United Fresh goes LIVE 365! with year-round platform
The success of United Fresh 2020 LIVE! laid the groundwork for the United Fresh Produce Association to use that virtual platform as United Fresh LIVE! 365, touted as a year-round online marketplace and educational resource.
United Fresh LIVE! 365 will be used for the association’s annual Washington Conference Sept. 21-25, according to a news release.
“United Fresh took a leap of faith by making the pivot to a virtual event this June and it paid off,” Michael Muzyk, president of Bronx, N.Y.-based Baldor Specialty Foods and chairman of the United Fresh board of directors, said in the release. “We all benefited from gathering our global community online. It’s only natural that we continue to rebuild our industry through this platform.”
In July and August, the platform will remain free. Beginning in September, United Fresh LIVE! 365 will remain free for employees of United Fresh member companies. For everyone else, there is an annual registration fee of $100.
The virtual Washington Conference will include Congressional visits, keynote speeches, workshops, networking receptions and volunteer leadership meetings, through the LIVE! 365 platform, according to the release. The event also includes an “election night” party where all attendees will vote on presidential candidates.
Registration for the Washington Conference is available at the United Fresh website.
“The Washington Conference is a critical annual gathering for our industry,” Mark Klompien, president and CEO of United Potato Growers of America and chairman of the United Fresh Government Relations Council, said in the release. “We’re looking forward to meeting with our elected officials online and addressing our most pressing issues in order to continue to feed America and the world.”
United Fresh LIVE! 365 will be used for educational and networking programs through the year, including the United Fresh Start FreshStart Foundation’s FreshStart Conference and United Fresh’s BrandStorm Conference, according to the release.
“Offering all of these signature events online will allow greater participation from multiple staff within a company, as well as attendees from around the world,” United Fresh president and CEO Tom Stenzel said in the release. “And, by driving attendance to multiple educational and networking opportunities throughout the year, we’ll continue to bring a fresh audience to exhibitors on the platform, making this a year-round marketing opportunity.”
Stenzel said United Fresh is looking forward to its United Fresh 2021 Convention and Expo in Los Angeles April 21-23.
“As the first in-person gathering of the United Fresh community, the association will organize an event not to be missed,” he said in the release.
“Concurrently, some of the in-person programming will be made available online through the United Fresh LIVE! 365 platform for those who might be unable to participate in person, further broadening the reach of the event for company staff and industry members around the world.”
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