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NICA News National Independent Concessionaires Association

November 2012

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2012

FEATURES Concessionaire of the Month

Jason Kent, Sweet Onion Concession.

Supplier of the Month

Florida Week Packet

Fanestil Meats, Dan Smoots

22, 30

Greetings From Minnesota By Dominic Palmieri

NEWS President’s Message 4 By Greg Miller, CCE Executive Director’s Report 5 By Barbara Hensinger, CFE Director’s Voice: Russ Harrison 6 Calendar & NICA Events at IAFE Convention 7 Election Results 9 Ready for Fall 10 Hall of Fame: Call for Nominations 11 Ellany Johnson 12 NICA West Updates & Golf Tournament 16 Facebook Pages for Business 19 The NICA Foundation is Born 20

ADVERTISERS Allied Specialty Insurance 9 Asset Preservation 26 Audio Innovators 28 The Best Around 10 Fare Foods 21 Firestone Financial 21 Haas & Wilkerson 28 IAFE 8 Midway Stainless 28 Pepsi 2 COVER PHOTO WFA/Sysco 27 By Jack Lipscomb Taken at the Paris Hotel, Las Vegas 3 jacklipscomb.com

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Greg Miller, CCE The season is winding down and I’m sure many of you are already in your winter quarters. This is the time of year to reflect on the past year and look forward to the upcoming year. We spend most of our downtime working on equipment and spending time with our family. Many of us will be heading to the IAFE convention and other State and Zone meetings. Speaking of the IAFE convention, it brings up a thought. The convention is held in Las Vegas which is the gambling capitol of the world. What an appropriate place for those of us in the independent concessionaire business as we operate on a gamble every day of the year. The weather, the crowds, traffic flow, promotions, is all a gamble for the independent operator while at the fairgrounds. Not to mention the equipment and the gambles we take when traveling over the road. One slip of a piece of equipment in the back of the stock truck could knock you out of a week’s work. Remember you are the net worth of your business in many situations. I want to invite everyone to attend the IAFE convention and spend some time in our Hospitality room visiting with the many folks who pass through. NICA is involved with several topics at the convention this year and it’s a great place to jackpot with your friends. You might even learn something in a discussion or table topic. NICA is also busy planning our winter events. Be sure to check out this issue of the NEWS for the details. We hope that you can fit the SYSCO Food Show/ WFA Convention in January or the NICA Business Expo/Fare Foods Food Show in February in your schedule. Better yet, plan to attend both! Speaking of taking chances, I have opened today to a steady down pour of rain and too much help. But you gotta love it. Be safe and thanks Greg

National Independent Concessionaires Association, Inc. Dedicated to strengthening relationships with the Fair, Festival and Special Events Industries through effective communication, benefits, leadership and solutions.

NICA is a Florida Corporation with Editorial and General Office located at: 1043 E. Brandon Blvd. Brandon, FL 33511 (813) 438-8926 • Fax: (813) 438-8928 www.nicainc.org The information contained in this Publication is based upon sources believed to be reliable. Readers should not act without professional advice. Cover to Cover Copyright All Rights Reserved. ©NICA

OFFICERS

President......Greg Miller, CCE 1st Vice-President......Tom Sattler, CCE 2nd Vice-President.....David Penn Secretary......Joe Potillo, Jr. Treasurer......Paulette Keene

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Russ Harrison, CCE

Directors:

Rose Marie Ash Don Kenna Tim O’Brien, CCE Justin Sattler Tony Trafton, CCE

Past President’s Council Richard Busse, CCE Tom Hodson, CCE Jim Hodson, CCE (deceased) Tim O’Brien, CCE Ron Smith Adam McKinney, CCE Mike Pence, CCE Jack Woods II, CCE Bob Hallifax, CCE Frank Parnell, CCE Larry Orme (deceased) Larry Sivori Rich Wright Bill McKinney, CCE Arthur Pokorny, Jr. Gene O’Brien, CCE (deceased)

NICA OFFICE Executive Director

Barbara Hensinger, CFE - barb@nicainc.org

Membership Coordinator Jill Omel - nica@nicainc.org

Graphics & Marketing Director Kaitlyn Loos - graphics@nicainc.org

NICA WEST Office: Executive Manager

Rey O’Day 951-315-6623 • imreyqoe@gmail.com 2130 Walnut St. La Verne, CA 91750

NICA MIDWEST Office: Executive Manager

Terry Bonnell 269-806-5108 terrybonnellconsulting@gmail.com

NICA WEST EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Don Delahoyde, CCE Jennifer Giordano Judy Henbury, CCE Lucky Henner Don Long, CCE Dan Lusenhop Dale Smith Tony Trafton, CCE

This is an exciting month for NICA. We are off and running, getting ready for all the events scheduled this winter. This month the NICA Board has a wide variety of activities planned at the IAFE Convention. Please check out the NICA /IAFE article in this issue. Once the IAFE is done, we are busy on to our next two major events, the SYSCO Food Show /WFA Convention to be held in Reno in January and the NICA Business Expo and Fare Foods Show held here in Tampa in February. Be sure to put both these events on your calendar. Our newly formed National Independent Concessionaires Foundation held its first meeting in September. The new foundation will be led by Russ Harrison, former NICA President. Russ just could not stay away from NICA and graciously agreed to serve as the founding President to the foundation. For more details about the Foundation, check out the article in this issue. I would like to offer congratulations to a few folks. The Board election results are in, David Penn and Justin Sattler will serve another three year term and Stacia Markowitz will be joining the Board in February. It was great to have such wonderful candidates for this year’s election, also we have had some changes in officers, David Penn is replacing Tim O’Brien, CCE as the Second Vice President and Paulette Keene is the new Treasurer. Please offer these folks your support and good wishes when you see them. NICA’s Board of Directors works hard for the organization and we appreciate their commitment to NICA and our members. As a final note, as many of you may have heard, my days serving as your NICA Executive Director are coming to an end. It has been a pleasure to serve and I truly enjoyed getting to know many of the members. I wish I had the opportunity to personally meet all of you. I think I am leaving NICA as a stronger organization as we have put many changes into place this year that will help NICA grow in the future. Thanks to all for all your support. I hope to see many of you in the future at some fair. You all know you can stop working, but you can’t walk away from this industry. The Board is busy working on finding my replacement and I will continue on until the new director is in place, so you may hear from me in the December issue before I fade into the sunset. November finds most of you at home. Enjoy your down time!

