Australia’s new federal minister for horticulture, Senator Anne Ruston, will be on hand to officially open PMA Fresh Connections 2016, being held in Brisbane between 17-19 May.
Following in the mould of last year’s revised format, the first day of the event will again be dedicated entirely a conference programme.
Following Ruston’s opening address, delegates will hear from strategic marketing and communications specialist Michael Jackson, who has over 30 years advising business leaders such as Richard Branson and Bill Gates. The morning programme will also feature presentations from Bendalls Group’s Fi Bendall and Chris Cowan from Kantar’s produce team in the UK.
The afternoon will be filled with breakout sessions covering a range of topics from research and development to labour hire, with speakers including Morco Fresh’s Paul Moraitis, Creative Cuisine’s Roger Graf and PMA’s Bryan Silbermann.
Trade show
Day two of PMA Fresh Connections 2016 will allow visitors to meet with buyers from major and independent retailers, source new suppliers and take a first hand look at cutting edge technologies and innovations during the event’s trade show. The trade show day will also include the Fresh Hub and Meet the Experts programmes. Organisers have confirmed that this year’s trade show will be bigger and better than ever, with a record number of companies exhibiting.
Study tours
The third day of this year’s event is dedicated to a series special interest groups, including the Foodservice Forum, Fresh Ideas for Success Forum, Fresh Produce Organics Forum, and the Australian Horticulture Exporters Association Forum. Day three also offers two tour options. A farm/ value add tour will visit the Sunshine Coast region, offering insights into some of the most technologically advanced and innovative agribusinesses that Queensland has to offer, while a retail tour will visit some of the top retailers and wholesalers in Brisbane.
Networking
There will be ample opportunities for networking throughout the three-day event, which includes a number evening functions. A reception will be held following the conclusion of the conference on Tuesday, while the event’s annual gala dinner will be held on the Wednesday night at Brisbane City Hall, where the winner of the PMA-Produce Plus Marketer of the Year award will be crowned.
