GFC

What is Global Food Alaska?                          SIGN UP FOR '09

A business to business conference and showcase, featuring those within and outside of Alaska, up and down the entire food supply chain. Global Food Alaska is the only conference and business show of its type in Alaska held every other year.   The overall goal is quite simply to bring together professionals within and outside of Alaska to support stronger and more sustainable business from a market-driven perspective in food (including seafood), beverages and agri-products.

Why GFA?: Chefs, restaurateurs, retailers, distributors, institutional buyers and secondary processors of food, beverage and bio-products of all sizes throughout the world have consistently requested an event in Alaska that provides them an opportunity to meet Alaska's market during our production season. (See event objectives below.)

Targeted Visitors (Guests):  Retail food buyers, caterers, product development specialists, food technologists, chefs, institutional buyers, policy makers, food distributors, food brokers and supply chain partners are all welcome.

Targeted Exhibitors (Hosts): Alaska food and beverage producers and those supporting this industry segment and wanting to introduce or reintroduce their products and/or services.  Suppliers and supply chain partners (those that add value to the supply chain for commercial buyers and sellers.)

What:  Global Food Alaska is a full two day event, exclusive to decision makers representing companies and organizations that add value to the supply chain. Designed to welcome commercial and institutional buyers, investors and supply chain partners to meet Alaska's commercial harvesters and producers, of food and bio products. The biennial event highlights the diversity of Alaska’s
industry and encourages participants to work across industry sectors horizontally and vertically to leverage resources and reduce costs.

Components include: Presentations by decision makers in the field of consumer and commercial trends for food and food-based products. An awards presentation featuring those who have beaten the odds in Alaska by creating world class food and food-based businesses. Featured presentations by Alaska producers addressing barriers that limit their faster or larger growth. Presentations by equipment, technology and services experts that support best practices of food production. Optional site visits of local food and bio products businesses on the 12th and optional site visits to food producing regions around the State of Alaska.

We're often asked, "Who is Global Food Alaska?" Global Food Alaska is a grassroots initiative organized and facilitated by Global Food Collaborative, LLC.  Event planning has been a remarkable collaborative effort between harvester/growers, producer/manufacturers and those along Alaska's supply chain who want to support stronger and better business in this sector.  Exhibitors, organizers and sponsors are providing financial support to offer buyers of food, bio products and beverages an opportunity to work with Alaska's producers for responsive and sustainable business.


When:   Biennial event held in June. See "Global Food Alaska 2009""

Where:  Soldotna Sports Facility

Global Food Alaska Objective: Set the stage to think bigger; maximizing Alaska’s bounty – water, land and location.

* Demonstration of the bigger picture – living off of our bounty.
        o What can our contributions be in terms of generation of business and economic development?
        o How can we contribute to good health and sustainable production to create commercially viable business?
        o Share the vision to what extent utilization can include using speakers who are creating commercially competitive businesses in areas such as bio-diesel, nutraceuticals, value added products, agricultural, shellfish, by-products, bottled water, etc.
        o Look at the trends, the buying power and the markets and mobilize to respond.

    * Reduce the isolation of segmented areas of interest.
          o Identify and maximize common ground.
          o Bring together the leaders in seafood, water, by-products, biodiesel, nutraceuticals, produce, meats and value added and profile common ground in terms of markets, infrastructure and supply chain and encourage collaborative pilot partnerships to support better and stronger business.

    * Introduce new products and services that support stronger and more efficient supply chains in and from Alaska to maintain and enhance competitive products.
          o Pro-actively invite companies and organizations from around the world with new services and products to participate and/or exhibit to connect with Alaskan producers.
          o (Special attention should be given to solutions for Alaska’s geographical distance from and to markets and the fast rising energy costs.)
          o Enhance access to those who want to meet with this industry and enhance Alaskan producers and supply chain partners to look at more efficiency in their supply chain and way of doing business.

    * Identify common barriers and focus areas of work to combat those barriers for this industry.
          o Individuals who are reluctant to share their successes, due to the proprietary nature, will share the barriers to further growing their business.
          o A common theme will emerge that will give focus for support agencies/organizations, USDA and private business.

    * Bring together the collective knowledge of local and national and international experts - no such event exists in Alaska for Alaskans or those outside of Alaska that want to do business here.
          o Institutionalize the event every other year to become a focal point for engagement and to serve as a catalyst for a common industry.
          o The goal is to encourage vested future partner.

    * Recognize leaders who have succeeded or beat the odds – in making commercial success of Alaska’s bounty.
          o Recognize and feature Alaskan leaders who succeeded to develop globally competitive businesses – doing the nearly impossible.

    * Bring buyers, market and investors to Alaska.
          o Provide highlighted destinations of interest to see how and where product is produced and create a greater understanding and relationship with harvesters and food producing regions not otherwise accessed.