CPMA convention packed with exciting programs
CPMA convention packed with exciting programs
In years past, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association held its annual convention and trade show in February. This year, for the first time, the event has been changed to May.
The largest show of its kind in Canada, the event will be held May 11-14 in Toronto. The show is revered by attendees for its advanced forum for learning about new produce industry initiatives and product innovations, while still providing informative business sessions and networking opportunities throughout its agenda.
Ron Lemaire, CPMAs executive vice president and director of marketing, noted that this year is the 80th anniversary of both the CPMAs founding and of the convention. Officials have discussed moving the event repeatedly over at least the past 10 years, and it was finally decided that this was the year to do it.
We continued to grow and expand over those 10 years, said Mr. Lemaire. At our five-year strategic planning session two years ago, we broached the topic again. After much investigation and consideration, it was decided that the year of our 80th anniversary would be the time to do it.
Mr. Lemaire added that not only is May a better time relative to the weather, but the show previously conflicted with the largest annual produce trade show in the world: Fruit Logistica, held in Berlin in early February each year.
Many people who would have liked the opportunity to come to the CPMA convention could not attend because of the conflict, said Mr. Lemaire. Increasing numbers of foreign companies now do business in Canada, and moving the show eliminates that conflict for not only those company representatives but also for prospective new business associates.
To mark the timing change and to present the true essence of the trade show, CPMA unveiled a new logo for the convention. The stylized graphic, a combination of a globe and a generic fruit-vegetable in vivid hues of green, red and blue, was designed to reflect the international nature of the event while honoring the produce industry that it serves. The new logo will appear on all future convention-related materials.
Included in this years convention schedule are the always-informative business sessions. This years listings include Radio Frequency Identification, presented by Bruce Peterson, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of perishable food for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Mr. Peterson will provide an overview of how Wal-Mart is using RFID in its daily business and how it plans to use it in the future. The second part of the session will focus on the current situation as it affects the produce sector. The panel discussion will include speakers from the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors and IBM.
The Produce for Success business session, presented by ACNielsen, will cover the topic of how remaining competitive means keeping abreast of the changing marketplace and responding to the needs of customers. In this two-hour business session, ACNielsen will take participants on an informative journey through Canadas evolving demographic, social and retail landscape and explain how change at each level is likely to affect the produce industry going forward.
Ontario Minister of Agriculture & Food Steve Peters and California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura are the speakers scheduled for The Produce Traceability Standard & Impacting Business and Standards Efforts business session. This in-depth presentation will cover the Produce Traceability Standard, Impacting Business & Standards Efforts, the final output of the CPMA-PMA Traceability Task Force, Fresh Produce Traceability and A Guide to Implementation.
CPMA said that Mr. Peters and Mr. Kawamura bring to their presentations mutually educated and experienced perspectives on views regarding public policy and industry issues that both those in the produce industry and political leaders now face. The session will help delegates from both sectors to see the roads they must travel together to impact positive change.
A two-hour workshop on CPMAs New Food Safety Multi-Media Training Tool will include a new food safety multi-media training tool to help companies in the implementation of a food safety program. CPMAs educational programs have helped keep the industry updated on the latest safety issues, regulatory standards and best practices.
From the standpoint of building businesses, the show has also provided attendees with access to new industry innovations, advancements in technology and industry marketing successes.
Speaker highlights for the convention include Brian Little, an award-winning Harvard psychology professor. Described by a client as a cross between Robin Williams and Albert Einstein, Dr. Little has also been called one of the funnier speakers on earth as well as one of the more respected. He has given well over 500 keynote presentations to groups around the world. He discusses how individual differences in personality play a subtle and vital role in the lives of professionals, their clients and the broader community. By using practical examples, he illustrates the effect of personality on communication, memory, learning styles and decision-making.
However, he also argues that in peoples professional work, people are not always what they appear to be. Dr. Little rejects the notion that people have fixed traits that are set like plaster. Rather, he argues that people have free traits and are, at worst, only half-plastered.
Another keynote speaker, Bruce Sellery, is ROBTVs New York bureau chief for Report on Business television. He puts the U.S. business world into context for Canadian viewers, covering the economy, the stock market and the latest Wall Street scandals. Mr. Sellery frequently addresses the question, What if everyone in your company worked like they owned the joint? He states that a culture of accountability can have a dramatic impact on business results and employee morale.
