Fresh Summit set to be biggest ever

The 2016 Fresh Summit expo will be its largest ever, with more than 1,100 exhibitors over 300,000 square feet, says America’s Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA).

Together with the Fresh Summit convention, the expo runs October 14-16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, and presents the best innovations from the fresh produce and floral sectors. Fresh product and business ideas will be found at every turn, promises the PMA.

It has again organised the convention content into ‘communities of interest’ to help attendees connect with those with common goals, thus maximising its business-growing value for them. This year’s communities include science & technology, industry talent, floral, issues leadership and global connections.

Speakers from around the world will share their expertise so attendees can capitalise on trends shaping the industry’s future. General session topics include innovation, personal branding and the PMA’s popular State of the Industry address.

Sixteen workshops will help attendees find solutions to industry challenges including talent, developing effective marketing strategies to increase consumption, demonstrating best food safety practices and using technology to increase transparency.

At the Innovation@work area outside of the expo hall, a broad range of creative products and services will be displayed. Showcases here will feature products in the following categories: Just 4 Kids, On-The-Go, Certified Organic and Floral. Also on display will be Sensory Experience Contest winners and packaging innovations from finalist companies in the PMA’s 2016 Impact Award for Excellence in Packaging.

“Fresh Summit delivers a powerful global experience with a magnitude of resources available under one roof. At the same time, it can also have a community atmosphere that invites people to connect, whatever their interests are,” said PMA Fresh Summit Committee Chair Scot Olson, vice president of produce and floral, Grocery Outlet, Inc.

Next year, the Fresh Summit Convention & Expo event days will change, instead taking place Thursday-Saturday (with the expo on Friday-Saturday) so attendees can be back in the office on Monday, a critical day for the produce industry, the PMA said.

Learn more and register for PMA’s 2016 Fresh Summit Convention & Expo at www.pma.com/events/freshsummit.