West Coast Produce Expo Day 2 Recap
With day two in the books of West Coast Produce Expo 2020 is proving to be insightful and innovative.
Here is a brief rundown of what you might have missed.
9:00 – 9:55 AM
Keynote Panel: Fresh Produce Marketing in the Time of COVID
Dan’l Mackey Almy, DMA Solutions; Mary Coppola Heslep, United Fresh Produce Association; Diana McClean, Ocean Mist Farms; Nick Pasculli, TMD Creative
The effects of misinformation during a pandemic, especially via social media, highlight how important it is for produce companies to have a clear, correct, calm message.
“Your PR superpower is sensitivity — that is, being sensitive to the needs of those you’re serving,” said Nick Pasculli, founder and president of TMD Creative, Salinas, Calif., in a general session Nov. 11 at the virtual West Coast Produce Expo. “My hope is that we can emerge from this with a heightened sensitivity to the needs of each other and our community.”
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Lessons from Retail – Developing Your Produce Teams
Moderator: Ashley Nickle
Retailer: Jeff Cady, Tops Friendly Markets
Jeff Cady, director of produce and floral for Tops Friendly Markets — and the 2020 Produce Retailer of the Year — spoke Nov. 11 at the West Coast Produce Expo about the process of developing a great produce team.
The discussion with Cady, who was also honored this year as one of the Produce Marketing Association’s Retail Merchant Innovation Award winners, included ideas and insight on cultivating talent across the retail produce hierarchy, from managers to buyers to merchandisers to category managers.
10:30 – 11:00 AM
Lessons from Retail – Shifting Shopper Behaviors Present and Future
Moderator: Tom Karst
Speaker: Steve Lutz, Category Partners
The consumer’s wild ride through the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over yet, according to Steve Lutz, senior vice president of insights and innovations for Category Partners.
Lutz spoke Nov. 11 at The Packer’s virtual West Coast Produce Expo about consumer shopping behaviors since the start of the global pandemic and what might be expected from shoppers in the future.
With reports around the country of new or rekindled hotspots for COVID-19 cases, Lutz said that the U.S. may see a bit of a return to the pantry-stocking behavior seen in March and the early weeks of the crisis.
11:00 – 11:30 PM
Lessons from Retail – Opening Stores and Growing E-Commerce in 2020
Moderator: Ashley Nickle
Speaker: Michael Schutt, Raley’s
11:30 – 3:00 PM
Exhibits Open + Farm Tours + Produce Showcase
Just one example of many produce showcases at West Coast.
Watch the full @watermelonboard #farmtour at #WCPE20 by clicking linkin.bio.
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