Barbara Hensinger, CFE 5

A MESSAGE FROM RUSS HARRISON This month’s NICA News is featuring the 122nd Annual International Association of Fairs & Expositions (IAFE) Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas, NV. November 26th-29th. NICA will host the Women In NICA (WIN) Wine and Cheese Reception Monday night and the Incoming President Reception honoring Tom Sattler Tuesday night in the NICA suite. NICA will also present a workshop on working with our fair partners on how we can work together to control cost of operations. Three of our Board members are also moderating round table discussions. NICA accomplished many things this year including establishing the National Independent Concessionaires Foundation (NICF). This foundation is a 501(c)3 not for profit charitable organizations. The purpose of this new foundation will be for educational programs and articles, and scholarships and help with fundraising efforts to support those programs. All current NICA members will be members of the NICF. The beginning plans for the foundation are to work with state associations on convention topics and speakers and to increase our scholarship fund. I have the privilege of serving as President with Chuck Dugan serving as Vice President, and SanDee O’Brien as the Secretary/Treasurer. The other founding board members include; Olivia Orme, Lisa Hinton, CFE, Executive Director of Florida Federation of Fairs, NICA Board member, Don Kenna, and Bill Wrabiutza, President /CEO of Heritage Insurance. Some of our other accomplishments for this year include; successfully moving the NICA office, organizing a NICA Mid-West Council, instituting a fair membership contest, working with the OABA and the IAFE on the J-1 Visa program, adding new member benefits, and updating the newsletter and website to name a few. The December NICA News will feature the year in review. Be sure to read it and find out all the things NICA is doing for you. We owe credit to our Executive Director, Barbara Hensinger for these accomplishments and several more. As many of you may know, Ms. Hensinger has resigned from her position and we have begun the search for her replacement. Thanks to lobbying efforts, in the state of New York, this season was much easier complying with government regulations. Unfortunately funding will run out by next season. I would encourage everyone in our industry who works in the state of New York to support the New York State Association of Agricultural Fairs ( NYSAAF) by becoming a member, signing up your staff as members, attending the convention in Rochester, and donating to the New York State Amusement Industry Recreation Political Action Committee (NYS AIR PAC). Our business depends on fairs and we need your support! This committee works hard for our interests as well as the fairs we play.

Eastern States Exposition-the “Big E”

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01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24: 22 4:00 23 PM 24- NICA 25 26 27 28 29 30 3 Executive Board Meeting, NICA Suite 1 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25:

11:00 AM: NICA Board of Directors Meeting, NICA Suite 1:00 -5:00 PM: NICA Booth – Registration Hall

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26:

. Booth – Registration Hallway 11:00-6:00 PM: NICA 10:00-11:00 AM: NICF Board meeting 1:30-2:30 PM:Round Table – Food What’s Hot and What’s not Moderated by Paulette Keene and Don Kenna 3:00-4:00 PM: Round Table – Use of Credit Cards/ IPhones apps Moderated by Tom Sattler 5:00-7:00 PM: Women in NICA Wine/Cheese Reception, NICA Suite

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27: 9:00–5:00 PM: NICA Booth- Registration Hallway

9:30-10:45AM: NICA Workshop Here to There and What Is in Between This panel will discuss ideas on improving your fairgrounds to enhance commerce for everyone — fairs, concessionaires and the carnivals. Moderated by Greg Miller, CCE NICA President, Miller & CO., WV. Panelists to include Charlie Smith, Populous; fair management, Bob Irwin from GA, National, Greg Stewart, President and General Manager of Central WA Fair, Yakima, WA and Roger Sharp, owner of Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ, Paso Robles, CA 1:30–2:30 PM: NICA Representatives Meeting, NICA Suite 7:00-8:00 PM: President Elect Tom Sattler Reception, NICA Suite

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28: 7:30-9:30 AM: NICA Advisory Board meeting, Bally’s Board Room

8:00-2:00 PM: NICA Booth – Registration Hallway 10:00-11:30 AM: NICA Midwest Council Meeting, NICA Suite

JANUARY 20-23:

Western Fairs Association Annual Convention including NICA/SYSCO Food Show, Reno, Nevada

FEBRUARY 4-6:

NICA Business Expo and Fare Foods Food Show, Embassy Suites, Tampa, Florida

FEBRUARY 5-9:

IISF The Gibtown Extravaganza, Gibsonton, FL

FEBRUARY 6:

Annual Membership Meeting, Tampa, Florida

FEBRUARY 13:

(Tentative) The O’Brien BowlingTournament

NICA BOARD ELECTION RESULTS The 2012 ballots were tallied on October 5 by a Committee Chaired by Past President Frank Parnell, CCE. Election Committee members included Rosie Ash, NICA Board Member, Mary Brown, CCE, and SanDee O’Brien, CCE. The committee met at the NICA office in our new conference room. Congratulations to the winning candidates, David Penn and Justin Slatter who were elected for their second term and Stacia Markowitz will begin serving in February 2013. “I think NICA was the winner in this process, it is great to see such a wonderful slate of candidates run for positions on the Board” said Frank Parnell, CCE who contacted all the candidates on October 5 to let them know the results. “Please join me in wishing the new Board member Stacia Markowitz as she starts her term of office. David and Justin know what they are getting into for a second round. I would also like to express my appreciation to Dominic Palmieri and hope that he seeks office again in the future”

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Woods Family Concessions, Jackie & Jack

Milo has a new hat! Grandchild #8 for Ron Flanigan, Purnell Sausages

Kylie, Michael, Tammy, and NICAâ€™s Jill Omel Halfway Through the Corn Maze

Tammy & Kylie Omel, Excited for their Corn Maze Adventure!

Now Accepting

Hall of Fame Nominations One of the best events that takes place every February is the induction of a deserving NICA member into the NICA Hall of Fame. It is the way for NICA to honor the careers of some of the finest concessionaires in the business. Members of the NICA Hall of Fame are individuals who have served not only NICA well, but they have also mentored and supported their fellow members. We encourage each of you to think about the mentors and those members who have helped you and consider nominating them for this, the most prestigious award offered by NICA. “For a person to win a competition that they willingly enter, provides a certain level of satisfaction but it pales in comparison to being selected by one’s peers, people who are regarded as the elite in their field. When these people regard you in the same manner, the feeling of satisfaction and gratitude is overwhelming” said Hall of Fame Member, Frank Parnell, CCE. When asked to reflect on her induction to the Hall of Fame, Olivia Orme said, “Has it really been twenty years since a bunch of complaining carney’s came up with an idea to give us a voice in our own destiny! Before NICA, we had no voice to address our concerns or to honor our own. Now we do. Let’s use that voice to encourage and support those among us who have helped many and achieved their goals. Exercise that voice with the nomination of a worthy member to the NICA Hall of Fame. As a past member so honored to the Hall of Fame, I can truly say being acknowledged by the NICA membership was an honor I treasure because it came from YOU”

This year’s inductee will be celebrating twenty years of strong NICA heritage and setting the bar as NICA roars into the future. “It would be great to have twenty great NICA members nominated this year. That would make it a tough job for the board to come up with the one person, but it would be nice to share all of the nominees accomplishments as we celebrate our twentieth anniversary this February,” said President Greg Miller, CCE.

