The Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) annual Fresh Summit convention and exhibition attracted a record crowd during its 2008 edition, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, over the weekend.

Just over 17,500 people from 61 countries attended the four-day event on 24-27 October, including 3,842 identified buyers, topping the previous East Coast attendance record of 16,300 set the last time Fresh Summit was convened in Orlando in 2003.

“This was the best Fresh Summit show I can remember in recent history, and I’ve been coming for 15 years,” said Loren Queen, marketing and communications manager with exhibitor Domex Superfresh Growers, Yakima, Washington State.

“Everyone we needed to talk to was on the floor,” added Ms Queen. “We had the right people, and the right flow of traffic.”

The Fresh Summit 2008 featured a series of 17 educational workshops (focusing on the economy, food safety, sustainability and talent), presentations, tours of retailers and floral businesses in the Orlando area, as well as a 245,000ft2 trade show with more than 800 produce and floral exhibitors.

“Even – or perhaps more accurately, especially – in times like these of economic hardship and uncertainty, gatherings like Fresh Summit become even more important,” explained PMA president Bryan Silbermann.

The 2007 edition of Fresh Summit – held in the first-time location of Houston, Texas – drew 15,849 visitors, while the all-time record attendance of 18,670 was set in San Diego, California, in 2006.

Next year’s Fresh Summit Convention and Exposition will be held on 2-5 October 2009, in Anaheim, California. The 2009 show is already more than 90 per cent booked, according to the PMA.

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