On April 12, 2024, Canada’s Premier Food Corridor celebrated its first networking event! The Local Producers Dinner Buffet Gala was a collaboration within Lethbridge College Culinary Studies and Canada’s Premier Food Corridor (CPFC) held at the college Garden Court restaurant (run by the culinary students).
The event celebrated CPFC and Southern Alberta’s rich diversity of producers, ingredients, and culinary delights. Guests savored gourmet creations prepared by chefs and students from Lethbridge College while connecting with local growers, ranchers, distributors, and producers. Additionally, the event spotlighted the resources and innovative research conducted by the Regional Innovation Network Southern Alberta (RINSA) within the CPFC region. It raised awareness about the agri-food business ecosystem and the support available to producers, farmers, and ranchers, emphasizing the benefits of these resources. Notably, this event also served as the final exam for graduating culinary students.
Anticipated outcomes: 1) Engage within 10-15 booth participants for the reception mini tradeshow (Business Services Providers, Research, and Producers); 2) Reach 100-150 attendees.
We’re thrilled to share that the Lethbridge College and CPFC Local Producers Dinner was a tremendous success! With 120 attendees and 18 booths showcasing research, business resources, and local producers, the evening was a true celebration of our vibrant agri-food community.
The event provided a platform for meaningful connections and collaborations. Together we celebrated our vast variety of ingredients and producer’s, the amazing RINSA Agri-food research, and the great business resources available in our region. Below are the organizations that enriched our networking space with their presence:
Challenges: Initially, we anticipated challenges in engaging the community, producers, and farmers due to the ticketed nature of the event. Individual tickets were priced at $115, with a 15% discount for tables of six. These ticket sales covered dinner costs, supported local producers, and contributed to culinary student education. Fortunately, the ticket price did not deter participation, and we successfully met our anticipated outcomes.
Target Audience:
CPFC and Southern Alberta Producers, Farmers and Ranchers | Agri-Food Research |
Community at large (Within Lethbridge and Taber region) | Business, Innovation and Tech Adoption Supports |
Municipal and Economic Development Supports |
Project Sustainability: Following the success and positive reception of the event, we are planning to continue collaborating on the Local Producers Dinner. Our goal is to establish this event as a signature occasion for our region and expand it annually.
Manufacturing & Export Enhancement Cluster (MEE): “Thank you so much for including the MEE Cluster in this gala! What a fantastic opportunity for agri-food manufacturers to network and showcase all that Southern Alberta has to offer. Plus, the food was incredible! Looking forward to the next one!”
Lethbridge and District Exhibition: “It was a terrific event! Thank you for organizing. I look forward to collaborating more on promotion of the Premier Food Corridor and all of the agri-food innovation taking place in southern Alberta!”