Fresh Summit Breaks Attendance, Expo Records

The global fresh produce and floral industry gathered in record numbers at Produce Marketing Association’s 67th annual (PMA) Fresh Summit Convention & Expo, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. More than 20,889 attendees from 65 countries attended the expo, Oct. 14-16.

A total of 1200+ exhibiting companies showcased new products, trends, technologies and innovations across the largest-ever expo.

Education sessions explored effective marketing strategies, food safety, new industry technologies and more. Each session fell into one of the five Fresh Summit Communities of Interest. This helped attendees connect with others who shared common goals. Fresh Summit Communities of Interest included: Floral, Global, Industry Talent, Issues Leadership and Science and Technology.

On the expo floor, four exhibitors were chosen by a panel of industry experts for “best of show,” which is designed to generate attendee excitement and encourage exhibitors to enhance the effectiveness of their exhibition experience:

• Best of Show, in-line booth: Veggie Noodle Co., booth 4344
• Best of Show, island booth: Gems Group, Inc., booth 4087
• Best Produce Promo: SUNSET, booth 3549 for their Dill-it-yourself Pickle Kit
• Best First-Time Exhibitor: ArizonaEast, booth 4150

The event sparked conversations around the world on social media, and #FreshSummit was a top trend on Twitter.

Next year’s Fresh Summit will take place Oct. 19-21, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Please note the new schedule for next year. In response to member feedback, PMA will be shifting to a Thursday through Saturday schedule with the expo on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, visit www.freshsummit.com.