PBH set to convene industry thought leaders and consumer influencers  

The Produce for Better Health Foundation’s Consumer Connection Conference is slated for April 18-20 at the Omni Resort and Spa at Montelucia in Scottsdale, Ariz. As organizers get ready to unite produce industry stakeholders, food system thought leaders and consumer influencers, The Packer spoke with Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and CEO of PBH, to discuss what attendees can expect from this year’s event.

What differentiates PBH's Consumer Connection Conference from other industry events?

Kapsak: The exciting mix of attendees at PBH’s Consumer Connection Annual Conference is what makes the program so unique. It is the moment where we convene industry thought leaders with influential consumer-facing professionals who promote fruits and vegetables every single day through their own work. Through PBH’s vast influencer network, we engage plant-passionate ambassadors at the point of sale — retail, the point of flavor, culinary and foodservice — and the point of inspiration — lifestyle, nutrition and agriculture. Professionals from each of these categories will be in attendance.

Then, we bring together stakeholders along the supply chain to engage, which includes marketers and those tasked with engaging consumers through marketing and sales from the grower and fruit and vegetable brands through to the retail buyer and foodservice decision-maker. The attendee roster is a true reflection of PBH’s collaborative community, and the effort it takes to reach the consumer with informative and entertaining fruit and vegetable content.

What excites you most about this year’s event? What are you looking forward to most?

We’re most excited to return to hosting this event in person. After two years of not being able to get together for this highly collaborative conference, it’s so important to celebrate that we’ll be back together in Scottsdale this year. There’s no other event in food that brings together such influential content creators and marketers to work toward one common goal of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. This is a critical event and we’re excited to bring it back to life after the pandemic.

It looks like a terrific roster of educational events. What are some of the highlights of the educational sessions?

'Everyone to the Table: Creating an Inclusive Culture Through Food' is a session that will explore how we can be inclusive with our fruit and vegetable marketing. Taking into account all the ways that consumers engage with content, this panel will discuss the cultural nuances, rituals and traditions that engage consumers and entice new fruit and vegetable content interactions that could inspire true behavior change.

Think about how we’re marketing produce to consumers today, and then ask yourself, ‘Does everyone have access to a blender? Do they even have their own kitchen? Do they know how to use a knife?’ From ingredients to imagery, this inspirational panel is going to be bursting with ideas for industry marketers to take back to their planning teams to approach their own consumer content with a new perspective. 

What makes the PBH event important for the produce industry specifically?

PBH is the only 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization committed to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. And the Consumer Connection Conference, likewise, is the only one of its kind to engage the full supply chain of stakeholders working toward the foundation's mission.

There is no other industry event that brings together nutrition and marketing professionals, as well as the buyers and other consumer influencers with a singular focus on increasing consumption. If you or your brand regularly speak with consumers about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, and if you’re interested in learning other creative ways to tap into the emotional connection people have with the fruit and vegetable eating experience, then this event was created for you.