The SE Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference returns to Savannah, Georgia, in January 11 to 14. In 2023, the event hosted more than 3000 attendees and 290 exhibiting companies.
Sponsored
by the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) and the Georgia Peach Council (GPC), the conference will be held at the newly renovated Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. The event features three days of educational workshops and seminars, a two-day trade show, and several other evening networking opportunities.
Chris Butts, GFVGA Executive Vice President, says the conference continues to show the value and diversity of the specialty crop industry. "SE Regional is the premier event where specialty crop industry professionals come together to explore opportunities and challenges facing the industry," he said. "This conference gives all producers and allied companies the chance to learn together, work for the greater good of the industry, and to strengthen and build the relationships that are critical to success."
During the educational program, attendees can expect 70+ hours of concurrent, commodity-specific seminars. Topics range from production training, pest management and marketing and business operations.
Commodity conferences from Thursday to Saturday will deep dive into research-specific tactics for each variety. These include peach, vegetables, Vidalia onion, watermelon, muscadine, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry. There are also sessions on business operations, food safety, roadside markets, organic production, and precision ag technology.
The Savannah International Convention Center is expected to finish its recent expansions by January 2024. This should lead to an enhanced trade show experience for all attendees across the 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall.
SE Regional conference exhibitors represent various produce industry vendors and suppliers. Hailed as one of the most valuable networking events in the year, the SE Regional trade show provides attendees with the opportunity to compare products, talk with industry representatives, observe demonstrations, network with other growers, and learn about the latest in fresh produce technology.
The SE Regional will host an industry roundtable at the close of the trade show at 3:30 PM on Saturday. Previously held on Sunday morning, this condensed schedule should bring more value by allowing Saturday's attendees to take advantage of the roundtable then enjoy a night in Savannah before departing Sunday morning.
The roundtable session serves as a forum for discussion for growers and suppliers to talk about issues affecting the industry. This discussion helps align both the events supporting partners and industry leadership boards with priorities that shape their program of work for the upcoming year.
For more information on hotels and educational sessions or to register for the 2024 SE Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, visit www.seregionalconference.com or call 877-994-3842. Early bird discounts by registering before December 12, 2023.
For more information: 
Samantha Kilgore
GFVGA
Tel.: +1 706-845-9085
Email: skilgore@asginfo.net
www.seregionalconference.org