Instead of pining for the “good old days” before the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathy Burns invited the industry to a “new extraordinary” in her State of the Industry address at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit.
Burns, president and CEO of PMA, recalled a line from the television series “The Office”: “I wish there was a way to know when you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”
While last year’s Fresh Summit in Anaheim featured hugs, smiles, handshakes, laughter and conversations at hotels and the expo floor, that can’t happen in the same way in 2020.
Burns, speaking on Oct. 13, the opening day of Fresh Summit, said it is no time to give up. “I think all of this talk of a new normal is just a way of settling for whatever may come,” she said. “I’m far more interested in a new extraordinary one that we make together.”
Measuring up
That theme of striving for extraordinary carried over to the Fresh Summit Expo virtual event. Exhibitors at the virtual show said the Fresh Summit was positive and productive. Through the first two days of the show, PMA said there were more than 61,000 visits to the Marketplace pages, home to the virtual booths. About 800 video meetings occurred and 40,000 messages were exchanged. Buyers initiated more than 60% of the meeting requests sent, according to PMA.
“Based on feedback from our members and guests, we are beyond pleased with how the first three days of Fresh Summit have met their needs for compelling, differentiated educational content,” Burns said in an e-mail. “While the pandemic prevented us from getting together in person, the Fresh Summit platform extends the event beyond the limits of traditional calendar days to a full month of community and connections. “With a high number of retail buyers actively participating on the Marketplace, we will continue to help facilitate connections across the global supply chain in the weeks ahead,” Burns said. “Thank you to everyone who trusted in us to bring a virtual Fresh Summit to life!”
Advantages
Exhibitors said there are advantages to a virtual event, but they still look forward to an in-person show. “Some highlights for us are some of the great meetings we were able to have as well as being able to see all of the new items that will be in market soon,” said Casie McKinney, marketing services manager for NatureSweet, San Antonio. “Being at the show live doesn’t really allow you the time to walk around and see everything, but being able to be virtual, we get a chance to take the time to view all the new innovation that’s out there.”
The expanded participation with the virtual show was a plus, others said. “Fresh Summit has been great. We have enjoyed having our whole team participate in the sessions and the learnings we have gleaned have been very insightful,” said Sarah Deaton, marketing manager for North America for Zespri International. “It’s been very engaging as well and I think a lot of people enjoy the ‘celebrity’ involvement as well,” she said, referring to several video cameos by musicians and actors throughout the event, including Chuck Norris, LeAnn Rimes, David Hasselhoff and others.
“We have had the opportunity to meet many involved in the produce merchandising offices as more individuals were able to attend virtually,” said Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the New York Apple Association Inc.
Jules Buehler, business development manager for North Shore Living Herbs, said the industry did a good job of adapting and adjusting to the new format, adding that she was pleased with engagement at the show. “The format feels very similar to popular social media platforms and most engagement has felt very natural and productive,” she said.
“All that being said, PMA is such a vibrant, dynamic show, it’s clear to us that while this experiment was very positive and productive, we look forward to resuming the traditional trade show format and seeing everyone in person!”
Fresh Summit fast facts
- Countries represented: 64, with highest representation from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Peru and Colombia;
- Registration numbers are still growing: registration is still open as the Marketplaces and on-demand content will remain available through Nov. 13;
- Education sessions exceeded in-person attendance with record-breaking numbers that continue to build each day; more people watched the State of the Industry than ever before;
- More than 360 exhibitors were spread across four Marketplaces (Produce, Complementary Items, Floral and Solutions);
- More than 150 products were represented in the Fresh Ideas Showcase;
- Buyer attendance was at a historic high, resulting in a buyer-to-booth ratio of nine buyers to every booth in produce/complementary, 10 buyers for every booth in floral and 18 buyers to every booth in solutions.
