Working Together to Create a Unified Voice for Vermont’s Equine Industry, Horses, Vermont Agriculture & Tourism
By Pam Knights, Vermont Horse Council
The brainchild of a Vermont Horse Council board member and past president, the Equine Industry Summit is back! After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the 6th summit, Working Together to Create a Unified Voice for Vermont’s Equine Industry, takes place on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
The event is co-hosted by the Green Mountain Horse Association (GMHA) in South Woodstock at the Youth Center. The program features a keynote address by equestrian legend Denny Emerson of Tamarack Hill Farm, five informative sessions, lunch, and networking opportunities.
The driving force behind the Equine Industry Summit is the afore-mentioned VHC member Heidi Krantz. The grant she secured from Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement is being used to brand the event, create marketing tools, and a strategic promotional plan. This enables VHC to reach a broader segment of the equine industry and related businesses. It also helps to raise awareness of the economic and esthetic contributions equines make in Vermont.
The Equine Industry Summit helps to attract new VHC members, raise sponsorship support to run the event and raise operating capital for VHC. The Vermont Horse Council is an all-volunteer, non-profit educational 501-c3 funded through memberships, fundraising events, donations, and grants.
According to Heidi Krantz, “The Equine Industry Summit is a pet project of mine. I think it is important to bring the diverse interests of the equine community in Vermont together to network, compare concerns and successes, and importantly to envision the future of the industry. It's a day filled with conversation, education, and opportunity”.
VHC’s President Jeannette Cole says, “The Equine Industry Summit provides an opportunity to meet with our business community, to help build important connections between consumers, government, educational institutions, and membership. In turn it helps to fulfill our vision of promoting a thriving equine community in Vermont. I am honored and pleased to be a part of this special event, and equally to be associated with so many professionals within Vermont. We hope equine business owners and enthusiasts join us for this exciting event!”
For more information and to register for the summit visit VtHorseCouncil.org/summit/ .
To have a voice in the future of Vermont’s equine industry, register online by April 1 for early bird and new member specials.
