‘You need to be there,’ says IFPA CEO Cathy Burns

The wait is nearly over. The inaugural International Fresh Produce Association Global Produce and Floral Show is set to take place Oct. 27-29 in Orlando, Fla., and the industry is energized to engage. 

Not only does the show mark the first October event since the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association joined forces as IFPA, it’s also the first in-person event of its kind since 2019, as PMA Fresh Summit was forced to cancel in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and again last year, as a result of Hurricane Ida. 

The Packer recently connected with IFPA CEO Cathy Burns to learn what’s in store for attendees and exhibitors at this much-anticipated show. 

The industry is clearly eager to experience the first IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show. To what do you attribute the enthusiasm and what are you personally most looking forward to at the event?

Burns: For one, it will have been far too long since the global fresh produce and floral community gathered in October so there is a strong demand for an experience that brings the whole supply chain together. Plus, the Global Produce and Floral Show will make its debut so there’s additional anticipation and excitement.  

Our volunteer leaders, along with staff, have taken particular pride in crafting the program. Personally, I’m looking forward to all of it. It will be a celebration of being back together after the challenges of the past two years and an opportunity to set our course for the future. Our industry works tirelessly to provide nutritious and safe products to those around the world, an especially important role when considering the global health crisis we are facing. We must continue to discuss solutions to our industry’s most pressing issues — the Global Produce and Floral Show is the place to do just that.

How will this show compare to past PMA Fresh Summits? What’s new, different and not-to-be-missed this year?

Working together, our volunteer leaders and staff have really pushed their creativity to new levels to make the Global Produce and Floral Show different than what our legacy organizations provided the industry. 

New this year, we will grow audiences by growing access to the expo and incorporating members’ communications teams. 

For example, the expo has been reimagined to answer the feedback we have heard from members. Many who attend and exhibit at the show also would like to meet with business solutions providers, [so] we’re opening the Business Solutions Providers segment of the show floor for two hours on Oct. 27, directly after the CEO Panel General Session, and it will remain open from 2:45-4:45 p.m.   

Also included in the Business Solution Provider segment will be the Food Safety and Tech X-Change and FutureTech Pavilions. All of these areas will be open during the early preview. 

The FutureTech Pavilion and the Food Safety and Tech X-Change feature the newest technology solutions that can be used to solve the industry’s most pressing challenges. Included in this segment will be the winners for the 2022 Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator Program who have existing solutions, but have spent the past few months getting to know the produce industry.   

With regard to incorporating members’ communications teams, we are also hosting our first Communications Conclave to galvanize our members around the messages that will help drive consumption of produce. Now’s the time for the industry to advocate for the world to invest in health — not just healthcare. 

This program is specifically open to the executive communications team members and their company leaders, who are invited to join us for a lunch and a workshop on Oct. 27, and come together to create a network and a plan to move the industry forward.  

No one company can change the trajectory of our produce consumption, but speaking with a unified voice can help us actually move the needle. This event is just the beginning of a new community with more connections throughout the year to come.   

The Education Festival at Global Produce and Floral Show invites attendees to say, “goodbye to traditional workshops.” What are some highlights the industry can expect from these sessions and how do they represent a new-and-improved education model?

Immediately after the State of the Industry session and before the CEO Panel, we will host the first Education Festival. This will be a fully immersive experience taking advantage of the entire conference hall space near the general session rooms. We got creative with the delivery of our content, focusing on an inclusive experience where attendees can enjoy a little bit of everything. 

The Education Festival will offer a mix of stop-in sessions, passive experiences, a strolling lunch and 30 minutes of fast-paced live sessions in essential topics like the advocacy bootcamp, modern agriculture, consumer trends and more. Instead of limiting the people to one or two sessions that resonate with them, we are offering a menu of options and experiences to meet their needs. We hope this exciting new format will provide something for everyone and set the tone for IFPA’s education model moving forward. 

There are some big names on the speaker roster this year — Jose Andres and Marlee Matlin. What do you think IFPA attendees will learn from these trailblazers?

In alignment with IFPA’s big three strategies of advocate, connect and guide, it’s been our intention to create an inspirational program that brings the world to our industry, while at the same time, we’ve been working to bring our industry to the world. Chef Andres and Marlee Matlin are well-respected in their fields and will share insights that will challenge conventional thinking around topics like food, nutrition, hunger and leadership. 

As for what specifically attendees will learn; you need to be there.

What do you hope attendees will take away from this event? 

When IFPA was launched in January, we did so with a commitment to a transformation not just an iteration. Everything we do IFPA, and by extension the Global Produce and Floral Show, is ultimately in service of driving consumption, because we know that our products across the produce and floral supply chain are essential to living a full and vibrant lives and are at the center of all conversations around health and nutrition security. We want our member community and industry to come away from the event fully understanding how, together, we will change the trajectory of human health worldwide and how the organization stands as their impactful champion by removing barriers and fostering connection to drive business and members’ prosperity.