Viva Fresh reflections recall path to success

If 2020 delivered a punch to the industry gut with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Viva Fresh Expo delivered a needed counter-punch.

With its March 26-27 Viva Fresh Expo, the Texas International Produce Association pulled off the first major in-person industry gathering since the pandemic began.

The Packer’s Tom Karst talked with members of the TIPA board of directors and Viva Fresh steering committee on April 2 about the jolt of energy and human connection they felt at the first post-pandemic in-person show of any size since March of last year.

“I think the spirit of us being the first ones to break the ice coming into this year post-COVID, I think it matches the spirit of this group of individuals who created and built this show,” said Brett Erickson, senior vice president for business affairs at Edinburg, Texas-based Little Bear Produce and former president and CEO of TIPA, and current TIPA executive committee and steering committee member.
The energy from the event brought back a familiar feeling, Erickson said.

“It reminded me of why I love this business so much, how much we crave the social aspect and how important the human connection is in our business and in our personal lives,” he said. “It was almost overwhelming for me in some aspects. It reminded me of why we’re all in this; it is for the personal relationships.”

Tommy Wilkins, sales director for Donna, Texas-based Grow Farms Texas, said the TIPA staff and co-organizer Full Tilt Marketing looked at the smallest details in their preparations, from safety-coded lanyards to the spacing of booths.

Craig Slate, president and CEO of SunFed and current chairman of TIPA, also felt the power of personal connection at Viva Fresh. 
“For me personally, I didn’t realize how much I had missed seeing people in person, getting out and interacting with them,” Slate said. 
“I love the industry, and I love the people in the industry, and Viva Fresh was just a really real reaffirmation for me that I’m home and I’m thankful to be here.”

Wilkins also said Viva Fresh 2021 was the most remarkable industry expo in his 37-year career.

“The enthusiasm and the excitement (at Viva Fresh) were something I’ve never been a part of, and I knew right then we did the right thing,” he said. 

Preparation and execution

Slate said Viva Fresh 2021 would not have happened without the “activity and the persistence” of the TIPA board.

The preparation for the show was months in the making, Slate said.
“This goes all the way back to when the world shut down,” he said. 
After the 2020 Viva Fresh was canceled, TIPA members began thinking about how the next year would look, and in the months leading up to 2021’s event, they realized it was time to act.

“We fortunately have a lot of risk takers (who) take calculated risks, but we also mitigated those risks,” Slate said. “The safety aspect was essential in whatever we did, whatever time we rolled it out, we knew that had to be key.”

“There was so much unknown, but all of the things led to get as safe as we could be (with Viva Fresh),” Wilkins said. “We had so much support from the exhibitors, it gave us the confidence to step out on that iceberg a little bit,” he said, praising the work of TIPA staff members and Full Tilt Marketing. 

The rising level of vaccinations in Texas also added momentum, he said.

“It was very humbling to get back out into the industry and have such a beautiful weekend.”

Viva Fresh organizers put every reasonable safety measure in place, said Ed Bertaud, director of retail sales for IFCO RPC North America, and the successful completion of Viva Fresh was “a huge sigh of relief.”

Face the changes

Wilkins said the 2022 Viva Fresh is bound to be bigger.

“Next year is going to be far more than anything we’ve ever done,” he said. 

Education and field tours will likely return, he said.

Erickson said TIPA learned lessons this year. For one thing, attendees appreciated extra spacing between booths, leaving more room for conversations.

The smaller Viva Fresh show this year also was attractive in some respects and offered exhibitors and attendees a premium experience. 

In the foreseeable future, Erickson said all produce marketers will likely be more discerning in which trade shows they will participate in.

“(For Viva Fresh), it is not about making the most money, it’s about putting on the best, most valuable event for the people who are attending,” he said.  “And I think that we’re going to take away some good lessons to make us even better going forward.”