To submit a nomination online, please visit www.nicainc.org or you can still email your nomination to nica@nicainc.org stating the following: Name of Nominee, Company/ Organization, Name of Person Submitting Nominee for consideration, Submitting person’s phone #, Date of Submission, Essay: 100 words (or less) on why you think your nominee should receive the award and be inducted into the NICA 2012 Hall of Fame!

NICA Advisory Board Member Inducted into the Florida Federation Hall of Fame:

Ellany Johnson Reprinted from “In the Field” Magazine

Surprised was her expression Saturday Evening, May 19, 2012 at the Florida Federation of Fairs Convention in St. Augustine, Florida when Ms. Ellany Johnson of the Florida Strawberry Festival (and member of the NICA Advisory Board) was inducted into the Florida Federation Hall of Fame. More than 30 members of the Festival’s Board of Directors, staff, family and friends of Ellany were present as she was presented with the award.

Ellany Johnson and Joe Potillo, Jr

The induction into the Florida Federation Hall of Fame is an honor like no other in the fair industry. The recipients of the award are recognized for their leadership in their fair, community and making a difference in the industry. With credentials like Ellany’s, there was no doubt that she was the perfect nomination for this prestigious award.

to Office Manager in 2009 and continues in that position today.

“Ellany Johnson is the heart and soul of the Florida Strawberry Festival. Her commitment to the success of the organization, our Board of Directors, staff, vendors and entertainers is unparalleled” says Festival General Manager, Paul Davis.

Ellany has also been active in the Florida Federation of Fairs for many years. She served on the organization’ s Board of Directors, then worked her way up the ranks to serve two terms as Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President.

Ellany has been affiliated with the Florida Strawberry Festival since 1972 when she participated as a vendor to showcase the bookstore she owned in town. In 1975, she was asked to oversee the Show Tent, which she ran as a volunteer for several years. During that time, she originated the Shoe Box Float Contest and directed it for 25 years. The contest is now in its 36th year.

“Integrity, trustworthiness, dedication and leadership are all words I would associate with Ellany Johnson. She applies high standards to her work as well as her interpersonal relationships while putting great dedication to the pursuit of perfection in her work. She posses a calm demeanor, a sweet personality and a wicked sense of humor. She is an individual who cares about the success of others as well as taking pride in her own accomplishments,” said Martha Leverock, CFE, President/CEO of the Greater Jacksonville Fair.

In 1989, Ellany’s dedication to the Festival was so evident that she was asked to join the staff. Her first position was working in the ticket office where she was promoted to Ticket Office Manager in 1991. By 1996, she was given the additional responsibility of managing all exhibitors and concessions, which she is still conducting. Because of her extensive Festival knowledge and experience, she was promoted 12

“Her humble personality, care for others, pride for her work and love for this community and the fair industry has helped mold her into the devoted leader she is today,” said Paul Davis.

The Board of Directors and Staff of the Florida Strawberry Festival are honored to celebrate Ellany Johnson and her outstanding achievements as the ne newest inductee of the Florida Federation of Fairs Hall of Fame.

RETAILER OF THE MONTH: FANESTIL MEATS

What’s something you’re looking most forward to this year?

I really look forward to seeing and meeting my customers. I like building relationships with people because that’s what business is all about. When everything else is said and done, it’s about trust and integrity on delivering better than what people expect and on time or early. As a product producer we expect the challenges and we will do whatever it takes to deliver as long as it is humanly possible.

What’s something most people don’t know about Fanestil?

This year we are celebrating the 70th year in business for Fanestil Meats.

What do you like best about NICA?

NICA seems like a strong and growing organization with it’s peoples best interest at heart. Like any good organization it takes great people to lead and a strong cast of supporting folks who can help carry the load. We enjoy being a NICA member and look forward to our NICA magazine and everything that NICA does.

Are you coming to the upcoming Fare Foods Food Show in Tampa? Give us a little history on Fanestil Meats:

We are a small to midsize family owned Kansas business with 65-employees. We enjoy working with small to medium size customers that have family operations like a lot of our Concessionaires.

What’s your most popular product?

Our most popular product is our Party Time Ham. Other favorite Fanestil Meats products include our Bone In Hams, Hotdogs, Bacon, Sausages and our BBQ Beans with 8%-Beef.

What’s your busiest time of the year?

Our busiest time of the year is from just before Thanksgiving to Christmas. During the 3-weeks leading up to Christmas we ship twice the volume per-week, as we do during the busiest weeks through out the rest of the year, so as you can imagine, things get kind of hectic.

We plan to be in Florida at the NICA show and look forward to a great show and a lot nicer weather than we have in Kansas that time of the year.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with NICA members?

From a supplier’s perspective, I think it’s important to support each other and remember for us to stay in business, to provide the kind of quality products wanted, sometimes we have to raise prices. This is without a doubt, the hardest part of our job. As a NICA supplier we just want to say we appreciate Ron Porter and all that Fare Foods brings to the table or should I say to the Fairs. Jan and Dan Smoots, Owners

What’s the best part about your job?

The best part about my job is I have the great pleasure of going to work with my wife and two sons everyday. Jan and Dan Smoots, Owners

JASON KENT of Sweet Onion Concessions Young concessionaire, Jason Kent has been working hard in his second season with his ownership of Sweet Onion Concessions. He’s spent significantly more time on the road this season than his previous, learning many things for his successful and growing business. His humble background is a great factor for his work ethic and persistence. Read on as he reflects on his first two seasons with his concession and the many life lessons he’s come to learn from his recent experience. NICA: How long have you been a concessionaire? JASON: I am currently finishing up my second season. NICA: How has the second season compared to your first? JASON: It’s busier with a much fuller schedule this year; spending a lot more time consecutively traveling from event to event. NICA: How and why did you get into the concession business? JASON: At the time I was just another unemployed teacher looking for a job. A family member who had been in the business for almost two decades decided to retire and sell his business. He made me an offer and as they say “the rest is history”. NICA: What do you like most about being a concessionaire? JASON: The interaction with all of the different people I meet throughout a season, whether that be customers or other concessionaires. NICA: What’s your best selling food item? JASON: Blooming Onion, but this year Green Tomatoes gave the onions a run for their money. NICA: Why do you think they’re becoming more popular? JASON: Honestly, I think it’s because we repainted the trailer and put up all new decals (seen right) 14

