5 Reasons We’re Excited for the 2018 National Conference

Fair Trade Campaigns March 22, 2018

On March 23, over 300 individuals from businesses, NGOs, campuses, and campaigns will arrive at Georgetown University for the Fair Trade Campaigns National Conference. It’s been over five years since our last national gathering, and we are thrilled to be bringing this network together to connect, discuss, and learn from one another.

While there are certainly many more things that we’re looking forward to, here are the top five things we’re excited about right now.

1. Make New Connections

Throughout the conference, there will be opportunities to meet your fellow Fair Trade supporters and advocates, laying foundations for partnership, collaboration, and friendship. In addition to the conversations that will begin at meals and between sessions, we’re also hosting a series of Networking Roundtables on Saturday afternoon. Meet with representatives from advocacy organizations, mission-driven NGOs, businesses, and community campaigns to gain a deeper understanding of various facets of the Fair Trade landscape and discover alignment with your own work and interests. Special thanks for Kroger for sponsoring this networking opportunity.

2. Visit Georgetown University

We’re excited to be hosting this event in Washington, DC, on the beautiful Georgetown University campus. Join us on Sunday morning for a campus sustainability walk to learn more about the university’s current projects. We’ve also been working closely with campus dining to provide Fair Trade options for our conference meals. Special thanks to Aramark for their commitment to Fair Trade, and for their support as a conference sponsor.

I’m looking forward to meeting advocates from across the nation and getting together to discuss how we as students can take Fair Trade activism to the next level! There is so much power to create change on college campuses and I want Fair Trade Campaigns to harness that.
Celina – Monterey, CA

3. Dive Deep on Issues that Matter

With more than 20 sessions and well over 60 speakers, there’s a lot to be excited about on the conference agenda. We can’t wait to dive deep on sustainability, social justice, inclusive advocacy, the impact of Fair Trade, and so much more.

If you won’t be there in person, we still want to share this amazing content with you! Recordings of the general sessions will be available after the conference, and we’ll be sharing live updates all weekend. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #FTConf2018.

4. Celebrate How Far We’ve Come

We’ve come a long way since our last national gathering, with more advocates working on the ground, greater awareness of Fair Trade among the general public, and exponentially more Fair Trade products on store shelves across the country. We’re celebrating this leap towards making Fair Trade more accessible, taking it from niche markets to mainstream. We want to thank Target for helping us move the needle towards Fair Trade for all, and for their sponsorship of the conference.

5. Grow the Movement Together

Last but certainly not least, we are so excited to meet so many Fair Trade organizers, advocates, supporters and friends. We’re welcoming 350 attendees to this sold out event, including representatives from over 75 Town, College & University, School, and Congregation campaigns. We’d like to extend a special thank you to the Stiller Family Foundation, who’s generous support made it possible for us to offer travel stipends to campaign organizers who otherwise would not have been able to attend.

I am most excited about being introduced to hundreds of other advocates around the nation who share the same passion to change the world through Fair Trade advocacy.  By developing more personal connections with other like-minded citizens we can tap into larger networks that will make our advocacy more impactful and collaborative.
Travis – Albany, NY


This event is made possible thanks to the support of our generous sponsors.

 

         

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Fair Trade Campaigns, National Organizer, Fair Trade Communities