PMA released a statement announcing the Fresh Connections: Southern Africa which takes place between 18 and 20 August 2020 will be virtual.
"Join us at Fresh Connections: Southern Africa on 18-20 August 2020 to learn about the latest trends in the fresh produce industry, and to connect with peers. While we will not be meeting in-person this year, we can assure you that our virtual event will echo the same great content and energy as in the past decade."
"The first-ever Fresh Connections virtual conference hosted by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) will bring together stakeholders from across the entire fresh produce supply chain, including growers, buyers, sellers, exporters, retailers and input suppliers."
"The programme is designed to bring attendees together in the comfort of their own space and will feature educational sessions, inspirational talks, workshops and international sourcing meetings. In a members-only session, a prominent chef will guide participants to cook an amazing meal from a box, while sharing culinary insights. This session will allow time for fun, team engagement and making new connections along the way."
Session topics
• PMA State of the Produce Industry
• Consumer and retail trends
• Produce for health to boost physical and mental wellbeing during stressful times
• Workshops on making your business sustainable, as well as agile supply chain practices and strategies for the African landscape.
"Each day’s programme will range between 90 minutes to 120 minutes, with enough time for attendees to have a virtual coffee and connect with other participants between sessions."
"Fresh Connections: Southern Africa has been hosted by PMA since 2010. We asked two PMA members who never missed one of these conferences over the past decade what has made them come back each year."
Jaco Oosthuizen, CEO of RSA Group and vice-chairperson of PMA Southern Africa says over the past decade, Fresh Connections provided the RSA Group the opportunity to reconnect with customers and partners, and to meet new prospects.
“This is the key marketing event on our calendar, and we focus a number of our initiatives around it. It is also an opportunity to keep up to date with industry developments. There is always something new to learn!”
“Personally, I am grateful for the opportunity the event has been provided me to walk amongst industry legends and having the opportunity to hear their insights into the industry. “We are all aware that times have changed and that things will be different at Fresh Connections this year, and I am excited to participate virtually.”
Tommie Van Zyl the CEO of ZZ2 says the value of Fresh Connections is its international focus on fresh produce production, packaging, logistics, technology, food safety and marketing in a local setting.
“The benefit for me as a person attending this event for the past decade was exposure to the whole range of products in the fresh produce industry value channels, from the farm level to the retail and foodservice level. This enabled the expansion of my business to relevant and valuable product lines whilst understanding the marketability of these products internationally.”
For more information:
Jennifer Roets
PMA Marketing South Africa
Tel: +27 82 817 9184
Email: jroets@pma.com