Sausagefest STRATEGIES By Keith Nunes knunes@sosland.com N.M.A.'s Gourmet Sausagefest is an event unlike any other T he National Meat Association's Gourmet Sausagefest is a unique event that brings the group's members together for an evening of tasting and celebration. Participants in the annual event enter their products, N.M.A. members sample the fare, and at the end of the evening a winner is declared. Over the years, the event has taken on a life of its own. The Gourmet Sausagefest, however, started as a small idea. The staff of the Oakland, Calif.-based trade association was sitting around in 1993 brainstorming different types of events they could put on to make their annual convention more enjoyable. "I don't remember who came up with the idea, but we all agreed it was worth a try," says Rosemary Mucklow, executive director of N.M.A. Entry is open to all N.M.A. general members that produce sausage or similar products. The winner is then selected by attendees in a blind taste test to 16 I MEAT&POULTRY I February 2005 I www.MEATPOULTRY.com Photos courtesy of National Meat Associationhttp://www.MEATPOULTRY.com