How We Grow

2019 Sept/Oct How We Grow

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THE ALMOND CONFERENCE 11 The Almond Conference 2019 Promises to be a "Best of Show" Event We're in the thick of harvest and already the thought of a quiet, December day is beyond appealing. Right now you're sitting in the shaker for hours on end, or driving between sites and managing multiple crews, or keeping things running smoothly at the huller/sheller, which has been running nonstop. You're ready for a break, my friend. You're ready for The Almond Conference (TAC) 2019! TAC is the largest international gathering focused solely on almonds, last year drawing nearly 4,000 people from 30 countries and 35 states. The annual event provides growers and processors the opportunity to interact with researchers and influential industry members to discuss a variety of research projects, production news, global marketing efforts, regulatory issues and more. The conference also features workshops and poster sessions dedicated to research topics and a bustling exhibit hall where industry members can see the latest in equipment and technology firsthand. This year's Almond Conference will take place at Cal Expo, home of the California State Fair, December 10–12. "This year's conference will take on the look and feel of the State Fair," said Daren Williams, senior director of Global Communications at the Almond Board of California (ABC). "So bring the whole family and comfortable shoes and clothes. Orchard attire is encouraged!" Move to Cal Expo for 2019 Following TAC 2018, the City of Sacramento began a large-scale remodel and expansion of the Sacramento Convention Center, the host site for TAC for the past seven years. The remodel will significantly update the facility and provide much needed improvements, offering the Almond Board a truly state-of-the-art venue for future conferences. However, to undertake and complete this effort, the City of Sacramento closed the Convention Center for a year, requiring TAC to move venues for 2019. After reviewing more than a dozen site options, the Almond Board conference management team choose Sacramento's Cal Expo for TAC 2019. "There's no doubt about it: Cal Expo is a very different venue than the Sacramento Convention Center, and that excites us! The conference planning team has fully embraced what Cal Expo has to offer, which is why we selected the 'Best of Show' theme that ties into the home of the California State Fair," said Jenny Nicolau, senior manager of Industry Relations and Communications at the Almond Board. "Cal Expo provides ample space for our growing exhibits, convenient parking and endless opportunity to have fun and try some new things." A year of lodging, foodie firsts With a new location for 2019 comes great opportunity for the Almond Board to provide industry members with experiences unique to the location and layout of Cal Expo. While room blocks for hotels in downtown Sacramento will still be available for industry members, ABC is also providing attendees with hotel options near Cal Expo, as well as a limited number of spaces to stay onsite in Cal Expo's RV Park. The RV Park is located only a few steps from the conference show floor, and staying near or on-site at Cal Expo places attendees right across the street from Sacramento's Arden Fair Mall and restaurants. Still, for those attendees who would prefer to stay in hotels downtown, shuttle buses will run between Cal Expo and those hotels throughout the day. Hotel room blocks and RV spaces open on September 10 at 9 a.m. PST. But wait, there's more: ABC Almond Leadership Program participants Dominique Camou and Lucas Schmidt's "On the Fritz" Almond Brown Ale will be sampled in the new almond lounge for industry members to enjoy! Each year, Leadership participants work on a special project that they then present to their classmates, mentors and the ABC Board of Directors. The purpose of the project is to challenge participants to take a deep dive into a topic that interests them, to try a new technology or innovative practice on their operation, or, as is the case with Camou and Schmidt, to explore a new or novel idea that advances the industry in some capacity. The duo hosted an "On the Fritz" tasting at Temblor Brewing Company this June, inviting local industry and community what's in store for TAC 2019! f There will be three session tracks instead of four. f The Almond Board is opening a second exhibit hall to expose attendees to more services and equipment and to provide increased networking opportunities and more seating options. f A Food Truck Village will provide plenty of tasty lunch and snack options onsite.

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