Northwest Washington’s premier Food and Farming Business Conference

When: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 | 9:00am-6:00pm | Conference from 9am-4pm; optional after-hours event 4pm-6pm

Where: Holiday Inn and Suites, 4260 Mitchell Way, Bellingham, WA 98226

Why: Find Local Products. Connect to Buyers. Get Inspired!

Agenda: View here

Lunch Menu: View here

Our hotel partner Holiday Inn and Suites is offering a discount to Trade Meeting guests! Use this link for a discounted rate on your stay – Good Neighbor Discount

The Eat Local First Trade Meeting is NW Washington’s premier FOOD & FARM BUSINESS CONFERENCE. We bring together 180+ farmers, fishers, chefs, grocery buyers, food artisans, processors, and distributors for one day filled with valuable networking and connection opportunities, a vibrant expo, inspiring business panels, one-on-one producer/buyer consultations, and the ever-delicious locally sourced lunch.

Tickets

• $65 Member Rate / $80 General Rate—available until 11:59 pm on February 5th
• $95 Day-of Rate
• $20 Add-on for after-hours event—local drinks, snacks, and music included
• $150—Trade Show Booth – includes table, black linen, and 1 ticket to conference | Additional exhibitor ticket available for $50

Be a Featured Buyer!

The popular 1-on-1 Meet the Buyers Consultations are back, and we’d love to have you as a featured buyer! For chefs, restaurateurs, grocery buyers, and distributors who register, we’ll automatically sign you up. From 2:30-4:00pm, we host the 1-on-1 consultation rounds, meeting dozens of farmers and food artisans. You’ll be promoted on our website and e-newsletters in advance, and have a chance to do a short introduction on the mic before the session starts. Contact Jessicag@sustainableconnections.org with any questions!

Sponsor the Eat Local First Trade Meeting

Align your business with farm-to-table values, and get out in front of the crowd with great exposure, while keeping the event affordable to our community. Learn more about Eat Local First Trade Meeting sponsorship opportunities by contacting JessicaG@sustainableconnections.org.

Be an Exhibitor at the Trade Show!

Showcase your business, organization, or products with a Trade Show booth in the Expo room of the Eat Local First Trade Meeting – limited spots available.

This amazing opportunity has many benefits:

• Attendees report making an average of 4-6 new, promising business connections.
• Wholesale and retail sales, value-added products and food and farming services are all areas of focus.
• We’ll have buyers on hand from institutions, restaurants, grocers and distributors.
• Vendors will be available to conference attendees throughout the day and have the additional opportunity to showcase their products through demonstrations, tastings and displays.
• You get one full admission ticket as part of your vendor registration.

Click here to save your spot! Contact Jessicam@sustainableconnections.org for more details!

Scholarships

We have a limited number of scholarships available for those who would like to attend the Trade Meeting but for whom the ticket price is a barrier. Sustainable Connections believes that communities thrive with the inclusion of all people and want to bring visibility to those who enrich our community. We will prioritize applicants based on these traits:

•  People of color
• Indigenous and/or First Nations persons
• People with disabilities
• People who identify as LGBTQ+
• Women
• Veterans
• People who are 55 years old or older
• People who are currently unemployed/underemployed
• People experiencing temporary financial hardship
• Full-time students

To apply, please complete this form. The application deadline is January 15th at 11:59 pm and you will receive a reply by 5:00 pm on January 16th. If you need assistance completing this form, please call Jess Meyer at 360-647-7093 x111 or come by our office at 1701 Ellis St. Ste 221.

Thank You To Our Event Sponsors

Thank You To Our Program Sponsors

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