QPMA to celebrate '60 Years of Love' at annual convention
QPMA to celebrate '60 Years of Love' at annual convention
Continuing the celebration of its 60th anniversary, the Quebec Produce Marketing Association will hold its 60th annual convention Aug. 23-25 at the Fairmount Tremblant in Mont-Tremblant, QC.
With the theme "60 Years of Love," convention attendees will be treated to many exciting activities at the world-renowned resort town nestled at the foot of the Laurentian Mountains about 90 minutes from Montreal.
The convention location is a special one for the QPMA, as it held its 50th convention there 10 years ago.
"It is a memorable place for the association, and I really think that it is amazing that we are already at the 60th convention," Sophie Perreault, executive director of the association, told The Produce News. "There are so many associations, so many networks that you can be a part of that having one that has lasted for so many years is impressive. We are lucky to always have record attendance and have so many people coming. It shows their support and that they enjoy this event."
This year, Ms. Perreault said that the QPMA "put the focus on giving a treat to our members, to celebrate this anniversary with them. We will have a lot of surprises."
The convention will kick off 9 p.m. Thursday with the Presidents' Reception. On Friday, attendees will have a choice of several activities, including Acrobranche, an "aerial hike" through the hotel's on-site forest.
For those who would like to keep both feet on the ground, a two-hour hike on a cross-country trail will introduce participants to the area's plant and animal life -- including a show with some of the region's birds of prey -- as well as the geological history of the oldest mountain chain on Earth.
Golfers will be able to choose from one of three golf courses that are among the more prestigious in the province: Le Diable (The Devil); Le Geant (The Giant); and Le Maitre (The Master).
Later that evening, attendees will be able to kick back, let loose and celebrate at the festive atmosphere of the QPMA's 60th Anniversary Carnival dinner dance and are invited to wear white for the occasion.
"We really wanted to celebrate and make it fun, and that's why we chose the theme of carnival for Friday evening," Ms. Perreault said. "I think that the carnival is really a theme where you can let go and have fun."
Saturday's events will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with the association's annual general meeting followed by two workshops.
The first is titled "Draw me a Picture," which will be led by Frederic Blaise, a food marketing specialist and president of Enzyme Communication Marketing Inc., a Montreal-based marketing and communication group specializing in the agri-food, health and wellness sectors. Mr. Blaise will offer a lively and realistic account of the challenges and opportunities facing consumers.
The second workshop will be given by Fr?d?ric Par?, ecological agriculture program coordinator for Equiterre (an equitable Earth). Equiterre is dedicated to building a citizens' movement by promoting individual and collective choices that are both environmentally and socially responsible. Through its four programs -- ecological agriculture, fair trade, sustainable transportation and energy efficiency -- the organization has developed projects that encourage individuals to take concrete actions that bring about positive change.
A brunch will follow the workshops, and attendees will relive the highlights of the industry from 2006-07 and the winners of the "I Love" contest, which congratulates the QPMA members who have best utilized the "I Love 5 to 10 a Day" logo and theme into their businesses, including packaging, bags or promotional materials will be announced.
Produce veteran Peter Fogarty, owner of Metro Fogarty, a two-store franchise of Metro Richelieu Inc. and QPMA president in 1995 (see story on page 38) will be toasted at Saturday night's closing banquet, where he will receive the association's coveted Pillar of the Industry tribute for 2007.
"For Saturday's banquet, we want to honor the people who made the association what it is today, and that will really be the focus," Ms. Perreault said. "We also wanted to give it a more historical and formal touch, and we will have a music revue by Du Rock a L'Opera, which fits our theme of history because we go through the history of music and it is kind of a link between the two."
Following the banquet, attendees can visit the President's Suite, where they can meet and congratulate outgoing President Michel Levac as well as the association's president-elect for 2007-08, Bernadette Hamel.
With the theme "60 Years of Love," convention attendees will be treated to many exciting activities at the world-renowned resort town nestled at the foot of the Laurentian Mountains about 90 minutes from Montreal.
The convention location is a special one for the QPMA, as it held its 50th convention there 10 years ago.
"It is a memorable place for the association, and I really think that it is amazing that we are already at the 60th convention," Sophie Perreault, executive director of the association, told The Produce News. "There are so many associations, so many networks that you can be a part of that having one that has lasted for so many years is impressive. We are lucky to always have record attendance and have so many people coming. It shows their support and that they enjoy this event."
This year, Ms. Perreault said that the QPMA "put the focus on giving a treat to our members, to celebrate this anniversary with them. We will have a lot of surprises."
The convention will kick off 9 p.m. Thursday with the Presidents' Reception. On Friday, attendees will have a choice of several activities, including Acrobranche, an "aerial hike" through the hotel's on-site forest.
For those who would like to keep both feet on the ground, a two-hour hike on a cross-country trail will introduce participants to the area's plant and animal life -- including a show with some of the region's birds of prey -- as well as the geological history of the oldest mountain chain on Earth.
Golfers will be able to choose from one of three golf courses that are among the more prestigious in the province: Le Diable (The Devil); Le Geant (The Giant); and Le Maitre (The Master).
Later that evening, attendees will be able to kick back, let loose and celebrate at the festive atmosphere of the QPMA's 60th Anniversary Carnival dinner dance and are invited to wear white for the occasion.
"We really wanted to celebrate and make it fun, and that's why we chose the theme of carnival for Friday evening," Ms. Perreault said. "I think that the carnival is really a theme where you can let go and have fun."
Saturday's events will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with the association's annual general meeting followed by two workshops.
The first is titled "Draw me a Picture," which will be led by Frederic Blaise, a food marketing specialist and president of Enzyme Communication Marketing Inc., a Montreal-based marketing and communication group specializing in the agri-food, health and wellness sectors. Mr. Blaise will offer a lively and realistic account of the challenges and opportunities facing consumers.
The second workshop will be given by Fr?d?ric Par?, ecological agriculture program coordinator for Equiterre (an equitable Earth). Equiterre is dedicated to building a citizens' movement by promoting individual and collective choices that are both environmentally and socially responsible. Through its four programs -- ecological agriculture, fair trade, sustainable transportation and energy efficiency -- the organization has developed projects that encourage individuals to take concrete actions that bring about positive change.
A brunch will follow the workshops, and attendees will relive the highlights of the industry from 2006-07 and the winners of the "I Love" contest, which congratulates the QPMA members who have best utilized the "I Love 5 to 10 a Day" logo and theme into their businesses, including packaging, bags or promotional materials will be announced.
Produce veteran Peter Fogarty, owner of Metro Fogarty, a two-store franchise of Metro Richelieu Inc. and QPMA president in 1995 (see story on page 38) will be toasted at Saturday night's closing banquet, where he will receive the association's coveted Pillar of the Industry tribute for 2007.
"For Saturday's banquet, we want to honor the people who made the association what it is today, and that will really be the focus," Ms. Perreault said. "We also wanted to give it a more historical and formal touch, and we will have a music revue by Du Rock a L'Opera, which fits our theme of history because we go through the history of music and it is kind of a link between the two."
Following the banquet, attendees can visit the President's Suite, where they can meet and congratulate outgoing President Michel Levac as well as the association's president-elect for 2007-08, Bernadette Hamel.
