The 64th Quebec Produce Marketing Association convention in August is in Mount Tremblant, a 95-minute drive north of Montreal at the foot of the Laurentian Mountains.
“Think of it as a mini getaway,” said QPMA president George Pitsikoulis, president of Canadawide Fruits Inc., Montreal, who will host the Aug. 18-20 event with convention president Francis Bérubé of Sobeys Québec.
The theme of this year’s convention at the five-star Fairmont Tremblant Resort is “The Origins of Fruits and Vegetables.” Be warned, there will be a quiz at the annual industry brunch, which also will honor participants of the QPMA’s “I Love 5 to 10” campaign.
From electric violins and martinis at the foot of the mountain during the Thursday night welcoming reception to the final performance by singer André-Philippe Gagnon, there will definitely be something for everyone.
Friday provides some serious networking opportunities, whether you choose to play golf on a course surrounded by 260 acres of forest and panoramic views, cruise on Lake Tremblant or race through the picturesque village in the QPMA equivalent of “The Amazing Race.”
For professional development, there’s a talk by motivational coach Sylvain Boudreau and a speech by award-winning Radio Canada and television journalist Jean-François Lépine, recently returned from Afghanistan, who will highlight the state of the food industry in a talk titled “The World in 2011.”
Friday night, the entire village square becomes a Greek taverna serving Mediterranean cuisine. The theme is a nod to the Pitsikoulis family’s heritage and also a reminder of Canada’s mosaic of cultures, said the QPMA president.
The closing banquet will introduce QPMA president-elect Robert Beauregard of Montreal fruit and vegetable importer Agri-Mondo Inc., and honor Leo Arsenault as Quebec’s 2011 Pillar of the Industry.
For more information, visit www.aqdfl.ca/en/evenement-congres.php.
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