Unlock Festival Success: Insider Strategies to Boost Sales and Scale Your Brand

Description

• Date & Time: Thursday, September 24, 2026 @ 1:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Live Online via Zoom
• Cost: FREE for FCIA Members | $75 for Non-Members

Turn Festival Foot Traffic into Lasting Revenue

Public chocolate and coffee festivals offer incredible opportunities to showcase your products, engage directly with enthusiasts, and drive revenue. However, standing out in a crowded exhibition hall, managing inventory, and converting one-time festival visitors into long-term customers requires proven, strategic planning.

Whether you are preparing for your very first festival or looking to optimize your event ROI across multi-city show schedules, learning directly from event organizers gives you an undeniable competitive edge.

Join us for an exclusive FCIA Festival Roundtable Webinar, moderated by FCIA Board President and Dallas Chocolate Festival founder Sander Wolf. Get direct access to top festival organizers across the country as they share actionable, real-world advice to help you succeed before, during, and after event season.

What You Will Learn

This interactive, panel-style webinar gives you an insider look at how organizers evaluate vendors and how top brands maximize their event impact.

• Pre-Event Preparation & Logistics: Master crucial timelines for vendor applications, plan inventory effectively, and navigate temperature control and sampling compliance.
• Booth Setup & Customer Engagement: Discover high-impact visual merchandising techniques, effective branding strategies, and tools for managing long lines while educating busy festival crowds.
• Maximizing ROI & Customer Retention: Learn actionable post-event strategies to convert immediate foot traffic into recurring online sales, including quick-turnaround email workflows and social media follow-ups.
• Building Strong Organizer Partnerships: Understand vendor-organizer communication best practices and avoid common exhibitor mistakes to ensure smooth, profitable events year after year.

Featured Organizer Panelists

Gain direct insights from seasoned event directors representing major regional festivals:

• John Hill – Pennsylvania Chocolate & Coffee Festival (October 24–25, 2026), DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival - Maryland (November 7–8, 2026), DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival - Virginia (November 14–15, 2026), and Jacksonville Chocolate & Coffee Festival (November 21–22, 2026)
• Jake Potter – Red Rock Region Chocolate and Fine Foods Festival (January 2027)
• Dean Strober – Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival (April 3–4, 2027)
• Allan Sirotkin & Hanna Loeffler – Vermont Chocolate Festival (April 3–4, 2027)

Event Structure

• 45–50 Minutes: Moderated panel discussion covering event preparation, booth management, post-event sales workflows, and vendor-organizer relations.
• 10–15 Minutes: Live Q&A session where you can ask panelists your specific event questions.

Who Should Attend?

Chocolate makers and chocolatiers looking to expand public event presence

Sales, marketing, and event personnel managing show booths

Specialty food vendors, confectioners, and craft food entrepreneurs

Industry members interested in building stronger event partnerships

Reserve Your Virtual Seat

Elevate your event strategy, increase booth sales, and make this festival season your most profitable yet.

Pricing:

• FCIA Members: Included with membership (Free)
• Non-Members: $75.00