Event Overview:

The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO is the largest show of its kind in the country. It is held each year in early December at DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Great Lakes EXPO, as it’s commonly known, was first held in December 2001 when the Michigan State Horticultural Society and the Michigan Vegetable Council combined their respective education and trade shows.

The EXPO offers an extensive education program with more than 70 sessions and workshops on a range of topics pertinent to fruit and vegetable growers and farm marketers. This includes greenhouse sessions, since the Michigan Greenhouse Growers EXPO is held in conjunction with the Great Lakes EXPO. The trade show has more than 400 exhibitors featuring a wide array of products and services of interest to specialty crop growers.

More than 4,200 registered for the most recent EXPO in December. In addition to the education program and trade show, the EXPO also offered bus tours for farm marketers and greenhouse growers.

The PREMIER SHOW for Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Greenhouse Growers and Farm Marketers!

INFORMATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM - 75 sessions and workshops over 3 days!
Fruit and vegetable commodities
General topics of special interest to growers
Farmers' Markets
Farm marketing ideas and issues
Greenhouse production and marketing
Organic Production and Marketing
TRADE SHOW with 380 exhibitors covering four acres of exhibit space in one hall!

Exhibitor Information:

We feel this is THE show to attend in North America!  There are 4 acres of exhibit space!

We are pleased to have the Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo join us again, their educational program will be held concurrently with the Great Lakes EXPO and they will be part of the trade show. This will bring in many new companies and members, enlarging our event even more.

Our combined membership for the 2012 convention was just under 4,000. The membership is not only from Michigan - 40 other states and 6 providences of Canada, as well as members from other international countries attended last year. This convention brings together, Tree Fruit, Brambles, Grapes, Vegetables and Greenhouse Growers, as well as all types of Farm Marketers.

We plan to have over 400 companies located in the exhibit hall. Some of the types of companies that exhibit include; seed, nurseries & packaging companies, chemical & fertilizer companies, equipment large & small, processing equipment, lending and leasing, insurance, and investment companies, as well as Greenhouse related products. There are also many private brand companies as well as entertainment exhibits for the farm markets. We have many state and federal agencies that also exhibit, updating the attendees on topics relating to regulations, programs and changes that are occurring.

This is a premier show that you will not want to miss! It is the show that starts the new season for the growers as well as exhibitors!

About MVC

In 1964, a group of vegetable industry leaders concluded that Michigan needed a state-wide vegetable organization. The intent was to bring together individual growers, along with commodity associations, processors, shippers and other trade people interested in promoting the welfare of the state's vegetable industry. As a result, the Michigan Vegetable Council Inc. was incorporated in 1964.

About Michigan State Horticultural Society

The Michigan State Horticultural Society (MSHS) is an educational organization with a mission "to encourage among the people a greater love for choice fruit products, to awaken a larger interest in Michigan's horticultural possibilities, and to offer practical suggestions along modern cultural and marketing methods". It was organized in 1870.

The Society has 1,250 members who are actively engaged in horticultural pursuits.