Attend the Big E: VAAFM Now Accepting Vendor Proposals

Contact:
Reg Godin
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
802-522-3648
reg.godin@state.vt.us

VT Agency of Ag Now Accepting 2015 Vendor Applications for The Vermont Building at “The Big E”

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is now accepting proposals from Vermont businesses and organizations for vending and exhibiting space in the Vermont Building at the Eastern States Exposition (“Big E”) in West Springfield, Massachusetts. In 2015, the fair will be held from September 18th - October 4th. Nearly 1 million patrons passed through the Vermont Building during the 2014 fair, spending over $1.7 million on Vermont products. 

Learn more about The Vermont Building at The Big E by watching this new video, produced by the Agency of Ag, that provides and overview of the building youtu.be/lVlwfsxAAnc

The Big E is located in The Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and is billed as “New England’s Great State Fair.” It is the largest agricultural event on the eastern seaboard and the sixth-largest fair in the nation. The Big E is inclusive of all six of the New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Each of the New England states is prominently represented at the fair in its own building on “The Avenue of The States.”  Learn more about the Big E on their website here: www.thebige.com/

“The Vermont Building at the Big E is a unique opportunity for our Agency to support Vermont businesses and promote the Vermont Brand to consumers throughout the region,” said Secretary Chuck Ross. “Our building vendors use this space to access a large consumer base that provides strong sales and enables Vermont businesses to create jobs and become more profitable. The building also helps promote Vermont as a tourism destination to a broad base of consumers across New England.” 

In 2014, vendors included Ben and Jerry’s, American Flatbread, Vermont Maple Sugarmakers’ Association, Cold Hollow Cider, Danforth, Vermont Teddy Bear Company, and Vermont Flannel, and many others.  The application deadline for 2015 has been extended to February 13th, 2015 by no later than 5 p.m. Vendors will be chosen in a competitive process and reviewed by an independent committee.

The formal Request for Proposal can be found here: www.vermontbusinessregistry.com/BidPreview.aspx?BidID=9538

For more information, please contact Reg Godin, Senior Market Development Specialist at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets at 802-522-3648 or reg.godin@state.vt.us.