Produce Marketing Association (PMA) president and CEO Bryan Silbermann will use his annual State of the Industry address to charge the industry with the task of looking beyond price alone to find ways of connecting to consumers' personal values.
Mr Silbermann will deliver this year's address as the keynote speaker at the opening luncheon general session at PMA's Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, which takes place in Orlando, Florida, on 15-18 October.
'As consumers increasingly seek to connect with the faces behind their food, they have focussed on locally grown, health and wellness – and so should we,' said Mr Silbermann. 'While some parts of our industry may need to adjust the way they go to market to better tell their story and establish their identities in consumers' minds, Overall this comprehensive shift in consumer thinking is a positive thing for our industry.'
It is not the first time that Mr Silbermann has urged the industry to adjust to and lead on new trends in his State of the Industry address, and this year he will engage the audience with how consumers are thinking against acting with their wallets, as well as what this means for the produce industry in the framework of the recovering economy.
Meanwhile, the address will see Mr Silbermann update the industry on the Foodservice 2020 Initiative, as well as highlighting key topics such a food safety, traceability, and how the globalisation of the produce industry is impacting on how companies do business.
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