Jason Kent, Preparing Onions for the Busy Day

which display the “Fried Green Tomatoes” a lot larger than before. They’re not common in the Fair/Festival market, so they’ve been a pretty big hit this year. We sold about 100150lbs of tomatoes per week! NICA: What’s something people don’t know about you or Sweet Onion Concessions? JASON: At first glance most people think I’m some sort of musician and wouldn’t guess that I grew up as just another Midwest farm boy, raising swine. NICA: Do you think that influenced you in your business success? JASON: I think so. It definitely taught me the work ethic that I have and I’m used to working the long days. NICA: What’s something you wish you knew about the concession business when you first started out? JASON: I wish I would have known some other concessionaires, so I would have had the ability to ask for advice and opinions before purchasing my business.

embraced me for getting into the business at such a young age. NICA: What do you like best about NICA? JASON: It’s nice to have a national organization that works for the benefit of its members. NICA: What’s your best work moment from this past year? JASON: When the owner of a pie I bought at a county fair 4-H baked goods auction, came to my trailer later that week to thank me for my purchase. She told me that her son used to be involved in 4-H and that after he had been killed serving in Iraq she started baking pies for the auction with the proceeds being donated to the county 4-H fund in his name. NICA: Do you know more now? JASON: Oh yes, I’ve met plenty other concessionaires now. Most of them are very friendly, like if you run out of supply, most concession owners will let you buy something off of them right there, even if they’re competitors! Also, the older generation of concessionaires have been great to work around and the have really

NICA: That’s very sweet! So, what’s something you’re looking most forward to this year? JASON: Seeing my business continue to grow and prosper. NICA: Anything else you’d like to share with NICA members? JASON: To those finished with their seasons have a happy, safe and relaxing winter. To those still working like myself, good luck and safe travels until our seasons are finished.

Growing Partnerships Fair, Festival and State Association Member Contest The NICA membership is excited to offer our new campaign to reach out to our Fair and Festival partners and bring them into the NICA family. The mission of our organization is to partner with all those who do business in our industry and work together to grow, preserve and strengthen family friendly events held across the country.

Fair / Festival Management Contest:

NICA and our member partner Cola-Cola Refreshments will reward our top three large fair/festival managers and three small fairs with a cash reward. This competition is based strictly on who recruits the most new members.

Large Fairs / Festivals – (attendance over 100,000) 1st Place: $500 2nd Place: $200

3rd Place: $100

State and Provincial Competition:

NICA and Coca Cola Refreshments will award cash for educational programming at the state convention to the top two associations that recruit the most members.

1st Place: $1,000

2nd Place: $500

Sponsored by

Small Fairs / Festivals – (attendance under 100,000) 1st Place: $500 2nd Place: $200 3rd Place: $100

Refreshments 15

A BUSY MONTH AT NICA WEST

From left to right: Sponsor: Mario Sanchez, US Foods; Co-Chair: Dale Smith, Family A Fair; Sponsor: Mark Mejia, US Foods; and Sponsor: Vincent Rodriguez, US Foods

Kent Hojem, CEO Puyallup Fair; Rey O’Day, NICA West Executive Manager; Dan Sharp, Commercial Exhibits and Concessions Manager

Tony Fangakis, Izzy’s @ Central Washington Fair

First Place Team: Jon O’Day, Tony Linyard, and Anthony Lopez

Sid Morrison, VIP Ambassador; Diane La Bissoniere, Marketing and Special Projects Manager; Greg Stewart, Central Washington Fair CEO; Judy Buermann, Commercial Exhibits and Food

Roger Wofford Wofford Concessions @ Central Washington Fair

GOLF TOURNAMENT HAS MANY FIRSTS By Rey O’Day, NICA West Manager US Foods in Corona sponsored the 6th annual NICA West/Fairplex CDC Golf Tournament at the beautiful Los Serranos Country Club golf course in Chino Hills on Monday, September 17, 2012. US Foods was represented by a foursome comprised of Mario Sanchez, Mark Mejia, Dan Vandenbroke and Vince Rodriques. A substantial donation was made to the Fairplex Child Development Center and NICA’s general fund. Dale Smith of Family-A-Fair, Inc., Ashley Murray of M&M Marketing, and Scott Shacklett of Fairplex’s Cornucopia Foods, co-chaired this very successful event with many firsts. Thirty nine tee-hole sponsors had their signs along the course. This was the most ever sold for all 12 tournaments (6 in Del Mar and 6 in Pomona). It was the first time the event has had a presenting tournament sponsor: US Foods-Corona. Over $5,500 was collected using on-line registration for the first time. And, it was the first time every raffle item was donated. Many thanks go

Mark Lancaster, Ashley Murray, Mike Coffee, and Rip Petree looking at the article on Ashley in the September NICA News

to Scott Shacklett and Ashley Murray for collecting most of them. Also thanks to Gary Barham of Hot Dog on Stick for sponsoring the Hole in One Contest and Ron Naslund for donating delicious goodie bag snacks. It was the personal goal of Dale Smith to organize and upgrade all the tee-hole signage for both the San Diego County Fair and LA County Fair golf tournaments. Mission accomplished AND both of the sign makers have become members of NICA. Good Job!! The 44 golfers were greeted by Celia Smith, Tommie Fomby, Irene Dugan and Rey O’Day. Chuck Dugan then took them out for the putting contest. Neal Coble was the winner. Upon the completion of a long and challenging course Tony Lidyard, Jon O’Day and Anthony Lopez took home 1st Place. Ashley Murray, John Giordano, Jonah Brede and Mark Hill placed 2nd and Mike Patten, Cody Patten, Howard Moss and Brendan Dee placed 3rd. The event closed with a lemon chicken dinner, raffle and awards reception. In summary, it was another perfect day in sunny Southern California for NICA and its members. 17

MEMBER UPDATES

New Members Justin Carlson ��Asset Preservation, AZ Michael Stark ��Coast 2 Coast Graphics, CA

