Exhibitors at Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) 2017 Fresh Summit Convention & Expo will have the opportunity to vie for expanded awards – including two awards that emphasize marketing – when Fresh Summit convenes Oct. 19-21 in New Orleans, La., USA. Award winners will be announced on the show’s last day.
Exhibitors displaying their products and services in the Fresh Ideas Showcase, part of Innovation@work, and one of the first places attendees go to see the latest industry innovations on display at Fresh Summit, are eligible for two marketing awards:
- The “Best Packaging Promo” award: This new award is designed to encourage packaging innovation by recognizing innovative ways that packaging is being used to market fresh produce and floral. This award recognizes packaging that generates interest, appeal and differentiation on the store shelf, that is novel, and/or that promotes product sales and consumption. It replaces the former “Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging”. Fresh Ideas Showcase exhibitors must notify PMA if they want to be considered for this award.
- The “Best Overall Product Promo” award: This existing award encourages marketing innovation by recognizing the produce or floral product that a panel of retail judges believes would drive sales and that they would carry in their stores.
“Packaging is a powerful marketing tool which showcases new and familiar products in fresh ways,” said PMA Chief Marketing Officer Lauren M. Scott. “By recognizing excellence in produce and floral packaging innovation, we want to celebrate the achievements of creative pioneers in our industry and inspire new, bright ideas for the future.”
“Best of Show” awards will also be given for the best in-line booth, the best island booth and the best first-time exhibitor and all exhibitors are automatically entered. An anonymous panel of judges will select award winners/finalists and a panel of retail experts will review finalists to select a winner for the “Best Packaging Promo” and “Best Overall Product Promo” awards. That panel of judges includes representatives from Ahold, USA, Inc., Grocery Outlet, Inc., The Packer, Tops Markets, Inc., and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
“Product packaging helps sell products and is a critical component to our industry’s success,” says Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Sr. Director of Global Sourcing Ronald McCormick. “Knowing this, I am very excited to be a judge, and to see the latest produce and floral products/services the industry has to offer on display at Fresh Summit.”
In addition to these three exhibitor award programs, PMA also presents three individual excellence awards at Fresh Summit: the Bryan E. Silbermann Collaboration Award; the Robert L. Carey Leadership Award; and the Floral Marketer of the Year award to promote floral marketing excellence.
PMA CEO Cathy Burns and other senior management team members will visit winners’ booths to present all the awards on Saturday, Oct. 21.
For award program details, exhibitors should visit www.pma.com/events/freshsummitexhibitors, and see the links to “Fresh Ideas Showcase” and “Best of Show Contest”.
Contact:
Cassidy Taylor
PMA
Tel: +1 (302) 781-5852