Jeff Ansell will present Media Strategies to Get Your Message Across. A former journalist, Mr. Ansells investigative reports appeared on TV and radio and in newspapers and magazines.
Bill Lamberton, former vice president of marketing for WestJet, is also a scheduled keynote speaker at the convention. He is lauded by Canadian Business magazine as one of Canadas top salesmen.
On Wednesday, May 11, the chairmans welcoming reception will be held at the Steam Whistle, a new brewery located in the historic Roundhouse, south of the CN Tower. Constructed in 1929, the Roundhouse functioned as a steam locomotive repair facility. This unique venue will enhance the evening that CPMA organizers have planned for attendees and present a perfect opportunity for those in the trade to network with old and new friends and business associates.
On Thursday night, May 12, trade show delegates will have the pleasure of enjoying The Academy of Spherical Arts, considered by many to be the finest cue sports facility in the country. A highlight of the evening will be the two pool pros hired by CPMA to show off their trick shots and hints to attendees who want to improve their game. The comfortable and elegant club-like environment will also offer plenty of food and drink and other forms of entertainment for those who do not play pool.
The program also includes tours outside the convention center. A Friday morning group will visit the Ontario Food Terminal, Canadas largest fruit and produce terminal. Another tour, scheduled for Saturday morning, will offer delegates an opportunity to visit a unique array of retail outlets throughout the Toronto area.
A golf tournament, which will benefit Canadas 5 to 10 a day campaign, will be held on Sunday. CPMAs annual banquet, a traditional convention wrap-up, will be held on Saturday evening. The evenings entertainment features Second City, a unique brand of improvisational humor and one of North Americas foremost comedy theaters. Following the entertainment, attendees are invited to enjoy the casino, music and dancing.
It is the combination of all of these elements, the personal nature, the networking opportunities, the educational and timely programming that brings delegates back to the event every year, said Mr. Lemaire. Combined, these aspects make the CPMA convention an industry leader. This year, over 310 booths are reserved, which is a CPMA record. We anticipate that more than 3,400 participants will attend the show.
The largest show of its kind in Canada, the event will be held May 11-14 in Toronto. The show is revered by attendees for its advanced forum for learning about new produce industry initiatives and product innovations, while still providing informative business sessions and networking opportunities throughout its agenda.
Ron Lemaire, CPMAs executive vice president and director of marketing, noted that this year is the 80th anniversary of both the CPMAs founding and of the convention. Officials have discussed moving the event repeatedly over at least the past 10 years, and it was finally decided that this was the year to do it.
We continued to grow and expand over those 10 years, said Mr. Lemaire. At our five-year strategic planning session two years ago, we broached the topic again. After much investigation and consideration, it was decided that the year of our 80th anniversary would be the time to do it.
Mr. Lemaire added that not only is May a better time relative to the weather, but the show previously conflicted with the largest annual produce trade show in the world: Fruit Logistica, held in Berlin in early February each year.
Many people who would have liked the opportunity to come to the CPMA convention could not attend because of the conflict, said Mr. Lemaire. Increasing numbers of foreign companies now do business in Canada, and moving the show eliminates that conflict for not only those company representatives but also for prospective new business associates.
To mark the timing change and to present the true essence of the trade show, CPMA unveiled a new logo for the convention. The stylized graphic, a combination of a globe and a generic fruit-vegetable in vivid hues of green, red and blue, was designed to reflect the international nature of the event while honoring the produce industry that it serves. The new logo will appear on all future convention-related materials.
Included in this years convention schedule are the always-informative business sessions. This years listings include Radio Frequency Identification, presented by Bruce Peterson, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of perishable food for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Mr. Peterson will provide an overview of how Wal-Mart is using RFID in its daily business and how it plans to use it in the future. The second part of the session will focus on the current situation as it affects the produce sector. The panel discussion will include speakers from the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors and IBM.
The Produce for Success business session, presented by ACNielsen, will cover the topic of how remaining competitive means keeping abreast of the changing marketplace and responding to the needs of customers. In this two-hour business session, ACNielsen will take participants on an informative journey through Canadas evolving demographic, social and retail landscape and explain how change at each level is likely to affect the produce industry going forward.