Membership Contest 2012 General Membership Art Pokorny ...................................2 Bob Drinkwater..............................1 Brandon Warner............................1 Brett Rupert...................................1 Coca Cola......................................1 Dale Smith.....................................2 Dan Lusenhop...............................1 Dominic Palmieri...........................1 Don Delahoyde...............................1 Don Long.......................................1 Gordon Food Supply ....................1 John the Greek..............................1 Judy Henbury................................2 Ken McKnight................................1 Leonard Dunford...........................1 Lucky Henner................................2 Michael Knott.................................1 Mike Curci......................................1 Norman Keene..............................3 Randy Reichert..............................1 Ron McKinney...............................2 Tim Harmon...................................1 NICA Rep Charles Ivory..................................1 Dannie Moreland..........................10 David Spann...................................1 Kevin McGrath II.............................1 Administration Office............................................39 Rey O’Day......................................7

John Harrington.................................................Harrington’s Greenhouse, Inc, WI Spencer Duncan ��KS Wine and Beer Garden, KS Kim Barr..................................................................Pacific Crest Concessions, WA Alan Barr.................................................................Pacific Crest Concessions, WA Michael McDermott ��Parnell Foods Inc, WI Tony Frangakis....................................................Izzy’s BBQ Concessions Inc., CA Norma Frangakis.................................................Izzy’s BBQ Concessions Inc., CA Tod Marhcant........................................Marchant Concessions, British Columbia Matt Wallsmith.....South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions, Inc., FL Peter Schell...........South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions, Inc., FL

Board of Directors Paulette Keene...............................1 Rose Marie Ash..............................2 Russ Harrison.................................8 Tom Sattler.....................................1 Tony Trafton....................................4 PRIZES

* Carnival Cruise Package - (valued over $1500) a drawing will be held for all the members who refer new/former members in 2012. For every new/former member referred, the recruiting member will receive 1 chance to win the Carnival Cruise. * $500 Cash - For every new/former member referred, the recruiting member will receive 1 chance to win the $500. * NICA National Rep Contest - Winner will receive $500 cash and is eligible to win any of the above-mentioned prizes. Drawings to be held in Tampa, Florida in February 2013.

DOES YOUR BUSINESS NEED A FACEBOOK PAGE? Social Media marketing is a new wave of advertising with a long trail of small business success stories. In this economy, it’s the most budget friendly option; most of it can be done for free and advertising online costs a considerable amount less than the more classic varieties. It brings the user directly to your company’s information and everything can be updated very easily. Also, there are many outlets you can use at every price range with Facebook, Twitter, Google, blogs, etc. all free for the taking. In this article, we’ll go step by step over how to set up a Facebook page for your company. Keep in mind this is different from your personal Facebook profile. Facebook Pages for business (though they will require you to already have a facebook personal profile) provide a separation between your personal life and your business. Also they allow for the cleanest running interactions between your fans and other businesses. You have nothing to lose, so get ready to be your own advertising mogul! Go to Facebook.com Scroll Down, Select “Create a Page” At some point, it will ask you to sign in with your personal Facebook account. Don’t worry, pages do not link or reveal your personal profile unless you select that option. Facebook will take you through a page setup wizard to get all of your information implemented in the right spots. The more you provide the better! It will help your page come up quicker in the search feature as well as general search engine results. Supply a logo for your profile picture and a creative cover photo. Large pieces of relevant photography are the most common option, but you can also upload promotional fliers, collage sets, or an artsy pattern. Reposition it as needed, but beware of the blurry photo! If it’s too small for the cover, you can always post it to your wall or create a separate album for it. Click “Edit Page” to the top right to adjust “Admin Roles” to add business partners, family members, or employees as “managers.” Just make sure Paid for by the National Independent Concessionaires Foundation

they “like” the company/business page from their personal account first. Now you’re ready to start posting! Make it a goal to create 1 to 2 posts per day. You can upload a photo, post a coupon, deliver an update, company announcements, celebrate a small victory, etc. The trick is to keep content exciting and fairly consistent. Every person who “Likes” a post potentially could be seen on ALL of their friends’ news feeds - bringing more attention to your company and attracting new fans. Post a link to your company/business page on your personal Facebook profile to get your fan-base started.

ADVANCING YOUR PAGE With some time, after your page’s “Like” count has built up to 30 people, you will begin to see your page’s Facebook Stats, another completely free utility to build your company/business. Your stats will show unique visitors, views, clicks, and popularity of posts, updating every few days. Just as presidential candidates keep their eyes on the polls and ratings points to adjust their public statements and advertising, so should you adjust your planned facebook posts. The stat breakdowns show you what your most popular days were and what content was viewed most. This will show what uniquely works best for your company/business, whether it’s the coupons, photos, or other shares. Once you get a great handle on your posts and your page looks great, you could look into Facebook Ads to promote your page or specific posts. Paid advertising doesn’t change how your page works, it just drives TONS more people to your page for a competitive price. Even without paying a dime, adding your facebook link to business cards, creating facebook promotions, and consistent posting will build and maintain a strong following for your business. 19

October 1, 2012 is the official birthday of the newly formed National Independent Concessionaires Foundation (the Foundation). As part of the NICA Board of Directors long term plan, they determined it was in NICA’s best interest to establish a parallel foundation organization whose purpose is to educate NICA members on sound business practices, new trends and regulations and safe food handling practices. The Foundation will also house NICA’s scholarship program and play a key role in fundraising activities. “The Foundation will have a much smaller scope in its mission than NICA and it will be able to prioritize the professional development of our membership”, said NICA President Greg Miller. The Foundation under the direction of its own Board of Directors even though all the members of NICA are also members of the Foundation. The Foundation will focus on educational programs, scholarships and fundraising. All the other business of NICA will continue to be controlled by the NICA Board of Directors. “The two Boards will work in partnership and there will always be a current member of the NICA Board on the Foundation Board to ensure that it is a close working partnership”, said NICA Executive Director Barb Hensinger. She went on to say, “the Foundation Board held its first meeting in September and they did a great job of setting the focus for the upcoming year.” The founding Foundation officers were appointed by NICA President Greg Miller. The Foundation Board elected their slate of officers during their first meeting. The founding members of the NICF Board are; Russ Harrison, President, Chuck Dugan, Vice President, SanDee O’Brien, Secretary / Treasurer, Don Keena, NICA Board Representative, Olivia Ormes, Lisa Hinton,CFE and Executive Director of the Florida Federation of Fairs, and Bill Wrabuitza, CEO/President of Heritage Insurance Company. “I am pleased to serve as the first President of the NICF, it will be a challenge to get the organization up and running, but NICA and our members are known to work together to get things done, so I am sure “Together We Can” said NICF President Russ Harrison. For more details on the founding meeting of the Foundation please refer to the proposed minutes on the NICA Website at www.nicainc.org.

