The annual PMA Fresh Summit tradeshow and conference took place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando this past weekend. More than 1,200 exhibitors showcased new products, trends and technologies. A total number of 20,889 attendees from 65 countries attended this year’s show, setting a new East Coast record. Exhibitors confirmed that Saturday was a really busy day with lots of interest from buyers. Traffic on Sunday was much slower.
Most noticeable at the show was the increase in the number of organic products offered. Many companies have expanded into the organic category in the past year. Not just organic tomatoes or carrots, but also organic tropical and exotic fruit varieties are becoming more widely available. In line with the trend of organic produce, companies seem to expand into environmentally friendly packaging that is compostable. Additionally, marketing of ugly fruit takes flight. Apart from a few exceptions, most companies prefer not to put their company logo on the so called misfits. Is ugly produce here to stay or will consumers continue to buy with their eyes?
In response to member feedback, the PMA show will be shifting to a Friday and Saturday schedule and the expo will be held October 20 and 21 in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2017.
Click here for the photo report. If you would like to see the Latin American companies that were represented at Fresh Summit, click here.