and Darrell Brown (Canadian National Exhibition) as they discuss what they are seeing as the trends, challenges, opportunities, and future for our sector.
● Advertising 101
Join Kryssie Thomson, Alberni Fall Fair. If you are asking "how the heck do I advertise?" This is for you. The workshop is designed for each participant to walk away with step-by-step actions to work through together with your fair or exhibition to be successful in advertising. We will be diving into traditional and non-traditional ways of advertising. You will learn; where is the best place to host your ad on traditional advertising platforms? current trends in advertising, how to use QR Codes in your advertising and why they will enhance your and fair-goers experience, and how to promote your fair / exhibition with influencers and other vendors at your fair, how to get your followers to purchase directly from your social media's traditional and non-traditional platforms and a step-by-step guide on a year-round advertising blueprint. There will be other great learning opportunities within this workshop for all sizes of fairs and exhibitions. Leave this workshop with actions already in place to set yourself up for success.
● Managing conflict - Dealing with conflict
You’ll learn tips and best practices for dealing with challenging situations with board directors and other volunteers. You’ll learn how to catch issues before they escalate and defuse tension. You’ll learn how to manage conflict effectively, and professionally. with speaker: Erin Roberts, Zzeem
● Understanding customer service
In this session, you will learn:
- Value the 3 rings of value - price, service and product quality
- Communication Barriers - what they can be and how to understand their effect
- Customers - who are they, both internal and external?
● And more!
What are the rates?
(Accommodations: Ottawa Marriott Hotel 100 Kent Street Ottawa ON | $149/night | Group rate available until October 17, 2022, |Travel: If you are travelling by air, we encourage you to use our Air Canada discount code, PACDYTK1, to save between 5-15%.)