Plan: 2011 Candy and Confectionery Conference

[Kerry Beal]

Hello Kerry,

I am a new Ecole Chocolat graduate from Milton, ON, and new eG member, although I have been reading the content for quite a while now. I was wondering if I could join the participant list for the conference? I have lots and lots more to learn, and this would be a great opportunity. I hope I am not too late in responding. Please let me know if I may attend.

Thank you,

Diana

Not too late at all - make sure you grab hotel res soon if you need them as I think they expire April 14th.

[Kerry Beal]

]

Pretty Definite Attendees

Chris Hennes +1 (+1 states she is coming with or without him!)

Robert M

curls

dhardy123

ElsieD

Darienne

David J

Beth Wilson (-2)

ArtMills +1

chocolot

MelissaH

plus one

chocoera

Helen S

mkayhara +1

Rob K

Sue Casey

DianeM

Maybe

Edward J

prasantrin

Rick Mogstad

psantucci

[Kerry Beal]

Another thing has come up we need to consider. Plus one as you know is in thick with the Casa Mia folks and yesterday they offered to let us have our Friday evening 'show and tell' in the restaurant after we have our dinner.

It would mean someone would have to run our chocolate over there (or we drop it in the am before we head across the border) but that is not a huge problem I don't think. It's probably a 15 minute drive tops between the restaurant and the hotel.

Does anyone have an issue with this? I suspect the only issue would be the people who aren't going across to Tomric and might still be in NOTL and would need a ride to the restaurant.

[RobertM]

I don't see any issue - and am available to run chocolates if necessary, (that sounds so bootlegish...) or to don my cab driver hat and give taxi rides to attendees -

[Gene]

Hi Kerry,

I am a new member and would like to attend the conference. I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York years ago but have just started to explore chocolate and confections and thought this would be a great opportunity to learn and meet some of you. I will be driving up from Queens, NY so my car will be available if needed and my wife's family is from Buffalo so I am somewhat familiar with driving in that area.

Please let me know if there is any personal or contact information I need to provide for the events. Also, I noticed the hotel room block expires on the 14th so I will take care of that very soon.

Thanks,

Gene

[Kerry Beal]

Hi Kerry,

I am a new member and would like to attend the conference. I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York years ago but have just started to explore chocolate and confections and thought this would be a great opportunity to learn and meet some of you. I will be driving up from Queens, NY so my car will be available if needed and my wife's family is from Buffalo so I am somewhat familiar with driving in that area.

Please let me know if there is any personal or contact information I need to provide for the events. Also, I noticed the hotel room block expires on the 14th so I will take care of that very soon.

Thanks,

Gene

Welcome Gene - glad you will be able to join us.

Send me a PM with your contact info.

[Kerry Beal]

Pretty Definite Attendees

Chris Hennes +1 (+1 states she is coming with or without him!)

Robert M

curls

dhardy123

ElsieD

Darienne

David J

Beth Wilson (-2)

ArtMills +1

chocolot

MelissaH

plus one

chocoera

Helen S

mkayhara +1

Rob K

Sue Casey

DianaM

Gene

Maybe

Edward J

prasantrin

Rick Mogstad

psantucci

[MelissaH]

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to back out. Something else has come up, and I need to be in Ithaca on Friday afternoon/evening. While I could still come to Buffalo for the morning events, by the time I drove to Buffalo, then to Ithaca, and then home again, I'd be putting nearly 400 miles on the car, which is more than I can manage alone (and still be able to do what I need to in those places).

Unless someone wants to hire me a limo and driver for a very long day?

MelissaH

[Kerry Beal]

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to back out. Something else has come up, and I need to be in Ithaca on Friday afternoon/evening. While I could still come to Buffalo for the morning events, by the time I drove to Buffalo, then to Ithaca, and then home again, I'd be putting nearly 400 miles on the car, which is more than I can manage alone (and still be able to do what I need to in those places).

Unless someone wants to hire me a limo and driver for a very long day?

MelissaH

Oh darn - we'll all have to keep buying those lottery tickets so we can afford those limos and drivers!

[plus one]

Plus one is now going to be plus one x2. I am going to bring my assistant Teresa to the conference. Please add her to the list of attendees. Plus one and number 2.

[Kerry Beal]

Plus one is now going to be plus one x2. I am going to bring my assistant Teresa to the conference. Please add her to the list of attendees. Plus one and number 2.

That's wonderful - Teresa will be a lot of fun at the conference!

[Kerry Beal]

Pretty Definite Attendees

Chris Hennes +1 (+1 states she is coming with or without him!)

