More than 15,800 members of the fresh produce and floral industries gathered at PMA’s Fresh Summit International Convention and Exposition, on October 12-15 in Houston - the first time the event had been held in the Texas city.
PMA vice-president of global business development manager Nancy Tucker told FPJ that the attendance exceeded PMA’s expectations for this first-time location, and that the make-up of the visitors was different because of the location. “One of the highlights of the show,” she said, “is that 3,350 of the registrants (21 per cent of all exhibitors) were produce buyers, which is extremely high proportionally. When we hold Fresh Summit in California, for instance, we would generally expect a higher percentage of growers and shippers.”
Internationally, the turnout was above expectations too, with 2,750 people arriving in Houston from 60 countries. “We are pleased with that, as it is a relatively unknown city and was unlikely to be the draw that an Orlando or San Diego might be,” said Tucker.
“For me personally and for our international programmes, Fresh Summit sets up so much of all I do for the rest of the year. I received a tremendous amount of interest in training programmes, developing alliances and doing projects internationally. It is a great opportunity to learn the needs of our members in other parts of the world, to evaluate what the PMA programmes and services offer them and address what we need to adapt to meet any new demands and changing needs.”
As part of the association’s outreach efforts, Tucker is responsible for setting up PMA country councils, which she has done in Australia and New Zealand, and most recently in Mexico. “The more I travel around the world, the more it becomes apparent that, although each market has its own unique aspects, there are so many similar problems and issues we face. Food safety, bringing people into the industry, improving our existing people, and technology are just some of those.”
The international council, which represents the interests of all PMA members overseas, will include a representative from Marks & Spencer this year. “Overall, through all of our boards and committees, there are close to 300 people from the US and around the world working voluntarily with PMA to improve the industry. That comes through in the event, and that is what really sets Fresh Summit apart.
“This year’s Fresh Summit will be remembered for its strong buyer and seller attendance, outstanding networking opportunities and the high quality of our educational sessions,” said PMA President Bryan Silbermann.
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