United Fresh Reimagine Conversations considers post-pandemic world

(United Fresh Produce Association)

Top produce industry executives will consider what the post-COVID-19 future holds in the United Fresh Produce Association’s Reimagine Conversations track Top-to-Top Retail-Foodservice Dialogues for Success.

Sponsored by Apeel Sciences, the education and networking track includes a series of five candid discussions addressing the future of produce, according to United Fresh.

Sessions include:

  • How Clear Is Your Crystal Ball? June 2, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern

This session will include voices from a diverse group of industry leaders who will forecast the future of the retail and foodservice spaces through their unique lens.
 

Speakers: Martha Hilton, vice president of produce and floral for Wegman’s; Jeff Huckaby, president of Grimmway Farms; Paul Mastronardi, president of Mastronardi Produce; Chris Penny, chief manufacturing and supply officer for CAVA; and Tom Stenzel, president and CEO, United Fresh.

  • Where Does Technology and Innovation Fit? June 9, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern

In this session, participants will hear about three new technologies impacting the supply chain and learn how each is streamlining the supply chain experience and improving business functions in-store.

Moderator: Marc Oshima, chief marketing officer, AeroFarms

Speakers: Minos Athanassiadis, vice president of iFoodDS; Stefan Kalb, co-founder of Shelf Engine; and Sona Raziabeegum, senior director of strategic planning and analysis for Apeel.

  • Is Sustainability a Buzzword or a Real Game-Changer? June 16, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern

Sustainability goals are increasingly common for produce suppliers, and this session will feature leaders in the industry discussing current trends and the forces at play.

Moderator: Amalia Zimmerman-Lommel, director of social responsibility for Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce

Speakers: Kyle Hackett, COO of Dayka & Hackett; and Troy Hoover, vice president of Evolution Fresh for Starbucks.

  • Who Is Our Future Consumer, and What Do they Want? June 23, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern

In this session, participants will hear the latest on home delivery, meal kits, ghost kitchens and other new ways consumers are purchasing produce, according to United Fresh.

Speaker: Jonna Parker, principal of Fresh Center of Excellence, IRI

  • What Keeps You Up at Night? (Sponsored by iFoodDS): June 30, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern

What is around the corner? In this session, industry leaders share their deepest concerns about what the future might bring on topics including food safety outbreaks, supply chain disruptions, trade barriers and more.

Moderator: Jim Schallman, CEO of Danaco Solutions

Speakers: Peter Rosenberg, director of operations support for Texas Roadhouse; and  Michelle Weaver, senior manager of produce services for Centralized Supply Chain Services
 

 

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