When the Produce Marketing Association’s annual Fresh Summit Convention & Expo convenes Oct. 19-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, it will be a global affair with more than 1,000 fresh produce and floral exhibitors from nearly 30 countries, and attendees expected from more than 60 countries.
Fresh Summit draws diverse attendees from around the world who are looking for new products, suppliers and innovations. Participants include multinational retailers looking to source from suppliers, companies wishing to provide products to commercial growers, and solution providers with products to make the supply chain more efficient. No other event tops the networking, education and insights like Fresh Summit.
Reflecting today’s increasingly global produce and floral marketplace, this year’s convention theme is “Let’s Grow Together.” PMA’s Fresh Summit will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in the Crescent City of New Orleans, known for Cajun, Creole and French-inspired cuisine, centuries-old architecture, and a unique culture focused in part on food and entertainment.
Typically, around 20 percent of Fresh Summit attendees are from countries outside the United States. A strong contingent from Mexico and Canada attend each year, as well as participants from Chile, Brazil, Central America, New Zealand and Australia. This year, registrations are up significantly from Argentina, Israel, Korea, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru and Spain, among others.
On average each year, 25 percent of exhibitors on the Fresh Summit show floor are from outside the United States. They include produce and floral growers and shippers, and service providers that offer everything from growing material to packaging, technology, transportation, merchandising, warehousing, logistics, trade development, equipment and supplies and more.
Produce and floral exhibitors together in 2017 hail from: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Participants can customize their Fresh Summit experience based on their business interests: global connections, science and technology, talent, and floral.
A Global Connections Reception will be held, designed to foster business relationships that transcend borders. The reception is scheduled Friday, Oct. 20 from 5:15 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The expo Oct. 20-21 will feature 1,000-plus companies, including more than 70 first-time exhibitors. The Fresh Ideas Showcase includes more than 200 innovative products and services in five categories: kid-friendly, on-the-go, organic, floral and general.
Visit freshsummit.com for more information. Check the Fresh Summit International Visitors page online for travel requirements and resources. Register on or before Sept. 15 to save. Fresh produce and floral retailers and foodservice operators receive significant discounts on registration.
Contact:
Cassidy Taylor
PMA
Tel: +1 (302) 781-5852