Next Mid-Atlantic Convention should be mostly in-person
The education sessions at the February 2021 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention were so well-attended that in some cases, attendance was like the in-person sessions of previous years.
Even so, organizers say regular attendees are looking forward to a return to real-life learning and networking Feb. 1-3 in Hershey, Pa., for the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Convention.
“From a trade-show perspective, it wasn’t near as satisfying to growers and exhibitors as an in-person experience,” said Bill Troxell, publicity coordinator. “We did a survey of people who attended the convention, and they were very appreciative of the virtual format to the point that most of them had a lot of interest in having a virtual aspect to future occasions, even if they are in person.”
Attendees liked the opportunity to watch a session afterward when they have time, or to go back and listen again.
The other consideration is that in Pennsylvania, nearly 30% of the growers are Plain or Mennonite. Because of their beliefs and culture, they don’t have access to virtual technology, “so unfortunately we weren’t able to serve them last year,” he said.
Next year’s program outline is set, with program chairpersons tasked with finding speakers. Besides the trade show, there are morning and afternoon time slots, with 6-8 sessions in each slot for a total of 40-plus sessions.
The virtual convention demarcated fruit, vegetable, small fruit and marketing tracks, but it’s usually not divided formally when in person.
The convention has been jointly sponsored by the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association, the Maryland State Horticultural Society and the New Jersey State Horticultural Society for the past 43 years. The Virginia State Horticultural Society joined the convention in 2014. Penn State Extension, University of Maryland Extension, Rutgers Cooperative Extension and Virginia Cooperative Extension all assist in organizing the educational sessions.
For general information on the convention program, contact Troxell at 717-694-3596 or pvga@pvga.org. For information on exhibiting at future conventions, contact Maureen Irvin, convention coordinator, at 717-677-4184 or shap@embarqmail.com.
The dates for the Mid-Atlantic Convention at the Hershey Lodge are set for the next several years:
- Feb. 1-3, 2022;
- Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 2023;
- Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, 2024; and
- Jan. 28-30, 2025.