Order your custom collector basket today to celebrate NICA’s 20th Anniversary! Call the NICA Office 813-438-8926 or visit nicainc.org

$40.00 20

Firestone finances the concession industry! Tony Costanza

Assistant Vice President Sales

• Seasonal payment options • Secured working capital loans • Financing for new and used equipment • Finance your concession trailers, bunkhouse, trucks, rides, generators and more!

Financing for your Concession Business!

1-800-851-1001 ext. 42 www.firestonefinancial.com

into at the

NICA BUSINESS EXPO AND FARE FOODS 2013 FOOD SHOW February 4-6, 2013 We are very excited to report that last year’s Food Show was a tremendous success…the best Food Show yet! With the additional space, we were able to expand the Food Show allowing additional vendors to exhibit. The Embassy Suites – USF/Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida will, once again, be the location for the 2012 NICA Business Expo and Fare Foods Food Show. The Embassy Suites is an all suite hotel. In addition, they offer a daily complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast, nightly complimentary manager’s reception, corporate business center open 24 hours a day, complimentary morning newspaper, take a swim in the heated pool, unwind in the whirlpool or sauna, and they also offer a well-equipped fitness center.

The hotel has offered us a special group rate of $121.00 per night single or double (plus applicable taxes). This rate is only available for reservations made through Fare Foods. A higher rate will apply if you make reservations directly through the hotel. Please complete the hotel reservation form in this issue and don’t delay. Make your reservations early since there are a limited number of rooms available. Deadline is January 3, 2013. Fare Foods and the NICA Board will continue to discuss how we can improve the Show. With the expanded space, we will be adding new vendors to showcase new products and ideas. There will be new exciting giveaways, promotions, etc. that will benefit you and will certainly be enjoyed. Come and see for yourself and have fun!

Celebrating 20 years of NICA and looking to Roar into the Future.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013 OPEN TO ALL! The NICA Business Expo will open with sessions that will explore the issues and solutions to the day-to-day challenges faced by anyone involved in the Fair/Special Events Industry. Visit www.NICAINC.org for a complete listing of the workshops scheduled.The evening will feature the opening of the very popular Fare Foods 2013 Food Show!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013 The NICA Business Expo continues with workshops and round tables that reflect subject matter that are of the interest to both concessionaires and event management. The workshops will be facilitated by industry experts from around the country. The evening will feature the last day of the Fare Foods Food Show and the drawing of the grand door prize.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013 NICA will host three workshops this year. • The popular Serv-Safe Food Management Class and Certification administered by the Florida Restaurant Association, 8:00 am – 4pm

• Social Media and Website tools. Bring your lap top, or ipad and learn how to set up your own website or Facebook Fan pages. Class will also include recommendations for marketing strategies.

• Need to make a presentation to a Fair Board, or at one of the state conventions? Join this workshop and get some tips to make your presentation effective and keep your audience engaged.

All three of Wednesday workshops will be limited to the first 20 registrants. Please sure to reserve your spot today! (Register on www.NICAINC.org or complete the registration form on page 30)

Also Make Sure to Visit: The Gibtown Extravaganza and Trade Show

February 5-9, 2013 & The Florida State Fair

February 7-18, 2013

DON’T DELAY!

Make your reservations today! See you in Tampa! *All Events Tentative

Over 50 Vendors! Educational Workshops! Registration Available Online! Please see www.nicainc.org or www.farefoods.com for info! 23

! a t o s e n n i Greetings from M

NICA Members, Lucia Perez, owner of Dandy Souvenirs with Kim Palmieri and Dominic Palmieri

By Dominic Palmieri, Owner, Odyssey Foods LLC This story starts with a couple of revelations: 1. Sometimes a person needs to take his or her own advice and 2. Everyone knows and remembers a great deal. My wife Kim and I spent one of our best days at The Great Minnesota State Fair; and NO, we were not working. (Well maybe a little?) We spent fourteen and a half hours walking, visiting and mostly grazing on just about every food for which the fair is famous. (See our grazing list in the notepad on p.25). The food list is pretty impressive and includes well over 8000 calories! That is where the work part came in -we had to walk it off. For the past 3 years, I have been encouraging industry professionals, fair directors and their staff and volunteers to make the effort to visit different fairs. I’ve been saying, “Find something new, and try to figure a way to incorporate that new idea into your event”. Of course, economy of scale must be considered in this conversation. Whatever you want to bring to your event has to be relative and consistent with your operation and more importantly, your budget. “The notion that we are all doing things the right, best, and most efficient way is WRONG.” There is always a better way and it is up to us to keep raising the bar and the overall experience for our guests. This includes pricing and value. I was having this conversation at a board dinner, and then realized that I had not done what I have been preaching; I had not visited a different fair. I left that dinner, called my wife Kim, and said “Book us a flight to Minnesota; we’re going to visit another fair!” 24

Once again, we found that all the people we met with during our visit had so many great ideas and brought so much to the table. There was over 250 years of combined experience among our notable friends and leaders who work The Great Minnesota State Fair and each and every one of them had the same perception about that fair as we did, it is one of the most beautiful fairgrounds we had visited in years! The Fair management and staff, who are entrusted with the daily operations resonated a common mode of operation, they are the custodians of a fair with over 100 years of tradition and their job is to preserve the foundation on which it was built, and appreciate all the talent that their partners bring to their event. There was a sense of community and the air was filled with a level of energy I had not seen before. But most importantly, there was a level of magic everywhere we walked and according to Kim’s pedometer, we walked over 9.2 miles that day! We arrived on opening day, around 7:30 am and left just after 10 pm. Our day was filled with meetings, tours, and amazing food. Our friends pointed out their latest and greatest food items. We spent about $120.00 for the entire day which contributed to the approximately 34 Million dollar amazing food gross that the fair produces. Food prices at the fair were a good deal, one of the best values we’ve experienced in a long time. It is important to note that food, drink and beer prices ($5.75 for 20 oz. domestic and $6.75 for import) were impressively inexpensive. Since you can afford it, it makes you want to buy more! Now there is a GREAT concept – “Cheap prices and Great food!” What more could a self-proclaimed FairFoody want? I loved every bite and I didn’t have to take out a loan to pay for this fabulous day.

