Meet the Cheesemaker takes place during the ACS Annual Conference. The event enables producers of cheese and cultured dairy products to meet with and sample products to hundreds of key industry distributors, retailers, buyers, and food writers from throughout North America.
REGISTRATION CLOSED. Please reach out to [email protected] for any questions.
Date and Time of Meet The Cheesemaker
Thursday, July 20
11:00 am – 2:30 pm: Meet the Cheesemaker Load In
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Retailer and Distributor Preview
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Open to all Attendees
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Meet the Cheesemaker Load Out
Shipping to Meet the Cheesemaker
Shipping to the Iowa Event Center – all shipping information can be found on the Shipping to the ACS Conference page.
Hand Delivering to the Iowa Event Center Prior to Meet the Cheesemaker on Thursday, July 20
RECEIVING DAY SCHEDULE
- Shipments from Common, Private Carriers will be accepted between 10:00 am – 4:00 pm on July 17th and July 18th at an open Hy-Vee Hall loading bay, #s 2-5, accessible from 5th St. and Center. These will all be received by Fern Expo.
- Hand Deliveries will be accepted between 10:00 am – 4:00 pm on July 17th and July 18th at an open Hy-Vee Hall loading bay, #s 2-5, accessible from 5th St. and Center. This is an active loading and unloading zone only, no parking. You can relocate your vehicle to the Far North Lot located north of Veterans Auditorium. Ask for the ACS Receiving Manager to check your product in upon your arrival. A hand delivery is defined by anything that can be delivered by hand carrying or the use of a personal dolly to go to show floor. If a shipment needs a larger flat cart, forklift, pallet jack, or a loading dock to be delivered, it needs to be checked in by Fern Expo.
Meet the Cheesemaker participants are responsible for costs associated with shipping and material handling if items are not hand delivered. If a delivery is in need of dock space, a fork lift, or larger than a personal dolly, material handling services will be required.
Exhibiting at Meet the Cheesemaker
In order to reserve a table at Meet the Cheesemaker, you must be an American Organizational Member of ACS who is eligible to enter our Judging & Competition. Table reservations for Meet the Cheesemaker are separate from your ACS Conference registration and must be processed using your Organizational Membership credentials. Space is limited, and reservations are open until all tables are filled.
Meet the Cheesemaker registration includes:
- 2 staff
- 1 skirted table, 2 chairs
Register for Meet the Cheesemaker here.
| Meet the Cheesemaker Table Fees | Rate | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $250 | March 8 | March 20 |
| Early | $275 | March 21 | June 26 |
| Regular | $325 | June 27 | July 7 |
Attending Meet the Cheesemaker
Admission is open to all ACS Conference registrants (full registrants and Thursday Day Pass holders).
If you are a registrant and would like to purchase additional passes, guest passes may be purchased during the Conference registration process, or by contacting the ACS office.
Marketplace Sponsors at Meet the Cheesemaker
Sponsors have the opportunity to add a non-cheese product table with sampling at Meet the Cheesemaker for $1,500. To participate you must be an Organizational Member of ACS.
Meet the Cheesemaker Marketplace Sponsor registration includes:
- 2 Staff
- 1 Networking Passes (for use by one staff attending Meet the Cheesemaker)
- 1 skirted table, 2 chairs
Register as a Marketplace Sponsor here. Space is limited.
For sampling of beer, wine, cider or liquor, the Iowa Events Center does not require the vendor to submit an Alcohol Authorization Request form or COI.
Sampling sizes:
- Beverages limited to maximum 3 oz. container (Alcoholic Beverages limited to 1 oz.)
- Food items limited to “bite size” or 1 oz.
REGISTRATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Cancellations
Cancellation requests are accepted for Meet the Cheesemaker and Marketplace sponsors and must be submitted in writing. Registrations are refundable up to three (3) weeks prior to the first day of Conference less a $75 administrative processing fee. Refunds will be processed within two (2) weeks of approval of cancellation request to the original method of payment. After June 27th, registrations are NOT refundable.
MEET THE CHEESEMAKER PARTICIPANTS
| Alemar Cheese | MN | Fox River Dairy | MO | Point Reyes Farmstead | CA |
| Alpinage Cheese | WI | Frisian Farms Cheese | IA | Prairie Farms | IA |
| Baetje Farms | MO | Fromagerie Bergeron | QC | Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery | IL |
| BALFOUR FARM LLC | ME | Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy | PA | Real California Milk | CA |
| Beecher's Handmade Cheese | WA | Green Dirt Farm, LLC | MO | Redhead Creamery | MN |
| Beehive Cheese Company | UT | Grison Dairy & Creamery | MO | Rogue Creamery | OR |
| BelGioioso Cheese Inc. | WI | Idyll Farms LLC | MI | Sach Foods | CA |
| Belle Chevre / Chevoo | AL | Jacobs and Brichford Farmstead Cheese | IN | Savencia Cheese USA | PA |
| Bellwether Farms | CA | Jason Wiebe Dairy | KS | Sequatchie Cove Creamery | TN |
| Blakesville Creamery | WI | Kalona Organics LLC | IA | Shadow Brook Farm and Dutch Girl Creamery | NE |
| Boxcarr Handmade Cheese | NC | Klondike Cheese Co | WI | Shelburne Farms | VT |
| BUf Creamery | VA | LaClare Creamery | WI | Shepherd's Way Farms | MN |
| Cabot Creamery Cooperative | VT | Lactalis American Group | NY | Sierra Nevada Cheese | CA |
| Capriole, Inc | IN | Landmark Creamery | WI | Spring Brook Farm Cheese | VT |
| Cato Corner Farm | CT | Laura Chenel | CA | Sweet Grass Dairy | GA |
| Cellars as Jasper Hill | VT | Marieke Gouda | WI | The Grey Barn and Farm | MA |
| Central Coast Creamery | CA | Marin French Cheese Co. | CA | The Mystic Cheese Company | CT |
| Cheese of Wisconsin | WI | Milton Creamery | IA | Tulip Tree Creamery | IN |
| Cowgirl Creamery | CA | MouCo Cheese Company | CO | Uplands Cheese | WI |
| Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese LLC | WI | Mozzarella Company | TX | Urban Stead Cheese | OH |
| Cypress Grove | CA | Nettle Meadow | NY | Vermont Creamery | VT |
| Deer Creek Cheese | WI | Old Chatham Creamery | NY | Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co. | VT |
| Di Stefano Cheese | CA | Oregon Cheese Guild | OR | Village Cheeseworks | VA |
| Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery | WI | Perrystead Dairy | PA | Widmer's Cheese Cellars, Inc. | WI |
| Face Rock Creamery | OR | Pine River Pre Pack, Inc | WI | Wisconsin Aging and Grading Cheese | WI |
| FireFly Farms Inc. | MD | Pleasant Lane Farms Creamery | PA | ||
| Four Fat Fowl | NY | Plymouth Cheese | VT |
MARKETPLACE SPONSORS
| Alexian Pate & Specialty Meats | Fortune Fish & Gourmet | Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker |
| B's Gourmet Nuts | Inés Rosales | Smoking Goose |
| Calanna Specialty Foods | Janet's Finest Compotes | Sunday Night Foods |
| Creminelli Fine Meats | La Panzanella | Three Little Pigs |
| Effie's Homemade | Olympia Provisions | Wilson's Orchard & Farm |
| Fine Food Holdings - Olina's Bakehouse | Raincoast Crisps | |
| Fortune Favors | Rustic Bakery |