Ontario Minister of Agriculture & Food Steve Peters and California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura are the speakers scheduled for The Produce Traceability Standard & Impacting Business and Standards Efforts business session. This in-depth presentation will cover the Produce Traceability Standard, Impacting Business & Standards Efforts, the final output of the CPMA-PMA Traceability Task Force, Fresh Produce Traceability and A Guide to Implementation.
CPMA said that Mr. Peters and Mr. Kawamura bring to their presentations mutually educated and experienced perspectives on views regarding public policy and industry issues that both those in the produce industry and political leaders now face. The session will help delegates from both sectors to see the roads they must travel together to impact positive change.
A two-hour workshop on CPMAs New Food Safety Multi-Media Training Tool will include a new food safety multi-media training tool to help companies in the implementation of a food safety program. CPMAs educational programs have helped keep the industry updated on the latest safety issues, regulatory standards and best practices.
From the standpoint of building businesses, the show has also provided attendees with access to new industry innovations, advancements in technology and industry marketing successes.
Speaker highlights for the convention include Brian Little, an award-winning Harvard psychology professor. Described by a client as a cross between Robin Williams and Albert Einstein, Dr. Little has also been called one of the funnier speakers on earth as well as one of the more respected. He has given well over 500 keynote presentations to groups around the world. He discusses how individual differences in personality play a subtle and vital role in the lives of professionals, their clients and the broader community. By using practical examples, he illustrates the effect of personality on communication, memory, learning styles and decision-making.
However, he also argues that in peoples professional work, people are not always what they appear to be. Dr. Little rejects the notion that people have fixed traits that are set like plaster. Rather, he argues that people have free traits and are, at worst, only half-plastered.
Another keynote speaker, Bruce Sellery, is ROBTVs New York bureau chief for Report on Business television. He puts the U.S. business world into context for Canadian viewers, covering the economy, the stock market and the latest Wall Street scandals. Mr. Sellery frequently addresses the question, What if everyone in your company worked like they owned the joint? He states that a culture of accountability can have a dramatic impact on business results and employee morale.
Jeff Ansell will present Media Strategies to Get Your Message Across. A former journalist, Mr. Ansells investigative reports appeared on TV and radio and in newspapers and magazines.
Bill Lamberton, former vice president of marketing for WestJet, is also a scheduled keynote speaker at the convention. He is lauded by Canadian Business magazine as one of Canadas top salesmen.
On Wednesday, May 11, the chairmans welcoming reception will be held at the Steam Whistle, a new brewery located in the historic Roundhouse, south of the CN Tower. Constructed in 1929, the Roundhouse functioned as a steam locomotive repair facility. This unique venue will enhance the evening that CPMA organizers have planned for attendees and present a perfect opportunity for those in the trade to network with old and new friends and business associates.
On Thursday night, May 12, trade show delegates will have the pleasure of enjoying The Academy of Spherical Arts, considered by many to be the finest cue sports facility in the country. A highlight of the evening will be the two pool pros hired by CPMA to show off their trick shots and hints to attendees who want to improve their game. The comfortable and elegant club-like environment will also offer plenty of food and drink and other forms of entertainment for those who do not play pool.
The program also includes tours outside the convention center. A Friday morning group will visit the Ontario Food Terminal, Canadas largest fruit and produce terminal. Another tour, scheduled for Saturday morning, will offer delegates an opportunity to visit a unique array of retail outlets throughout the Toronto area.
A golf tournament, which will benefit Canadas 5 to 10 a day campaign, will be held on Sunday. CPMAs annual banquet, a traditional convention wrap-up, will be held on Saturday evening. The evenings entertainment features Second City, a unique brand of improvisational humor and one of North Americas foremost comedy theaters. Following the entertainment, attendees are invited to enjoy the casino, music and dancing.
It is the combination of all of these elements, the personal nature, the networking opportunities, the educational and timely programming that brings delegates back to the event every year, said Mr. Lemaire. Combined, these aspects make the CPMA convention an industry leader. This year, over 310 booths are reserved, which is a CPMA record. We anticipate that more than 3,400 participants will attend the show.
