On March 8, Produce Marketing Association CEO Cathy Burns gave The Packer an update about plans for PMA’s Fresh Summit, which will be live in New Orleans.
The Packer: How will this year’s Fresh Summit “look different” than the pre-pandemic version?
Cathy Burns: Fresh Summit will look different because, as an industry, we are different. We will still be focused on connections, community and the content that will propel the industry forward, but the pandemic has required us all to reassert ourselves as leaders in global health, wellness, sustainability and more. Navigating Fresh Summit will feel different, as would any large public gathering, and guest safety is core to all of our plans. What I hope people are most looking forward to, however, is the opportunity to showcase the transformational innovations we’ve developed over the past year, celebrate the great resilience and successes of our industry, and to discover the partners and ideas that will take their business to their new extraordinary.
The Packer: Will there be an attendance limit for the event?
Cathy Burns: We don’t anticipate a need to cap the event attendance. We are taking into account all local and global guidelines to manage crowd density and enable safe, socially distanced interactions. Additionally, PMA will occupy almost the entire convention center in New Orleans, and will feature the largest amount of show floor space in the history of Fresh Summit. We know every organization is making decisions for their teams and we’re actively in touch with our members to ensure they will have all of the information they need to understand our emphasis on personal safety, so they can determine, with confidence, their level of participation in the event. Certainly, the recent increase in global vaccination efforts should also help to allay some of the concerns around traveling and gathering.
The Packer: In what ways will it be a “hybrid” event?
Cathy Burns: Our team, in partnership with volunteer leaders on Fresh Summit committee, are working closely to identify what elements will be available for remote attendees.
The Packer: What will the international presence be like at this year’s Fresh Summit?
Cathy Burns: As always, we are dedicated to welcoming guests from across the entire global supply chain. While we can’t control global travel restrictions, we can say that in the last few days since the we opened the Fresh Summit booth application, we are already seeing companies from around the global sign up to join us in New Orleans.
The Packer: What can we say about PMA’s foodservice event in Monterey at this point?
Cathy Burns: Stay tuned! We are finalizing plans for the PMA Foodservice Conference & Expo in Monterey and will have an announcement to the industry soon regarding the 2021 event.