One of the main reasons the prices are reasonable is because the Fair charges the low percentage of 15% to their food and beverage partners. The guest receives value each and every time they visit. When the event is affordable, it makes you want to come back again. In one of our meetings it was noted that on the average local residents attended the fair is 2.5 times. That is amazing during these economic times. Where most fairs have experienced flat or falling attendance, this fair has experienced growth to over 1.7 million guests. Everyone pays to get in! No freebees for politicians, even if you are kissing babies and passing out lollipops, it’s going to cost your admission. If you are the UPS guy making a delivery or the news guy reporting, you will also have to pay. Even the nice lady we met on the trip back to the hotel that runs the Dairy Council had to pay. It’s an interesting concept. Works for some, may not work for others. We had the pleasure to meet with fair CEO Manager, Jerry Hammer and Deputy General Manager, Jim Sinclair; both of whom were very proud of what their staff had accomplished and glad to have opening day sorted out. Other dignitaries and colleagues with whom we met included; OABA Chairwoman Jeanne McDonagh and her husband Tom who debuted the New Stratosphere and Fun Factory, Dave Cavallero the man behind the popular Mouse Trap Cheese Curd stand, Bryan Leimon and his parents Dan and Becky who all make great Pizza both inside the food court and on the midway, Lucia Perez who has novelty booths at the fair, Brad Ribar from the famous Corn Roast, the VanderVorst family operating both rides and food at the fair, Rose Barton with Kid rides, Eddie Porcelli famed Spaghetti Eddie, Carmel Dyer with Australian Battered Potatoes, Ronnie Netterfield with Netterfield’s Concessions, and last but not least Phil Sheridan who had several kid rides. Our discussions ranged from H2B visa workers, health inspection issues, logistics of moving equipment, escalating costs on every front, Sysco/NICA buying program, and all the different agencies with their hands out. No one working in this business is exempt from all the above. It is how we manage to deal with issues that make the difference. It was nice to hear perspectives from concessionaires and fair management who work on the mid-west and east coast. All of them with different issues, yet, each one ready to lend a hand to help solve the problems.

A Day of Grazing through the Great Minnesota State Fair 7:40 AM 8:30 AM 8:45 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM

Scotch Egg, Coffee and Apple Dumpling French Frys from the Famous Fry Stand Cheese Curds Super Dog at Spaghetti Eddies. A deep fried pepperoni and cheese stick with marinara dipping sauce BEER on a Stick. Yes on a stick, to wash down the previous 11:00 AM Iced Coffee NOON Corn on The Cob at Corn Roaster and a beer 1:30 PM Pizza 4:00 PM Ice Cream from the Dairy Building 4:30 PM Glass of milk from the dairy board booth. Oh, and half of Kim’s Chocolate milk. It is an amazing thing to see how they fill tanks in the rafters and pour by gravity feed. 5:30 PM Greek Yogurt 6:00 PM More Beer 8:00 PM Pork Chop on a Stick 9:00 PM Corn Beef and Cabbage Bowl with fingerling potatoes and carrots at O’Gares. 9:30 pm Brisket and beans from The Steak Out 9:45 pm Hamburger and Garlic Fries 10:00 PM to round off the day a giant bucket of cookies from Martha’s Cookies. We bought those to take back to our family in Southern California where we were set up. An important NOTE** Kim didn’t eat much of any of this. She had a few nibbles here and there. That is how she keeps her amazing figure. Me, on the other hand, I ate everything in sight. Today I am paying for it; yet, what an experience.

You have to love what you do to put up with the grueling hours, the demanding travel schedule and the separation from your family while on the road. Don’t expect things to get easier; yet, know that there is a comfort zone when everyone puts in the time and effort to help out. A little help will go a long way, when added to everyone’s contributions. I hope you to help in some way contribute whenever possible and try to find a way to make things better. We need to look for a way to build a better fair no matter how big or small the change. Try one or two new ideas each year. What will put the magic back on the grounds, drive the gate, create community participation, and build the bottom line? These are important points to consider. Go out and visit other fairs! See what new concepts you can bring to the event. Be aware, what works for one fair may not work for another. As a vendor, I hope that fair management includes your vendor partners as well. It is important, communicate with them in advance so they can be ready to embrace change and help direct change. Look at the charges and how they impact your vendor partners. Remember we all share a 25

fair guest customer. It is important to consider how those charges flow down to fair guests, is your prices getting so high that customers will suffer, and will you build your attendance with high prices on everything from food to beer, commercial space to midway space, and parking to admissions? If you are a service member selling anything from A to Z, what will you do differently next year that will not only help your bottom line, but the fairs as well? Will you work to obtain better pricing for the goods you sell, to help lower the prices of your items to your customers? Will this create a perceived value so good that it will promote return customers to the fair? Some of this is as simple as communicating with your distributors months ahead of time and encouraging other vendors who play your same event to buy together with you. Several of you together can make a huge difference in how pricing will be presented to fair vendors. If everyone is going to work together, it will be everyone’s responsibility to follow through to make positive changes. You can’t expect fair management to be the only initiators of change and to create value. We must follow and promote change as well. A great example of a partnership value program is The California State Fair. Management realized that the bad economy had hurt the region for several years and launched a program where the fair gave concessionaires the choice to have lower rents, IF, they lowered their prices.

The Fair hoped to drive the message of the fair being a great value- a good deal. I will admit, I was one of many that took that deal and it worked for me. I knew going in that it would be a multi-year investment and that we would eventually drive the message that the fair was affordable and would be remembered as good deal. For me, lower prices increased my gross two of the three years with the attendance on an upward track. The most important question is “What can events do to look at building their attendance?” For me, visiting an event that is affordable, well attended, and profitable has certainly brought this concept back to the front of my mind. My father-in-law has a few great sayings that I will paraphrase: “Raise the price of the gate to high and no one will want to climb it to get in!” and the other one is, “We should be promoting good, clean, cheap fun!” He beat that drum when he was on the OABA Board over 10 years ago and 10 years later, these words could not be more on point. To achieve this will take both fair management and their vendor partners. More than ever, YOU need to participate and help the organizations that work so hard for you, NICA, IAAPA, IAFE, OABA, WFA and all the State Fair Associations. A little effort goes a long way and extraordinary effort goes a lot further. Together We Can!!

Purchase Your Fundraising Deck of Cards Today! $10 per deck! To get your WIN Cards now, contact the NICA office (813) 438-8926

Fair, Festival & State Association Membership Contest Fair Manager Large Fair/Event Denny Lang...............................1 Fred Brown................................1 Jim Ward...................................2 Jessie McLaughlin.....................2

Association Large Fair/Event Office.........................................3 IFEA..........................................1 For a more information about the contest and a complete list of rules, please see contest info on page 15.

National Independent Concessionaires Association, Inc.

Date

1043 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511 (O) 813-438-8926 • (F) 813-438-8928 email: nica@nicainc.org • www.nicainc.org

For Office Use Only

NICA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION q Mr. q Mrs. q Ms.

First Last

Name of business Physical address

City

State

Zip

Mailing address

City

State

Zip

Permanent tel. no. (

)

Fax no.

