Attendees at ROAM Conference 2016 in Las Vegas.

Attendees at ROAM Conference 2016 in Las Vegas.

Thinking about attending a food truck convention this year? There could be one happening right in your backyard that you weren’t even aware of. In this post, we’ve compiled the dates and times for the biggest food truck conferences in 2017 so you know where and when they’re happening. We’ve also included direct links to the conference websites so you can find more information.

Whether you’re a current food truck owner or considering getting into the business these events can be enormously beneficial. Some of these conferences feature multiple tracks, some exclusively help you understand what it takes to start a food truck business while others are for veteran owners that want to improve their current businesses.

Finally, each one of these conferences offers the opportunity to meet and connect with other folks in the industry. That could be a fellow food truck owner to someone that specializes in mobile food insurance to expert food truck builders. Learn more details of each upcoming event below.

 Columbus Mobile Food Conference & Expo

custom concessionsWhen: February 25th – 26th

About: This year marks the 2nd year of the Columbus Mobile Food Conference & Expo. Last year over 200 food vendors and aspiring entrepreneurs attended. Organizers Chas Kaplan and Mike Gallicchio are hoping for even bigger numbers this year. If you currently own a food truck, cart, trailer or think you might like to this is the event for you.

The attractive aspect of this event is how many actual food truck vendors are keynoting and sharing their stories, including Jim Comyns, Katie Marks, and Neil Hertenstein. This is an opportunity to learn from entrepreneurs in the trenches that really understand what it takes to operate a food business on wheels.

Where: Dublin, Ohio

Website: http://colsmobilefoodconf.com

The Work Truck Show

When: March 14th – 17th

About: Although not a food truck convention exclusively per say, if you’re in the market for a new food truck or sprinter van this is a great place to go. This is a huge 3-day convention that attracts all the big players in the work truck industry. In addition Morgan Olson, the company behind manufacturing the shell behind many of the food trucks you see on the road today will be unveiling a new foundation food truck walk-in van design at the event. If you live in the Indianapolis area you’ll want to check out this event.

Where: Indianapolis, Indiana

Website: WorkTruckShow.com

Capital City Food Truck Convention

When: June 3rd & 4th

About: Judging from the lineup of speakers that the 2017 Capital City Food Truck Convention this event is poised to be one of the best of the year. Two of the convention speakers are previous guests on the podcast including Che Rudell Tabisola of BBQ Bus, Joel Paprocki of Insure My Food Trailer, and Robert Frommer from Institute of Justice. The topics covered in this event are equally impressive with seminars on wholesale purchasing, marketing, licensing, food truck safety, and the fast-changing regulations of the industry.

Where:

Doc 5
1309 5th St NE
Washington, DC 20002.

Website: DMFTA.org

ROAM Conference

When: October 6th – 7th

About: FoodTruckEmpire.com attended this conference last year in Las Vegas and had a great time. This year ROAM will be heading to Oklahoma City. This event has a nice mix of presenters at the event that range from current food truck owners to businesses that serve the industry, including insurance experts and builders. Last year there were around 5 different trucks at the event that you could walk-in and see as well, which was a nice touch. The overall vibe of ROAM is casual and you’ll no doubt meet a lot of great people by attending this years event.

Where: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Website: ROAMConference.com

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