2012 NEWSLETTER N 1

 2012 - EPIA NEWSLETTER N°1         

 Dear EPIA Members,

 We hope that you and your family had very nice Christmas time. All the Board joins me to wish you a very prosperous year 2012!

 The EPIA conference in Barcelonalast November was a real success with a record attendance of more than 100 participants. Professional development workshops, sales techniques role-playing, HACCP certification discussions and training, producer and supplier matchups using the concept of “speed dating”, discussions and ad hoc meetings among members kept all of you very busy throughout these few days. Fortunately, we all had time for relaxing at night, starting with the welcoming open-bar cocktail party in the park of the hotel under the 17^th century watch tower, followed the next night by the very interesting and fun team-building event “Treasure Hunt”, and the last night, but not the least energetic, a Bar Crawl through the some of the most interesting bars in Barcelona. Finally, on Saturday morning, some members went to discover Gaudi’s masterpiece the “Sagrada Familia”.

 The time has already come to prepare this year conference and so far, we can confirm that it will be hosted by one of our English members, J. Marr inYork, West Yorkshire inUK. We will keep you informed as soon as the date has been confirmed.  I would like to thank Polly Marr for her enthusiasm to host the 2012 conference.

 COMMITTEES

Special thanks to all committee’s members and chairmen for the extra work they are putting up for the benefit of the association.

 Here is the list of all the Committees Chairpersons for 2012

 Membership Committee: Co-Chairpersons Mariana Micheva - Cemako from Bulgaria and Encarna Benito Martin - Cubitos de Hielo Duero   in Spain

• Technology Committee: Florin Popovici - Instant Ice -Romania
• Legal Committee:  Fabrizio Fiori Nastro - QB Ghiaccio -Italy
• Marketing Committee: Paul Doughty - J. Marr -U.K.
• Finance Committee: Pedro Torres -Spain
• Standards Committee: Bill Bentley - Ice World Journal -USA

 Marketing Committee - has begun to formalize how to implement the goals discussed during the convention inBarcelona.  Once the goals are completely defined with a clear path toward accomplishment, the information will be displayed on the EPIA website, Facebook page, distributed to our members in upcoming newsletters, and discussed in articles in the Ice World Journal.

 Standards Committee - is working to implement your consensus during the conference that non-certified members will be full members of the association but will not be permitted to use the EPIA logo on their bags or any marketing material, including the web site.  We ask for your cooperation on this matter. The EPIA logo is in the final approval stage now and will be displayed on the website and distributed to the certified members in the appropriate formats very soon.

 PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND MARYSE A COPY OF YOUR HACCP COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE!

 Legal Committee - is working diligently to develop the new association bylaws and other documents in order to register and re-establish the EPIA banking operations in Spain.

 Technology Committee - started the process to automate the internet site in order to deal with membership fees online and activation of sponsorship banners.

 Membership Committee - has begun to develop ways to find packaged ice producers, distributors, and suppliers who strive to maintain the level of professionalism that meets the EPIA standards.  These are the candidate companies that we would like to encourage to become members of the EPIA.

 Your Board of Directors and committee members thank you for your participation and guidance during the 2011 convention and ask for your continued support during 2012.  I will keep you aware of our progress throughout the year so that we can all work together to make the EPIA a strong voice in the packaged ice industry.

  Your Chairman,

 Giuseppe Olivetti.