Tentative Session Descriptions

  General Sessions

Session Title Session Description
Agritourism in Action  

Two general sessions will feature experienced agritourism operators who will share their agritourism stories. Learn about their operations, how they got started, obstacles they have faced and overcome, and keys to their successes.
     
What Flew and What Flopped   Bring your stories of ideas that work well for you and ideas that didn’t work so well to share with other participants during a special general session called What Flew and What Flopped. No idea is too big or too small – from amazing attractions, tantalizing treats, marketing magic and dazzling details to awful activities, problematic parking, particular potties and unenthusiastic employees. We want to hear it all.
     
Signage Programs and Considerations  

Effective directional signage is important in helping customers find agritourism operations, but understanding signage programs and regulations are often a challenge for entrepreneurs. This session will cover the ins and outs of signage programs available through the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
     
Increasing Agritourism Revenue with Retail  

Retail is an important component to many agritourism operations. For some, it is the main focus of the operation, and for others, retail may be an avenue to expand and increase revenue. In this session, learn how retail fits into a tourism experience, how retail can add value to your operation, and what types of items may be good options for your business.
     
How to Set-up and Run a Retail Shop  

Learn how to set-up a retail shop or improve an existing shop at your operation. This session will provide strategies to help you decide what merchandise to produce or purchase, basic merchandising methods to keep you in control of your inventory and suppliers, methods to maximize sales, legal aspects of a retail shop and employee selection and training.
     

Sales Tax Considerations for Agritourism Operators

  

As farmers and landowners enter into the agritourism industry, they also enter into a whole new realm of regulatory considerations. One of these regulatory issues may include the collection and remittance of sales tax. Learn about which types of agritourism operations or attractions may require collection and remittance of sales tax and which types may not. Also learn what to do get your business in the system if needed and where to go for help.
     

Concurrent Sessions

Pricing: An Essential Small Business Strategy   Maria Marshall, Purdue University Assistant Professor   In this session we will discuss different pricing strategies and how they affect the marketing mix (product, distribution, and promotion). We will discuss how to set prices and how those prices are interrelated with your promotional strategies and business image.
     
Tennessee Agri-tourism Visitors' Preferences and Demographics   Jamey Menard & Kim Jensen, UT Department of Agricultural Economics Research Associate & Professor   This session will present results from a set of visitor surveys performed at agritourism venues across Tennessee. Issues addressed will include visitors’ preferences for amenities and services, visiting patterns, expenditures, and demographics.