TEXSOM is growing in its new venue at Irving Convention Center, which is allowing us to offer more opportunities to the Sommer Camp participants and to include more industry professionals in the event.
Sommer Camp is the premier volunteer experience at the TEXSOM Conference. Volunteers have exclusive educational opportunities that are not available to other conference participants to include: educational tastings, skills training, networking with peers and mentors, Sommer Camp Lounges and Polishing Events, and contending for multiple scholarships.
Pre-Conference Education
This year, we will continue our series of Sommer Camp Chat seminars, workshops, and tastings in our pre-conference schedule that are exclusive to confirmed Sommer Camp participants.
Sponsored education for confirmed Sommer Campers will continue, and 2024 Partners include: Bordeaux CIVB, Champagne Taittinger, Coombsville Vintners & Growers, DO Cava, Donnachadh Family Wines, E&J Gallo, Gregory + Vine, Hirsch Vineyards, Indigenous Selections, Languedoc, Moet Hennessy, Oregon Wine, Pernod-Ricard USA, Santa Margherita USA, Southern Glazer’s Distributors of Texas, TEXSOM Awards, Texas Fine Wine, Virginia Wine, Wine Australia, Wines of Chile, Wines of South Africa, and more to be announced!
Once we move to the main conference days, you’ll have opportunities to continue education alongside conference attendees while also enjoying exclusive to you opportunities in lounges, polishing events, dinners with conference speakers, and more!
Scholarship Opportunities
The Merendino Foundation and Ethics Suite have graciously renewed scholarship opportunities again this year for a series of awards totaling over $5,000. Scholarship details are shared at the conference and awards distributed at the Sommer Camp Appreciation Event on Tuesday, August 29th.
Sommer Camp Benefits
Volunteers have access to mentored education, the chance to connect with professionals from all over the world, the experience of learning side by side with industry leaders, and the opportunity to gain relevant skills for all beverage professionals. Exposure to world class, and sometimes rare, beverages of all types affords those who join the team to see, taste, and carefully prepare and serve things you may have only read about. Mentors celebrate the knowledge you bring to the event and make every effort to send you home with new ways of executing tasks or new thought processes for solving challenges to real life scenarios in hospitality. Everyone who serves on this team learns the importance of community, camaraderie, and the value of teamwork.
Due to the large number of volunteers each year, TEXSOM is not able to provide air travel, accommodations or local transportation to and from the conference, but we do negotiate with hotels for discounted rates. Accommodations and TEXSOM group rates at various hotels will be announced upon opening of TEXSOM conference registration at rates between $159 and $195 plus tax and fees per night. Double occupancy rooms are limited and available. In addition, there are other options for accommodations near the conference venue, Irving Convention Center, that can be booked outside the TEXSOM room blocks.
TEXSOM provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days you are scheduled, and most meals include additional tastings and education exclusive to Sommer Campers.
TEXSOM SOMMER CAMP ELIGIBILITY
We encourage all interested enthusiasts and beverage trade professionals to submit an expression of interest form for Sommer Camp. Participants must be 21 years of age or older.
Please be advised your completed form is not a registration to the TEXSOM Conference and does not guarantee a Sommer Camp position. As time slots fill, we will remove options from the form and advise all interested to submit a form as early as possible to secure your preferred schedule. Forms will be reviewed for compliance (age and availability) and participation will be confirmed utilizing the following distribution schedule:
Forms submitted by June 14th will be confirmed by Friday, June 21st.
Forms submitted after June 14th will be confirmed by July 19th.
Forms submitted after July 19th will be confirmed as soon as possible.
Confirmed participants may help execute the conference beginning with load-in and set-up on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, continuing through the week and weekend, and concluding with load-out on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. The form gives you the option to customize your availability for the specific days and times you would like to volunteer. Whether you choose two days or the full schedule, we pledge to build in lots of education and tasting opportunities. Please only select days and times for which you plan to attend, as the courtesy of your participation for your selections is expected. Your participation is not contingent on volunteering for multiple shifts per day. You can always add on to your schedule after you arrive!
If you know anyone who may benefit and want to participate, please forward the email to them with our permission.
Sommer Camp Education Partnerships are available for confirmation. Please send all inquiries to amie@texsom.com.
All participants at the TEXSOM Conference must be 21 years of age or older and are required to sign the TEXSOM Participant Code of Conduct and Ethics agreement. The TEXSOM Conference is a professional educational event for wine, food & beverage service, and hospitality professionals.