Cell phone no. ( E-mail

Paperless: q Yes q No

) Website

I agree to get my renewal invoices sent by email. Please provide email address. Referred by

Please fill out the below information as ACCURATELY and DETAILED as possible. INFORMATION and KEY WORDS provided below will be used for your entry in the NICA Annual Membership Directory as well used as key words to search for your business on the NICA website.

Annual Membership Fees INDEPENDENT CONCESSIONAIRE Voting membership available to any person who is an independent concessionaire.

q New NICA Members.......................... ........................$125 q Spousal member.........................................................$75 q Employee (non-voting).................................................$50

Please check a category below and provide a detailed description of the services your company provides. q Commercial exhibits q Food q Games q Retail q Attractions/Entertainment _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Concessionaire General Routing Information

Please list all states where you conduct your concession business.

_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Mail Check or Money Order to NICA at 1043 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511 q Visa q Mastercard q American Express

ASSOCIATE

A person or entity who provides services to the concession industry.

Fair/Festival over 75,000 attendance......................$125

Fair/Festival under 75,000 attendance......................$75

Manufacturer/Distributor/Industry Supplier..............$75

Carnival Operator...........................................................$75

Please provide a detailed description of the services your

_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

Visit our website for NICA Membership Benefits www.nicainc.org

ALL DUES ANNUALLY PAID OCTOBER 1st I understand that my application is subject to final approval by the NICA Board of Directors. I also understand that if my application is not accepted, the amount paid will be refunded to me. If accepted for membership in NICA, I hereby agree to abide by its by-laws and rules.

Credit card no. Security Code

Expiration Date

Applicant’s signature

Date

Spousal signature

Date

TOTAL:__________________ (spousal signature required when both are joining)

Signature of credit card holder The NICA sponsored $10,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance Policy is automatically provided to all Independent Concessionaire Members.

Spouse’s first name

Spouse’s last name (please print)

Wednesday Pre-Register Workshops Please select the box for the workshop you’d like to pre-register for and fill out the information at the bottom before sending to NICA office. To see full description, refer to p.23. Please select only one of the classes, since the times will conflict. Only one registrant per form. THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF SEATS AVAILABLE. REGISTER NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.

□ Serv-Safe: $135

Cost:$135 per person. Lunch and drink are included in the registration fee. *You must bring a state issued driver’s license or other photo ID with signature to the class. Upon receipt of your registration, a Manager Review Guide will be sent to you. Anyone who registers after January 18th may pick up their review guide the day of the class.

□ Social Media & Website Tools: $20 □ Modern Day Presentations: $20 Name: _______________________________________Company: _____________________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone#:(

)______________________Cellphone # (

)______________________Email:______________________________

For Payment by Credit Card: ___Visa ___ MasterCard ___ Discover ___American Express Name on Card: Billing Address:

NATIONAL INDEPENDENT CONCESSIONAIRES ASSOCIATION, INC.

Card Number: Expiration Date:

Security Code:

Fax your registration form to (813) 438-8928 or mail with payment to NICA, 1043 E. Brandon Blvd, Brandon, Fl 33511 or call NICA at (813) 438-8926 and register over the phone. No refunds. Checks, Money Orders and Credit Cards accepted. Make checks payable to NICA.

Attendee Reservation Form Name _________________________________________________________________ Member

□

Non-Member

□

Name of Business ___________________________________________________________________________________ Permanent Address __________________________________________________________________________________ City __________________________________________ State ____________ Zip _________________ Phone # (

) ____________________________ Cell Phone # (

)________________________

Email ______________________________________________ REGISTER ONLINE! WWW.NICAINC.ORG

DEADLINE FOR PRE-REGISTRATION IS JANUARY 25, 2013.

You can also fax your registration form to the NICA office at 813-438-8928, via email to nica@nicainc.org or call 813-438-8926. If you pre-register you will get an extra entry into the golf cart raffle! If you pre-register online, you will be entered into a raffle for a $100 gas card in addition to the golf cart raffle ticket.

Pick Your Booth Space Today! And we will see you in Tampa! Remember…Booth space is limited! The deadline booth space reservation will be December 14th! If you have not signed up to exhibit your products at the Food Show... pick your space now! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate in one of the best Food Shows in 2013!

Call now to exhibit!

Audrey Poole – Fare Foods, 618-542-2155 or apoole@farefoods.com

56 - 8’ X 10’ Booths in the Grand Ballroom

Hotel Reservation Form To reserve hotel accommodations for the NICA Business Expo & Fare Foods 2013 Food Show, please complete the following information and fax to Audrey Poole at Fare Foods (618) 542-4798 or e-mail apoole@farefoods.com. If you have any questions, please contact Fare Foods at (618) 542-2155. Name: First ___________________________ Last ________________________________________ Name of Business ___________________________________________________________________ Permanent Address __________________________________________________________________ City _________________________ State _____________________ Zip _________________________

Phone # (

) ___________________________Fax # (

) ______________________

Arrival Date __________________________Departure Date _________________________

Please check one:

Email _________________________________________________________________________

Number of Rooms ________________

□

King Bed Suite

□

2 Double Bed Suite

Credit Card# to guarantee reservation: _________________________________________ Expiration Date: ___________________________

NICA News

PRSRT STD U. S. POSTAGE PAID STEVENS POINT WI PERMIT NO. 272

National Independent Concessionaires Association, Inc. 1043 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511

Time Sensitive Mail ~ November 2012 Issue

And Other Great Prizes! * Carnival Cruise Package –(valued over $1500) a drawing will be held for all the members who refer new/former members in 2012. For every new/former member referred, the recruiting member will receive 1 chance to win the Carnival Cruise. * $500 Cash – For every new/former member referred, the recruiting member will receive 1 chance to win the $500. * Carnival Cruise Package - (valued over $1500) a drawing will be held for all the members who refer new/former members in 2012. * $500 NICA National Rep –member Winner of the National Rep contest will receive $500 cash and is eligible to win any of the For every new/former referred, the NICA recruiting member will receive 1 chance to win the Carnival Cruise. above-mentioned prizes. * $500 Cash - For every new/former member referred, the recruiting member will receive 1 chance to win the $500. * NICA National Rep Contest - Winner will receive $500 cash and is eligible to win any of the above-mentioned prizes.

All new and former members’ applications must be submitted to the NICA office within 30 days of receipt in order to be eligible for the contest. All new and former members’ applications must be submitted to the NICA office within 30 days of receipt in order to be eligible for the contest. be heldinin Tampa, Tampa, Florida in February 2013. DrawingsDrawings will betoheld Florida in February 2013.