7:30AM - 4:00PM
The MSU Product Center is pleased to announce the eighth annual Making It In Michigan Conference and Premier Specialty Food Marketplace Trade Show to be held Tuesday, November 10th from 7:30AM – 4:00PM at the Lansing Center.
“In supporting this year’s theme of ‘Ingredients for Success’ we will be presenting the most comprehensive series of educational sessions covering the components and processes that companies need for safe, sound and smart product development,” states Matthew Birbeck, Senior Project Director, Food Processing and Innovation Center (FPIC) at the MSU Product Center. “In addition, we are excited to present leading Michigan retailers and entrepreneurs that will be moderating sessions on breaking into the retail market,” says Birbeck.
This year’s keynote panel will feature leading industry food technologists and engineers discussing “do’s and don’ts” of product development and production.
The one-day event features morning educational sessions that will bring together industry experts to help guide attendees in refining and growing their businesses in the following areas:
- Processing know-how for shelf-stable products
- Understanding the nuts and bolts of risk reduction
- Taking the business to the next level
- Preparing for an unannounced food inspection visit
- Understanding legal basics for starting a food business
- Keeping your food business sales growing
- Learning how to build the right team
- Breaking into the retail market
- Being recall ready
- Discovering your competitive advantage in the specialty food market
The $79 per person conference registration fee includes breakfast, lunch, and educational sessions, digital copies of all presentations and reference materials and admission to the Marketplace trade show.
The Marketplace trade show in the afternoon will feature over 160 new and existing businesses that will be showcasing and sampling their Michigan-made food and agricultural products to the general public and Michigan-based food buyers. The trade show is free to the general public.
Conference participants will also have time to network with the winners of this year’s MSU Product Center awards and learn from their success stories. Awards will be presented for Entrepreneur of the Year, Start-up to Watch, Best Barrier Buster, Value-Added Agriculture and the Director’s Award. MSU Product Center innovation counselors and staff members, Product Center clients, business consultants, regulatory officials and food and farming groups will also be available to provide in-depth information and counseling.
More information and conference registration is available at www.productcenter.msu.edu/miim. Those interested in attending can also call Greta McKinney at 517-353-7185 or send an email to [email protected].
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