This Global Organic Produce Expo has a lot of good business opportunities on its agenda — ways to connect and learn that can reel in big benefits for your company.
Also, there’s so much fun stuffed in between. Hey, there’s no shame if that’s part of your motivation for attending. I mean, did you see the giant guitar-shaped hotel? And it has a casino. With rock memorabilia everywhere. In South Florida. In January and February. I mean, really.
And this conference, running Jan. 30-Feb. 1, at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., starts off with a boat. A big one.
Register now to attend Global Organic Produce Expo 2023.
MONDAY
After gathering your registration gear during the 1-7 p.m. window, head outside for the Yacht Tour from 2:30-5:30 p.m., which has its own separate $99 registration.
Soon, you’ll be yelling “I’m on a boat!” and posting images of yourself living la vida loca on social media, so that your northern colleagues and industry members will learn the hard way that they should’ve attended this “work” event.
Read related: GOPEX 2023: Reaching the Conscious Consumer
Guests will climb aboard the South Beach Lady, a 125-foot luxury yacht, for an afternoon tour along Miami’s gorgeous and glamorous Intracoastal Waterway. You can bask in the beauty along with other produce professionals, and yes, soak in the learnings from an exclusive education session on the increasingly influential conscious consumer.
The party doesn’t stop there.
After you have dinner at a cool café or swanky restaurant of your choice, hop over to the official opening cocktail reception from 8-10 p.m. at Entice Nightclub inside the Hard Rock Hotel. Industry people will be dancing and drinking and laughing, accompanied by The Treasure Band. Some of these band members have recorded and toured with pop icons such as Joss Stone, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Gloria Estefan and D’Angelo. Not bad, eh? And it’s included in the general registration.
Industry perspectives: Hear what excites three GOPEX participants about the 2023 event
TUESDAY
Emerge from your hotel room in time for breakfast from 8-8:30 a.m., just in time for the 8:30-9:15 a.m. panel discussion — the first of a full day of listening, learning and questioning. Karen Falbo of Natural Grocers, Lisa Coleman of Giant Food and Daniella Velazquez of Organics Unlimited will discuss “Is Food as Medicine the Future of Food?” with moderator Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, who led Produce for Better Health Foundation.
Get ready for back-to-back sessions from key players in the industry.
From 9:15-10:15 a.m., Tom Stenzel, executive director of CEA Alliance, will discuss “The Convergence of Indoor and Organics” with panelists Joe Merenda, president of Misionero; Brian Cook, CEO of Local Bounti; and Jose Covarrubias of Wholesum.
After that, OK, we’ll give you a little break.
Lunch and table-topic discussions come next, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
And 1-2 p.m. will be filled with answers on how the U.S. and its southern neighbors ensure fresh produce is always in season. Allison Myers of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association will moderate the talk with panelists of David Posner of Awesum Organics, Martha Montoya of AgTools, Bob Harrington of Specialty Produce and someone from Produce Pay. These retail and import/export experts will share their tips for navigating the supply chain, raising consumer awareness for South American fruit and vegetables, and developing successful promotions that drive sales.
From 2-3 p.m., you might be “Under the Influence,” learning how social media is driving fresh produce consumption. Leah Halverson of Ten Acre Marketing will moderate a panel chat among Liz Della Croce, influencer and founder of The Lemon Bowl; Kevin Miller of The Fresh Market; Patrice Sadd-Molnar of The Fresh Market; and Auna Lundberg of Stemilt. Together with the original nutrition influencer — the retail dietitian — social media influencers are helping to change the way people eat for the better. A panel of influencers, suppliers and retail dietitians will explore how produce companies and retailers can implement social campaigns that bolster their brands and drive produce sales.
For those smart enough to sign up for it, 3:30-6:30 p.m. is the first window for BizMatch, which pairs suppliers with buyers for one-on-one pitching. And then — party time again!
From 7-9 p.m., hang out by the Hard Rock pool for a reception to close out the day.
WEDNESDAY
This is the expo day. It starts with breakfast from 8-9:30 a.m., with another BizMatch session at the same time.
Then, the expo doors open at 9:30 a.m., as attendees roam the show floor, discovering new products, services and technologies. There’s lunch at noon, and the show doors close at 2:30 p.m.
After that, you’re on your own again — besides all those connections and reconnections you take with you.
