I attended my first-ever ABF national convention in Las Vegas earlier this month. In many ways it's a typical small (about 1,000 participants) industry trade show, complete with speakers, social events and vendors. But with everything about beekeeping it was a plethora of information.
The majority of attendees were commercial beekeepers, educators and manufacturers. A hobby beekeeper felt a little isolated. But there is always something new to learn and great people to meet.
Would I recommend it for all hobby and backyard beekeepers? Probably not. It can be a big expense to travel and spend a few days at an event that is primarily focused on commercial beekeeping. If you want deep dives on bee mating and the upcoming almond bloom in California, then this conference is for you. If you're more interested in what will work for your own small apiary in your geographic area, you're better off attending the local beekeeping association meeting in your area.
Jamie Ellis and others taught bee health, varroa management and pesticide information from an academic point of view.
Some shared maybe a little too much info...
We met new friends like Leonard & Dolly at Rocky Mountain Bee Supply and Jack with Little Mule. https://rockymountainbeesupply.com/
And found cool new products like these amazing top bar hives that are a big improvement on the traditional design. They are hand-made by Frank at The Bee Space Company in Volente, Texas. https://www.topbarhive.com/
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