Two-Day ‘Food Business Conference’ Returns to Metro

Olathe, KS – Mid-Continent Public Library’s annual Food Business Conference will return on March 9 and 10, presenting local entrepreneurs and business owners with the opportunity to learn, launch, and level up their food businesses! Hosted at Kansas State University’s Olathe Campus—and offered in partnership with K-State, University of Missouri Extension, The Ennovation Center, KCSourceLink, and others*—the free two-day event will feature workshops on a variety of important topics for current and aspiring food businesses.

From food safety and regulatory inspections, to finding business funding and creating a marketing plan, entrepreneurs will have a wide array of expert-led classes to choose from, as well as numerous opportunities to network with business coaches and local support organizations.

“Our hope for the 2023 Food Business Conference is that every current and aspiring ‘foodpreneur’ walks away with a recipe for success!” said MCPL Culinary Center Director Xander Winkel. “These two days will be all about community and helping our local businesses get the resources they need to thrive—because building a successful food business goes beyond just creating delicious products, and a vibrant local business community means a vibrant place for all of us to live.”

Highlights and topics of the 2023 Food Business Conference include:

• How to Price Your Food Products with Rebecca Gubbels, UMKC
• Funding Options Panel with Central Bank and Alt Cap
• Business Basics with Kim Beer, Small Business Owner and Consultant
• Farm to Table Demonstration with KC Food Hub
• Negocio de Productos Alimenticios con Diana Rongish, SCORE
• Legal Considerations for Food Businesses with Adrienne Haynes, Esq.
• Comenzando un Restaurante con Diana Rongish, SCORE
• Regulatory Inspection Considerations for a New Food Business with Ryan Martin, FDA
• Food Truck 16-Week Startup Guide with Chef Esra of KC Cajun
• How to Set Up Your Kitchen Space for Success with Chef Tibbs, MCPL Culinary Center
• Social media and market research workshops, MCPL’s Square One Small Business Services
• … and more!

Registration for Days 1 and 2 of the Food Business Conference is required and available on the Library’s website.

The MCPL Culinary Center, located inside the Library’s Green Hills location, is slated to open in the coming months. The Center is intended to be a destination and resource for anyone interested in learning more about food and culinary entrepreneurship and will feature a teaching kitchen and two shared commercial kitchens. Visit mymcpl.org/Culinary to learn more about the Culinary Center and its offerings.

* This conference is presented in partnership with The Ennovation Center, KCSourceLink, Kansas State University Extension, Kansas City Section of the Institute of Food Technologists, Kansas State University–Olathe Campus, and MU Extension. This event is made possible in part by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

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Founded in 1965, Mid-Continent Public Library is the largest library system in the Kansas City metropolitan area, operating 33 branches and two Library-To-Go locations and serving nearly 850,000 people in Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties. MCPL is an award-winning library system that strives to enrich citizens and communities through expanding access to innovation, information, ideas, and inspiration. Connect with the Library on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.