By angie
•
October 26, 2025
In the ever-evolving world of agritourism, planning ahead gives you the competitive edge. From February 5-9, 2026 , the agritourism community will gather in Orlando for the next NAFDMA Agritourism Convention & Expo — an event designed to equip you, your team, and your business with new ideas, strategies, and connections. The Purpose Behind the Event Agritourism isn’t just about attracting visitors — it’s about creating meaningful experiences, extending your season, optimizing your operations, and generating sustainable growth. This convention is built for those who want more than just inspiration; it’s for those ready to act. Whether you’re refining guest experiences, scaling up retail operations, or transforming your farm into a destination, this event gives you the framework and tools to move forward. What You’ll Get Out of It Attendees will benefit in multiple ways: Real-world learning through tours. Visit live operations, see how fellow agritourism businesses are executed, get actionable take-aways. High-impact educational sessions. From marketing and staffing to logistics and guest experience — the sessions are built around what agritourism professionals need today. A dynamic expo floor. Engage with vendors offering tools, services, and technologies tailored for visitor-based farms and agritourism operations. Connections that last. It’s not just the content — it’s the network. Building relationships with peers, mentors, and vendors creates long-term value. Key Event Details Date: February 5-9, 2026 Location: Orlando, Florida Who should attend: Farm owners, agritourism managers, event-venue operators, team members who handle guest experience, marketing, operations. Highlights to plan for now: Pre-select your sessions based on your current biggest opportunities (for example: enhancing your event-venue layout, boosting per-guest spend, improving seasonal extension). Map out your vendor visits in the expo hall ahead of time. Schedule a team debrief after returning — capture key insights and assign actionable next steps. Why It’s Worth Your Investment Running an agritourism business today means juggling operations, budgeting, guest services, marketing, liability, staffing, and more. Events like this give you concentrated time away from the daily grind — a space to refocus, refresh, and return with a plan. For someone who tracks every detail (budgets, vendor counts, sponsorship tiers, etc.), the return on investment isn’t just measurable—it’s transformative. Make the Most of It Bring a colleague or team member who handles a different area (e.g., one for operations, one for marketing) so you cover more ground. Make a photo book of various spaces, highlights, and trouble areas on your farm. Show the photo book with people you meet to share new ideas and get input to areas you are looking to enhance. Before you go, define 2-3 measurable goals you want to achieve post-event. Take notes during sessions and tours with implementation in mind. Use networking breaks not just to chat, but to ask: “What challenge did you just solve that I’m still working through?” Once you’re back, host a team meeting to share what you learned, delegate follow-up tasks, and set timelines for acting on new ideas. Ready to Register? Visit the official event website to explore full registration options, check out tour and session details, and lock in your spot. This is more than a conference — it’s a stepping-stone for your agritourism business to level up. Ready to lean in?