Robert M

curls

dhardy123

ElsieD

Darienne

David J

Beth Wilson (-2)

ArtMills +1

chocolot

MelissaH

plus one +1

chocoera

Helen S

mkayhara +1

Rob K

Sue Casey

DianaM

Gene

Maybe

Edward J

prasantrin

Rick Mogstad

psantucci

Edited April 15, 2011 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Chris Hennes]

I've realized this week how out of practice I am... I need to do some serious confectionery work this month! hard to believe it's so close now. Kerry, can you post an updated schedule with what's what where as it stands right now?

[Kerry Beal]

I've realized this week how out of practice I am... I need to do some serious confectionery work this month! hard to believe it's so close now. Kerry, can you post an updated schedule with what's what where as it stands right now?

On my list of things to do - will get that up in the next day or so.

[Kerry Beal]

Ok - let's see if I can put this all together

1. Thursday evening - I will arrive in NOTL (probably after running back and forth from my place several times on Wed and Thurs).

2. Friday am - off to Tomric in Buffalo - folks already in NOTL should probably organize themselves so that we can go in less cars (might prove useful for later in the day if designated drivers are required). Plan to arrive at Tomric around 10 am or so. Anyone who is already on the other side of the border might want to meet us at Tomric at 10 or after. Don't forget you need a valid passport to cross the border!

Might be best if americans travel with americans and canadians with canadians only to minimize agro at the border crossing.

Any americans coming across might want to talk with a Canadian and see if there is any cheap booze the Canadian might want to have purchased for them at the duty free! Cause limits for americans coming across are very different from limits for Canadians. And we Canadians love cheap booze!

Tomric Systems

85 River Rock Drive #202

Buffalo, New York 14207

USA

Phone: (716) 854-6050

3. During the day in Tomric some folks might head off and check out the candy companies in Buffalo or Mod Pak. We Canadians might take the opportunity to hit Wegmans and get some goodies (which we might then ask the Americans to bring across the border for us!)

4. Probably expect to be out of Tomric sometime between 3 and 4 in the after noon and head back across to Niagara Falls where we will meet for dinner at Casa Mia. We will expect to arrive there sometime between 5 and 6 depending on difficulties at the border etc.

Casa Mia

3518 Portage Road

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Phone (905) 356-5410

Toll Free 1-888-956-5410

Dinner is $25/head.

The plan is to do our 'show and tell' at Casa Mia after dinner - so if we want to do any extra drinking, that won't be included in the $25 each.

5. Head back to the hotel to sleep off any excesses.

Hilton Garden Inn Niagara-on-the-Lake

500 York Road

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0

(905) 984-4200

6. Saturday morning - about 9 - at Niagara College we will plan to start. There will be breakfasty stuff laid out.

Any special requests for breakfast let me know - part of my running around on Wed and Thurs will be obtaining all our food for those brekkies and lunches.

Niagara College Canada

Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus

135 Taylor Road,

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario L0S 1J0

Phone: 905-641-2252

Note - College is very close to the Hilton Garden Inn - but likely you'll want to car pool.

7. From 9:30 or so Derrick will teach stuff - I'm not sure how long he will go - but if he decides to do a half day thing - then after lunch we'll start playing. Likely we'll go until around 5 pm or so.

8. Head back to the hotel to freshen up a bit - then back to the college for around 6:30 for dinner. Bring your appetite!

9. Sunday am - again around 9 am to start - we'll just play all day - we will have stations set up for various projects and we'll just wander from place to place doing whatever we want to learn. There will be a guitar for cutting (then we'll have to dip stuff), silk screening, caramel, pate de fruit, air brushing, making free form transfers...

10. Likely go until around 4 on Sunday - allowing ourselves some packing and cleaning time.

So what do you need to bring?

a. Anything you want! - if you are bringing molds, dipping forks etc - make sure you label then - don't want things to go missing.

b. An apron would be a good idea.

c. Containers for taking stuff home in securely - that's always a challenge - so if you've got good ones - bring them along.

Questions?

[RobertM]

I will work with Brian at Tomric to figure out the schedule between what he's going to do and the visit to the candy store - once I get particular's I will post those for all -

[Darienne]

Hi Kerry,

Would you please give us a for instance of what 'goodies' we Canucks can expect to find at Wegman's?

And a bit more info about bringing Everclear across the border, seeing as we have never done that before. (We are always more than 7 days in the USA). So we go to the Duty Free and each buy the prescribed amount of Everclear 1.something litres, and then when we hit the border, we say we have this liquor and they say....and we pay.... Thanks.

