BYU NewsNet - Conference by the numbers

By CHELYNNE RENOUARD

Women’s Conference is a time to become spiritually uplifted, and for BYU’s Bookstore and Dining Services, it is a time to stock up on mint brownies, chocolate-covered cinnamon bears and tote bags.

According to Becky Lindsay, the BYU Bookstore marketing specialist, 700 pounds of fudge was sold during Women’s Conference last year.

“They put up little stations,” Lindsay said. “It’s like they have their own fudge line.”

The Bookstore also sold 80 cases of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears last year. Each case contains 27 pounds of bears for a total of 2,160 pounds sold.

If women are not looking for a sugary snack, the tote bags are also a hot item during Women’s Conference, totaling over 12,000 sales last year. The Bookstore also brings in over 100 titles to be added to the “Bargain Book” section of the store, making it a popular stop, and purchase, for many conference goers.

Dining Services also makes its own adjustments during Women’s Conference. Their main concerns: mint brownies and non-caffeinated Diet Coke.

According to Joe Tiapson, manager of the Cougareat, 9,252 mint brownies were sold last year during the conference.

“Brownies and Diet Coke are the two main things that we watch out for,” Tiapson said. “The women just like Diet Coke, I guess.”

“Every year in front of Sugar and Spice we put a brownie poster up, and as ladies walk by they remind themselves that they have to have BYU mint brownies — they’re just heavenly,” said Chris Justice, manager of Dining Services. “[Women’s Conference] is just a nice atmosphere to bring all these ladies here to be spiritually fed with all the speakers, and we take care of their needs for food and keep them happy.”