Registration Open for Maryland’s Best Expo

ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 13, 2024) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced that the Maryland’s Best program is once again hosting the Maryland’s Best Expo on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 at the Naval Academy Stadium in Annapolis. Returning for its 21st year, the Maryland’s Best Expo provides an opportunity for Maryland farmers, seafood producers, and processors to connect with buyers from grocery retailers, restaurants, schools, food distributors, and other venues. Registration is now open and exhibitors, buyers, and sponsors are encouraged to apply.

“In the last two years, we have seen demand grow for producers to have more outlets to reach buyers and for opportunities to learn how to grow their business,” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks. “We are excited to offer a more amped up version of the expo this year including free media training, reduced-cost product photography and headshots, and an opportunity to take mini learning sessions with leading retail grocery buyers like Whole Foods and Klein’s ShopRite.”

The expo connects growers and producers to local, regional, and national buyers for retailers and restaurants. For a small fee, exhibitors may participate in the expo as well as have the opportunity to also place ads in the Maryland’s Best Expo Guide – a comprehensive list of all growers in attendance that is distributed to buyers at the event and throughout the year as requested.

There is no fee for buyers to attend and all restaurants, schools, institutions, distributors, economic development officials, University of Maryland Extension agents, and regional agricultural marketing officials are invited.

Sponsorship opportunities for the expo start as low as $750. Additionally, sponsorship ads can be purchased for only $100. For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Audrey Broomfield at audrey.broomfield@maryland.gov.

In addition to exhibiting, there will be many new activities for producers to engage in including:

• Free media training with WMAR News and Matthew Scales of Maryland’s Best
• Mini learning sessions with buyers from Whole Foods and Klein’s – ShopRite
• 30 minute presentation on the new food traceability rule, FSMA 204, from FDA’s Chris Waldrop
• Product Photography and headshots with professional photographer, Steve Vilnit at a reduced cost
• Free mini business consultations from Cureate for producers who are looking to get started in value-agriculture products

Watch local farm businesses pitch live in front of a panel of expert judges for a chance to bring home a $5,000 check! Attendees will get to vote in real time for the winner of a separate community prize fund. The pitch showcase is the culmination of Cureate’s free 10-week food & beverage entrepreneurship education program. The small businesses for this cohort were selected by a committee of community partners, and are 70 percent woman-owned, 80 percent black-owned.

Exhibitor spots will sell out, so please register as soon as possible using this link.

For questions, please reach out to Director of Maryland’s Best Agriculture Audrey Broomfield at audrey.broomfield@maryland.gov  or call (410) 841-5838.