Oh...no rush on this...

Edited April 15, 2011 by Darienne (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Hi Kerry,

Would you please give us a for instance of what 'goodies' we Canucks can expect to find at Wegman's?

And a bit more info about bringing Everclear across the border, seeing as we have never done that before. (We are always more than 7 days in the USA). So we go to the Duty Free and each buy the prescribed amount of Everclear 1.something litres, and then when we hit the border, we say we have this liquor and they say....and we pay.... Thanks.

Oh...no rush on this...

Wegmans is a high end grocery store. There are tons of things to get there.

If you have been across the border for more than 3 days your limit is $400 and in that you can bring back 1 litre of liquor. You shouldn't have to pay any duty on that if you aren't over your limits.

[curls]

Kerry,

Thanks for organizing this! Great to see the plans coming together.

Any idea yet on pricing for Saturday's dinner and for the conference? Also, do you think we might get a discount on purchases at Tomric?

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry,

Thanks for organizing this! Great to see the plans coming together.

Any idea yet on pricing for Saturday's dinner and for the conference? Also, do you think we might get a discount on purchases at Tomric?

Oh sorry - forgot to put that in there. I think the conference will work out to about $125 each and the dinner about $35.

[Chris Hennes]

Is that Canadian $?

[Kerry Beal]

Is that Canadian $?

Indeed it is!

[Darienne]

Hi Kerry,

Would you please give us a for instance of what 'goodies' we Canucks can expect to find at Wegman's?

And a bit more info about bringing Everclear across the border, seeing as we have never done that before. (We are always more than 7 days in the USA). So we go to the Duty Free and each buy the prescribed amount of Everclear 1.something litres, and then when we hit the border, we say we have this liquor and they say....and we pay.... Thanks.

Oh...no rush on this...

Wegmans is a high end grocery store. There are tons of things to get there.

If you have been across the border for more than 3 days your limit is $400 and in that you can bring back 1 litre of liquor. You shouldn't have to pay any duty on that if you aren't over your limits.

Sorry, Kerry, my carelessness. I should have added ...and we have never been across the border for fewer than 3 days, usually more than a month at a time.

In other words, this will be our very first experience of making a purchase in the USA on the same day of both crossing into the USA and returning to Canada.

So, now we will be going across in the morning and returning in the evening of the same day, and we don't know what to expect. The little official booklet certainly doesn't answer my questions clearly. Will we be allowed to bring in more than 1.14 litres of Everclear if we pay the taxes and duties on it? Do you have any idea of what these taxes and duties will be? Is it worth doing?

I would love to have some Everclear again for making liqueurs, but have no idea of how the border situation works.

Thanks.

[Kerry Beal]

Hi Kerry,

Would you please give us a for instance of what 'goodies' we Canucks can expect to find at Wegman's?

And a bit more info about bringing Everclear across the border, seeing as we have never done that before. (We are always more than 7 days in the USA). So we go to the Duty Free and each buy the prescribed amount of Everclear 1.something litres, and then when we hit the border, we say we have this liquor and they say....and we pay.... Thanks.

Oh...no rush on this...

Wegmans is a high end grocery store. There are tons of things to get there.

If you have been across the border for more than 3 days your limit is $400 and in that you can bring back 1 litre of liquor. You shouldn't have to pay any duty on that if you aren't over your limits.

Sorry, Kerry, my carelessness. I should have added ...and we have never been across the border for fewer than 3 days, usually more than a month at a time.

In other words, this will be our very first experience of making a purchase in the USA on the same day of both crossing into the USA and returning to Canada.

So, now we will be going across in the morning and returning in the evening of the same day, and we don't know what to expect. The little official booklet certainly doesn't answer my questions clearly. Will we be allowed to bring in more than 1.14 litres of Everclear if we pay the taxes and duties on it? Do you have any idea of what these taxes and duties will be? Is it worth doing?

I would love to have some Everclear again for making liqueurs, but have no idea of how the border situation works.

Thanks.

I avoid bringing booze across if I'm less than 3 days - even if I'm prepared to pay the duty. I figure it increases the risk of having the car torn apart.

I'd ask one of the cars with US citizens coming across to bring it for you. They are allowed to bring enough for their 'own use' while in Canada.

[prasantrin]

If the little booklet isn't helping, call the number on the little booklet. They'll be better prepared to answer your questions.

And as for "is it worth it", well, that all depends on you, doesn't it? How much do you want what you're buying, and how much money are you willing to pay (and work are you willing to do) to get it? Not really a question other people can answer for you.