Book your rooms now for the 2008 NAFDMA convention!

An outstanding program. Great room rates. Free parking. Free wireless Internet service. The pieces are all coming together for an incredible gathering of farm direct marketers and agritourism operators from throughout Wisconsin, the Midwest, North America and beyond.

The North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Convention comprises the annual bus tour, workshops, conference and trade show of the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA). The convention rotates to a different location each year. In 2008, it merges with the Wisconsin Fruit and Vegetable Conference. The three-day trade show, conference and workshops will be held at the Kalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., from Feb. 18-20, 2008.

The theme for the convention is “Expect the unexpected,” and that certainly applies to parking and hotel room rates. At the Kalahari, parking is FREE and, for convention participants, the room rate is just $79 a night! Your stay at the hotel includes FREE access to the Kalahari’s huge indoor water park.

NAFDMA has arranged single rooms as well as two- and three-bedroom suites with the special convention registrant rates at $79 per bedroom. The primary goal of the convention is to encourage networking. The two- and three-bedroom suites come with a shared kitchen and living room, making an ideal private space for your own farm’s family or managers, or for networking with friends from across the continent. Consider organizing your own customized business retreat within the convention!

Although convention registration begins Nov. 1, you can book your hotel rooms today. To ensure that you get your choice of rooms, don’t wait until the Jan. 6 deadline for room rates. Do a little preliminary coordination this year to capitalize on this fantastic convention networking opportunity. Book your room any time this summer, especially if you plan to share a suite with your NAFDMA friends.

For convention information, visit www.nafdma.com. Registration will be available on-line beginning Nov. 1. Early registration discount is available until Jan. 6.

The North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association is the leading farm direct marketing association in the world. It promotes and fosters the growth of farm direct marketing throughout North America. Its members support their family farms by selling millions of dollars worth of farm-grown produce directly to consumers at farm stands, farmers' markets, pick-your-own farms, consumer-supported agriculture, agritourism venues, and other ever-growing innovations in direct producer-to-consumer agricultural marketing methods. Find out more about the organization at www.nafdma.com.