The Texas International Produce Association In Bloom Women’s Committee is hosting Challenge Accepted! at Viva Fresh on Friday, March 31 from 3:15 to 5:15 pm. Sponsored by Pure Flavor, the session will feature four female produce professionals as panelists in this game show atmosphere.
Challenge Accepted will feature audience participation through Jeopardy-style questions. Attendees are invited to join to see what happens live as industry women serve as panelists and will answer questions about obstacles they have faced throughout their careers as well as the strategies they’ve found helpful.
“After last year’s Speak Easy: Real Women, Real Talk, we thought long and hard about how we could try to top its success. We wanted to add a component where the audience was able to get in on the fun,” says Michelle Cortez, In Bloom committee chairwoman and sales director at Babia.
In Bloom was conceived at the 2019 Viva Fresh and was built to be an organization to empower and advance women in produce through sharing opportunities, networking, mentorship, advocacy and professional development while also offering a supportive environment of women committed to helping each other.
Left to right: Tom Thompson, Rebecca Garcia, Kristen Davis.
Registration will go live on March 1 so those who have previously registered for Viva Fresh should go back into their registration and add this event. The event is free to Viva Fresh attendees with prior registration. Preference will be given to women attendees, but gentlemen are welcome to join the waitlist on-site. This event also receives sponsorship support from London Fruit, Lone Star Citrus, Coast Tropical and Fox Packaging.
The event will also offer a happy hour networking event as a lead into YTIPA’s networking hour as well as the opening reception.
In 2021, TIPA created a networking group called Y-TIPA specifically for members under the age of 35. It focuses on building connections, networking and providing education to the newest generation of fresh produce industry professionals.
At Viva Fresh, Y-TIPA will host its second annual networking reception from 5:30 to 6:30 pm on Friday, March 31. The reception will follow the conclusion of In Bloom’s cocktail event and held in Mission Plaza at the Gaylord and will feature special guest speaker, Tom Thompson, chief revenue officer at Revol Greens. He will share industry insights that will help attendees accelerate their career paths in fresh produce.
Registration for the YTIPA reception will also open on March 1; previously registered attendees under 35 are encouraged to go back into their registration and add this event. Space is limited and filled - first come, first served.
For more information on In Bloom, please contact Flowers at aprilf@lonestarcitrus.com or Cortez at shelly@babia.com.mx. For YTIPA, contact Rebecca Garcia at rg@origin-fresh.com or Kristen Davis kristen@texmexsales.com.
For more information:
Jen Velasquez
Viva Fresh
Tel: +1 (813) 380-8411
Jen@fulltiltmarketing.net
www.vivafreshexpo.com