NARBA’s 2019 conference will be held in Savannah, Georgia on January 9-11, 2019 in association with the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (SRFVC), a major regional conference with multiple tracks of educational sessions and a large trade show. Shown above: The view across the Savannah River to Savannah’s picturesque riverfront, from the Convention Center.
Online Registration is now closed. You may still register at the door.
Quick Links:
- Detailed NARBA Conference Program and Schedule
- Registration and Fees
- Becoming a Conference Sponsor
- Hotel Reservations
- Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference Program.
- Presenting Posters at the Conference
Wednesday, January 9 (afternoon)
- 11:30-1:00 Check-in for both the tour and the workshop at the Hilton Garden Inn Savannah Historic District.
- 1:00 pm-5:00 pm Workshop, “Getting Started in Caneberry Production”. At the Hilton Garden Inn. WORKSHOP IS FULL.
- 1:30-4:00 pm Tour of the Port of Savannah, one of the largest and busiest ports in the country. The tour will focus especially on the handling of berry and fruit crops. Must be preregistered. TOUR IS FULL.
Thursday, January 10 (all day) At the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.
- Caneberry educational breakout sessions, panel discussions, and presentations
- NARBA annual meeting and awards
- Caneberry-specific trade show and posters
Caneberry sessions open to NARBA conference registrants only. SRFVC conference sessions on “Business Operations” are also open to NARBA conference registrants. Lunch is included in registration.
Friday, January 11 (all day) At the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.
- Caneberry educational breakout sessions, panel discussions, and presentations
- SRFVC Trade show
- SRFVC educational sessions in multiple tracks, including Blueberries, Food Safety, Organic, Peaches, Roadside Markets, Vegetables
- Reception on trade show floor
All sessions and trade show open to all NARBA and SRFVC registrants. Lunch is included in registration.
Saturday, January 12 At the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.
- SRFVC Trade show
- SRFVC Awards Breakfast (separate ticket). Note that NARBA awards will be Thursday at lunch.
- SRFVC educational sessions in multiple tracks, including Blueberries, Food Safety, Muscadines, Peaches, Watermelons, Vegetables
Location: Thursday-Saturday activities take place at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, just across the river from the vibrant historic downtown, which has many hotels, shops and restaurants. Ferry and bus service connect the two areas. Wednesday’s activities will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn, on Bay Street in the historic district. Savannah is a lovely place to visit, full of history, cobblestone alleys, picturesque residential squares, stately trees draped with Spanish moss. Weather at this time of year is usually quite temperate, many plants are green, and you can even see plants blooming in some of the gardens. An excellent overview of Savannah is offered at Go South Savannah. Also see the Visitors Bureau site, Visit Savannah. Savannah was not affected by the two hurricanes, Florence and Michael, that hit the Southeastern states this fall. You can expect our conference and the SRFVC to continue as planned.
Hotel reservations: Click here for detailed information. We recommend making reservations early, as the conference hotels fill up quickly! Let us know if you have problems, as we may be able to get new rooms added to the block. There are also many other hotels to choose from that are near the convention center.
Travel: The closest airport is Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), about 25 minutes from the Convention Center and the Historic District hotels. Shuttles, taxis (flat charge $28 to Historic District), an hourly public CAT Express bus ($5), and car rentals are available at the airport. For more information on transport to/from the airport, click here.
