Organic Produce Summit, an event dedicated to connecting buyers and suppliers in the organic fresh produce industry, revealed the final keynote session. "Retail Fireside Chat" is set to take place on Thursday, July 11 following Nicholas Bertram's morning keynote, tackling critical industry challenges in boosting retail sales.
Left to right: Kevin Coupe, Robby Cruz, Patrick Haines.
The keynote, sponsored by Soli Organic, Stemilt, and Fastik, and moderated by Kevin Coupe, content guy and author at Morning News Beat, alongside panelists Robby Cruz, VP of produce at Target, and Patrick Haines, VP of produce at United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), will explore industry topics including organic program evolution, consumer preferences and the impact of technology on operations. The panel will also dive into changing consumer behaviors and the role of AI in growing both organic and overall produce sales.
In addition to the final keynote, Organic Produce Summit announced a new educational panel discussion "Cracking the Code: Label Messaging at Retail", sponsored by Crunch Pak. The session will delve into the many keywords consumers face when shopping for fresh produce, including 'organic,' 'pesticide-free,' 'locally grown' and 'sustainable,' and explore whether this type of messaging resonates or confuses customers.
Left to right: Mary Heslep, Kim Chackal.
Mary Heslep, SVP at Ten Acre Marketing; Kim Chackal, co-owner and director of sales & marketing at Equifruit; Joe Merenda, CEO at Misionero and Michael La Kier, VP brand development at IGA Brands, will discuss whether the industry is successfully navigating these buzzwords and marketing strategies, and examine how to better articulate the advantages of organic produce and communicate how the products are grown.
Organic Produce Summit 2024 is specifically designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers, shippers, and processors with retailers and buying organizations from across North America. The eighth annual event will be held July 10-11 in Monterey, CA.
Left to right: Joe Merenda, Michael La Kier.
OPS 2024 also includes a selection of field tours for qualified retailers and buyers, an opening night reception, and a sold-out trade show floor featuring over 175 producers and processors of organic fresh produce from across North America and the globe.
Registration to attend OPS 2024 is available here.
For more information:
Organic Produce Summit
[email protected]
www.organicproducesummit.com