The 16th New York Produce Show and Conference, set for Dec. 2-4, will have a new floor layout, and the overall appearance will sport a “Winter Wonderland” vibe with blue, silver and white imagery, says Ken Whitacre, CEO/publisher/event director for Produce Business magazine, which is organizing the event in conjunction with the Eastern Produce Council.
The new layout will feature wider aisles giving every booth a main traffic path to and from the Central Park hub, the Insights Stage and the Winter Village lounge, where catered food and beverages will be served throughout the day, Whitacre says.
But some things won’t change.
“We will continue our 16-year discourse with the trade that the best place to study overall produce consumption trends is where the most diverse population base is in the country,” he says. “More than 50 million consumers comprise a retail and foodservice mecca that stretches down from Boston to Washington, D.C.”
“The Center of Growth” is the theme of this year’s event, and all educational sessions, conferences and tours will focus on ways to increase produce consumption.
Insights, Trends and Networking on the Schedule
The Foundational Excellence Future Leaders Conference and the Global Trade Symposium are scheduled for Dec. 2, the day before the trade show. Later, attendees of the opening cocktail reception will be just a short walk away from the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center.
“The capstone for educational opportunities for a larger audience will be during our keynote breakfast on Dec. 3, held before the show’s ribbon cutting, and on the show floor in the exhibit hall’s Industry Insights Stage,” Whitacre says.
Thursday’s educational offerings will kick off with a keynote presentation on consumer shopper trends by Bailey Furtado, senior fresh foods industry analyst for Circana.
Furtado will invite consumers from the New York City area to come on stage and answer questions about their produce preferences. Next, Whitacre will moderate a panel discussion among key retail and foodservice executives.
The one-day trade show will take place Dec. 3 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
“During the trade show, our Industry Insights Stage will be filled with key thought-leader panelists discussing topics ranging from organic produce, grab-n-go strategies, women in produce to food safety solutions,” he says.
More than 3,000 attendees are expected to visit about 300 booths occupied by more than 350 companies during the show.
“Some of these companies will be sharing international pavilions, such as those from Mexico and Ecuador, as well as departments of agriculture pavilions, such as South Carolina, New York Department of Agriculture and even a pavilion from Quebec,” he says.
On Dec. 4, the day after the trade show, the IdEATion Fresh foodservice forum and tours to New York and New Jersey retailers as well as Hunts Point and Philadelphia terminal markets will continue the consumption dialogue “on more of a first-hand/experiential basis,” Whitacre says.
Show Floor Innovation: Chef Demos, Buyer Matchmaking and More
The New York Produce Show is a good opportunity for produce buyers.
“Produce buyers have an opportunity to educate themselves on an intellectual level, soaking in all of the educational content we make available, as well as on a visceral level of touching, smelling and tasting the latest innovations in fresh produce,” Whitacre says.
While attendees frequently cite the value of interacting with current suppliers, future suppliers and packaging/service providers on the show floor, “simply sharing a shuttle bus or elevator with a fellow buyer, shipper or service provider, or having a drink during our opening reception speaks volumes to the networking value inherent in our show,” he says.
Whitacre says a major highlight of this year’s event will be the number of outstanding chefs who will perform demonstrations of sponsored produce in the Central Park hub on the floor.
“This year, there will be at least eight chefs manning carts positioned around the central area of the floor with creative samplings being served to the attendees,” he says.
Another highlight will be a record number of retailers and foodservice operators/distributors participating in this year’s Buyer-Connect matchmaking program, where they will be escorted by ag school students to participating exhibitors over the course of a two-hour period, Whitacre says.
“These interactions are reported as the most valuable experience of both the buyers and sellers,” he says.
Although exhibit space, sponsorships and hotel reservations were selling quickly, Whitacre remains optimistic for those planning to attend.
“When conducting an event like the New York Produce Show and Conference in the City That Never Sleeps, you can bet that our staff will work around the clock to accommodate,” he says.
What a New York Venue Offers Exhibitors
The New York Produce Show and Conference should have a special appeal to produce exhibitors, says Whitacre.
The percentage of qualified buyers is more than 40%, consisting of retailers, foodservice operators, distributors and wholesalers, he says. And the New York region has more than 50 million consumers, served by more than 3,000 supermarkets and untold bodegas, independent stores and restaurants.
“It is truly the center of growth,” Whitacre says.
Also, wholesalers/distributors from Boston, New York’s Hunts Point area, Philadelphia and the surrounding states are within a train ride or easy drive to the center of Manhattan.
“This sets the stage for tremendous opportunities to buy and sell produce,” he adds.
Whitacre also points out that New York is the center of the nation’s media giants.
“That is why we have a special Connect with Fresh program dedicated to educating influencers, retail dietitians and food editors,” he says. “We have representatives from publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Epoch Times and others as well as television news outlets like the “Today” show and NBC News, and many lifestyle magazines, such as Good Housekeeping, EatingWell, Prevention and Vogue.”
NPR and the Food Network have sent reporters to the show, interviewing exhibitors down the aisles, Whitacre says.
“These important outlets reach more than 1 million consumers on a regular basis, so exhibitors have a unique opportunity to communicate with them when these reporters walk the floor,” he says.
