IPC Reveals Grand Prize for 2017 Potato Lover’s Month Retail Display Contest

The Idaho Potato Commission has revealed that first-place retail display winners will set sail in the Caribbean for a seven-night getaway in an ocean-view stateroom.  

“We are delighted to be able to offer six all-expenses-paid vacations for two on Celebrity Cruises as grand prizes for the 26th annual contest,” says IPC marketing manager Jamie Bowen. “The winning entrants and their category managers will be able to select from an eastern or western Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Cruises Silhouette, for an approximate total retail value of $5,700 per prize. It’s the perfect reward for all of the hard work that goes into making these incredibly creative Idaho potato displays that customers love, featuring Idaho potatoes and our partner, HORMEL Real Bacon Bits.”

The Grand Prize Celebrity Cruises package includes: ocean-view stateroom (nonsmoking, double occupancy, two twins or one queen bed), airfare, and $500 allowance for incidentals, such as ground transportation, port hotels and beverages aboard ship. 

The IPC Potato Lover’s Month Retail Display Contest, which will run for nine weeks from mid-January to mid-March 2017, will also award a free Marley Chant Mini Portable Bluetooth audio speaker system to everyone who enters. The convenient high-quality speaker features up to six hours of wireless play and a built-in microphone for use as a speaker phone.

Each in-store display should incorporate clearly marked fresh Idaho potatoes (bag, bulk or both), an Idaho dehydrated potato product and HORMEL Real Bacon Bits; potato products from other states cannot be included. The IPC 2017 contest point-of-sale materials must also be incorporated into the display. This year’s special-themed display kit includes two double-sided Potato Lover’s Month logo display signs, one large and two small double-sided signs with appetizing photos, and two inflatable Mylar Spuddy Buddy balloons. In addition, clip art and recipes are available on the IPC website.  

Retailers will compete with other same-size stores in one of three categories: 1-5 cash registers, 6-9 cash registers, or 10-plus cash registers. Within each store category, entrants are eligible to win these prizes: first place, all-expenses-paid Caribbean cruise for two; second place,  $1,000; third place, $750; fourth place, $500; fifth place, $250; and Honorable Mention, $100 (100 selected from remaining entries). 

In addition, the Category Manager Match Program will award equivalent prizes to corporate category managers for stores that qualify for a first through fifth place prize, including the cruise for two.