2012 PRESS RELEASES
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March 19, 2012
THE VIRGINIA FOOD AND BEVERAGE EXPO RETURNS MARCH 28, 2012
~ Online registration available for trade buyers and media ~
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686
The Virginia Food and Beverage Expois back with Tradition of Taste 2012. The popular culinary show sponsored by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) will again showcase the wide variety of food and beverage products from all parts of Virginia at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in downtown Richmond on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. The Expo will take place in Exhibit Hall C. Admission is free and the show is open exclusively to the food and beverage trade.
Buyers and media may register online here. Registration is free and encouraged to save time at the show entrance. Reporters should register as attendees.
Key times to note throughout the day-long Expo include:
- 9 a.m. – Doors open for media and trade only. The event is not open to the public and no one under 18 will be admitted.
- Morning – Judging takes place for the Best New Products.
- 11 a.m. – Best New Product Winners Announced on front stage, located next to New Products Wall. This year products will be judged in three categories: Best New Food Product, Best New Beverage Product, Best New Overall Product.
- 4 p.m. – Show closes.
The Best New Product Competition is a highlight of the show. This year there are 53 entries, compared to 41 products in 2010. Forty-six new food products, five new beverage products and two new pet food products will compete in the three categories. A list of contest entries is attached.
As of early March, nearly 130 exhibitors have signed up to showcase their products, give samples and take orders. Hundreds of Virginia foods and beverages will be on display, allowing attendees an opportunity to meet one-on-one with producers; select new items for their stores, restaurants or hotels; and place orders right on the show floor. In addition to product vendors, the Expo will feature a Virginia Commodity Resources Area for those boards and associations involved in marketing and promoting Virginia wine, peanuts, marine products and more.
As a special bonus for the 2012 show, anyone attending the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo will be able to attend the Wineries Unlimited Trade Show in the adjacent exhibit hall for free on March 28. This show is for vendors who serve the wine industry and exhibitors will showcase winemaking equipment and supplies, vineyard equipment, packaging, label makers and eCommerce solutions. Expo attendees will be able to get into the Wineries Unlimited Trade Show with their Expo name badge.
Virginia food and beverage companies exhibiting at the Expo will have an opportunity to donate all leftover samples to The Healing Place of Richmond, a nonprofit organization established to provide shelter for the homeless and a long term residential recovery program for those who are chemically dependent. Services are provided at no cost to the client. Governor Bob McDonnell and the First Family have volunteered at The Healing Place in recent years and this past holiday season helped serve Christmas Eve lunch at the facility. To learn more about the organization see www.thprichmond.org.
Remember, the Food and Beverage Expo only takes place every other year. Tradition of Taste 2012 is in town one day only, on March 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 North Third Street, Exhibit Hall C, Richmond, Virginia. To register or receive additional information about the Expo, go online or contact Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Marketing at 804.786.3530.
NEW PRODUCTS DIRECTORY – 2012-2013