About this Series
Join WAS for twice monthly Mini-Conferences
Held on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, the WAS Mini-Conference series brings together beekeepers, researchers, and educators to share the latest science and best practices.
Unable to attend the live session? All conferences are professionally recorded and uploaded to the Western Apicultural Society’s website.
Browse our immersive and lifelike virtual venue
View webinars on-demand in the virtual auditorium
Interact with exhibit booths in the virtual exhibit hall
Experience our wide range of features for yourself
Free 4th Thursday Mini-Conference
Agenda
09
July
19:00Evaluating Honey using Sensory Analysis: The Missing Link
Discover how sensory analysis helps identify honey's color, aroma, flavor, botanical origins, and potential defects. This session introduces the fundamentals of evaluating honey and why these skills are valuable for beekeepers who market their own honey, followed by a live Q&A.
Carla Marina Marchese
Founder - American Honey Tasting Society
Carla Marina Marchese
Founder - American Honey Tasting Society
Registration Notice
Important Notice: Your time is valuable. If you registered for the WAS inaugural (January 22, 2026) vFairs event featuring Dr. David Peck of BetterBee you were automatically registered for our (free) February conferences too (always on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month at 7pm Mountain Time).
No need to re-register for these. Just bookmark this vFairs Registration/Login page, set a calendar reminder for yourself, and plan to log in shortly before the conference start time of 7pm Mountain Time.
Check back often to discover the topic and details for the next Mini-Conference, or follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WesternApiculturalSociety/ ) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/westernapiculturalsociety/).
If you are already a member of WAS, your one-and-done conference registration is good until December 31st.
If you are not a member of WAS, you will need to join WAS to continue to access the great line-up of speakers and topics we have planned for the rest of 2026. Click here to Join WAS Today!
FAQs
Yes, you’ll need to fill out our registration form to gain access to the event. Please fill in the registration form with some basic information to get started.
The information you provide upon registration will only be used to establish you as a user on the platform and to create your login credentials. It will not be used for any other purposes.
Yes, the vFairs platform is compatible with any computer or mobile device and any browser.
Yes, this event is completely free to attend. We encourage you to login and have a look around at your convenience.
This event is supported by the membership of the Western Apicultural Society of North America (WAS). It is available to event registrants for viewing during the scheduled live-stream event. WAS members have on-demand access to this event and the entire collection of recorded events in our Video Library. Click here to join our growing community of beekeepers dedicated to strengthening bee health and sustainability across the West.
Click Here
All WAS conferences and events are professionally recorded by vFairs and uploaded to the members-only section of our website. You need to be a member of WAS to view our event recordings
When provided by our speakers, supplementary materials are available for download before or after our events. You must be a member of WAS to access theses materials.
WAS is the shortened name for the Western Apicultural Society of North America. It is a legacy non-profit, educational beekeeping organization founded in 1978 to benefit and enrich all beekeepers in western North America. WAS collaborates with leading beekeepers, honey bee educators, bee scientists, and other experts worldwide to share evidence-based knowledge and address the challenges facing beekeepers in the West. Membership is open to anyone in the world and is targeted toward beekeepers of all skill levels in the U.S. states and Canadian provinces of: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota,Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming; Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon
vFairs is the Western Apicultural Society’s comprehensive, all-in-one conferencing technology platform that hosts our engaging virtual, hybrid, and in-person events, like our twice monthly “mini-conferences”, annual general membership meetings, online forums, and innovative networking opportunities. Using features like 3D virtual venues, interactive booths, webinars, mobile apps, and robust networking tools, vFairs is known for its immersive environments, scalability, and tools for registration, check-in, engagement, and analytics.
Some key features & capabilities include
• Virtual Events: Creates immersive 3D virtual environments with customizable lobbies, interactive exhibit booths, live chat, audio/video, and gamification.
• Hybrid & In-Person Events: Offers mobile apps, onsite check-in (with QR codes), badge printing, and event management tools to bridge physical and digital experiences.
• Networking & Engagement: Provides 1:1 chat, group discussions, Q&A, live polls, and matchmaking to connect attendees and exhibitors.
• Event Management: Includes registration, ticketing, budget tracking, content management, AI reporting, and integrations with CRM/ATS systems.
• Security & Compliance: Ensures enterprise-grade security with compliance for GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and CCPA.
