New events highlight United Fresh Washington Conference

The 2019 United Fresh Washington Conference will feature several new elements on its agenda.

The Sept. 16-18 event has a new headquarters at Grand Hyatt in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C., according to a news release.

The conference will again feature lobbying efforts — organized marches on Capitol Hill — that will see attendees visit the offices of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, according to the release.

“Each year I attend the United Fresh Washington Conference, I’m encouraged by the new faces joining me on Capitol Hill, Jackie Caplan Wiggins, vice president and COO, Frieda’s, Inc., said in the release. “It’s more than a policy conference, it’s the most important annual event you can participate in for the benefit and longevity of our industry.”

Some features of this year’s conference include:

• A new Produce Advocacy Bootcamp Sept. 16 will provide strategies for sharing the produce industry’s voice with elected officials;
• A new Sept. 16 session called “Venture Beyond the Fresh Produce Aisle” will feature association leaders and lobbyists from other industries to talk about the challenges they face in communicating their messages to lawmakers and regulators;
• A Sept. 16 Celebrate Fresh Opening Reception will be held in the Rayburn Courtyard of the Rayburn House Office Building;
• A Sept. 17 “Policy Engagement & X-Change Session” will explore key policy issues for the industry;

The conference’s March on Capitol Hill will occur Sept. 17 for visits for the House of Representatives and Sept. 18 for visits to the Senate.

“There’s nothing more eye-opening than meeting with elected officials in their offices on Capitol Hill,” Anthony DeAngelis, director of the Northeast Division for Christopher Ranch LLC and United Fresh Government Relations Council member, said in the release. “It’s imperative that we, as an industry, share how their decisions in D.C. are impacting our day-to-day operations and the long-term health of our businesses. It’s a long road, but each meeting makes a difference.”

The complete schedule for the event is available on the United Fresh website and registration also is available online.