CPMA draws record crowd
CPMA draws record crowd
VANCOUVER, BC -- The Canadian Produce Marketing Association's 81st annual convention and exposition held here March 22-25 drew record attendance for the second straight year.
In 2005, when the CPMA event was held in Toronto, overall attendance -- including exhibitors and patrons -- stood at a record 3,400. This year the show drew 4,100 registered attendees, said Ron Lemaire, CPMA's executive vice president and director of marketing. There were 321 exhibitor booths at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The city of Vancouver's elaborate charms may account for some of the increased draw, but as further proof of the show's increasing popularity, Mr. Lemaire pointed to 1999, when there were 211 exhibitor booths and 1,500 attendees.
The attendance gains have come as a result of the efforts of the association in concert with responding to patrons' requests for how the show takes shape, Mr. Lemaire said. "We're part of the produce family," he noted. "We offer a value-added product as a convention."
Next year's show in Montreal will be shortened to a Wednesday night through Friday night, Mr. Lemaire said. He said that CPMA and the Produce Marketing Association - CPMA's U.S. counterpart - learn from each other when putting on their conventions.
"You try to do the best business practices," Mr. Lemaire said. "You don't have to recreate the wheel."
Mr. Lemaire said that CPMA's show was "a great opportunity to see U.S. customers and a lot of Canadian customers" in a relaxed atmosphere and at a "non-aggressive pace." With the show designed around a combination of socialization and business, "everyone has time to talk," Mr. Lemaire said. Exhibitors seemed to appreciate the relative intimacy of the show.
Rick Alcocer of Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc. in Salinas, CA, said that by comparison to U.S.-based shows, the CPMA show is "much more quaint" and "allows us to get more intimate" with customers. "This show is like having 14 or 15 countries here," he said. "The draw for us is serving those ethnicities in Canada."
For Mr. Alcocer and others staying in the Pan Pacific Hotel, there was the added plus of having the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre in the same building.
"If you want to have a meeting, you can go upstairs," Mr. Alcocer said. "This is a great spot." This year represented the second year Duda has had a booth at the CPMA show.
John Anderson of the Vancouver, BC-based Oppenheimer Group said that the show offers "good value and good foot traffic from retailers, wholesalers and produce managers."
Brian Beggs of Vancouver, BC-based BC Hot House Foods Inc. said that the show offered a good chance for the company to build relationships following the retooling of its cost structure with growers. "We're trying to re-establish BC Hot House business," Mr. Beggs said.
Scott Harrington of Watsonville, CA-based Monterey Mushrooms Inc. said that traffic by the company's booth was heavy with suppliers and foodservice, and that the show "has been well worth it." Mr. Harrington said that the company had enjoyed "a fair amount of activity at our booth."
For Minnesota-based Wholesale Produce Supply Co., the show was an opportunity to establish itself as a player in western Canada. The company opened a sales office in Winnipeg with industry veteran Shari Keeler in recent months and plans to open a warehouse there, too.
Ms. Keeler and Reed Sibet, sales manager for Wholesale Produce, said that the company would be able to do everything out of Winnipeg in the near future. Joe Feldman of Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms said that several of the company's items are popular in Canada, such as brussels sprouts, fennel, bunched spinach and iceless broccoli. The show furthers Ocean Mist's "exposure to the Canadian buying community," Mr. Feldman said.
Stephanie Hilton of Beach Street Farms said that the show is well attended by Canadian retailers, which is a "growing part of our business."
Steve Adlesh of Guadalupe, CA-based Beachside Produce LLC said that the company adjusts its planting schedule around Canada. "I'm very impressed with the foodservice distribution and retail companies," he said. "There's a good network of information that flows from Vancouver and western Canada."
Jennifer Attard of Bowling Green, OH-based GreenLine told The Produce News that the company's first effort at exhibiting at the CPMA show "has been very good" and that the company has signed up to exhibit at next year's show.
In 2005, when the CPMA event was held in Toronto, overall attendance -- including exhibitors and patrons -- stood at a record 3,400. This year the show drew 4,100 registered attendees, said Ron Lemaire, CPMA's executive vice president and director of marketing. There were 321 exhibitor booths at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The city of Vancouver's elaborate charms may account for some of the increased draw, but as further proof of the show's increasing popularity, Mr. Lemaire pointed to 1999, when there were 211 exhibitor booths and 1,500 attendees.
The attendance gains have come as a result of the efforts of the association in concert with responding to patrons' requests for how the show takes shape, Mr. Lemaire said. "We're part of the produce family," he noted. "We offer a value-added product as a convention."
Next year's show in Montreal will be shortened to a Wednesday night through Friday night, Mr. Lemaire said. He said that CPMA and the Produce Marketing Association - CPMA's U.S. counterpart - learn from each other when putting on their conventions.
"You try to do the best business practices," Mr. Lemaire said. "You don't have to recreate the wheel."
Mr. Lemaire said that CPMA's show was "a great opportunity to see U.S. customers and a lot of Canadian customers" in a relaxed atmosphere and at a "non-aggressive pace." With the show designed around a combination of socialization and business, "everyone has time to talk," Mr. Lemaire said. Exhibitors seemed to appreciate the relative intimacy of the show.
Rick Alcocer of Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc. in Salinas, CA, said that by comparison to U.S.-based shows, the CPMA show is "much more quaint" and "allows us to get more intimate" with customers. "This show is like having 14 or 15 countries here," he said. "The draw for us is serving those ethnicities in Canada."
For Mr. Alcocer and others staying in the Pan Pacific Hotel, there was the added plus of having the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre in the same building.
"If you want to have a meeting, you can go upstairs," Mr. Alcocer said. "This is a great spot." This year represented the second year Duda has had a booth at the CPMA show.
John Anderson of the Vancouver, BC-based Oppenheimer Group said that the show offers "good value and good foot traffic from retailers, wholesalers and produce managers."
Brian Beggs of Vancouver, BC-based BC Hot House Foods Inc. said that the show offered a good chance for the company to build relationships following the retooling of its cost structure with growers. "We're trying to re-establish BC Hot House business," Mr. Beggs said.
Scott Harrington of Watsonville, CA-based Monterey Mushrooms Inc. said that traffic by the company's booth was heavy with suppliers and foodservice, and that the show "has been well worth it." Mr. Harrington said that the company had enjoyed "a fair amount of activity at our booth."
For Minnesota-based Wholesale Produce Supply Co., the show was an opportunity to establish itself as a player in western Canada. The company opened a sales office in Winnipeg with industry veteran Shari Keeler in recent months and plans to open a warehouse there, too.
Ms. Keeler and Reed Sibet, sales manager for Wholesale Produce, said that the company would be able to do everything out of Winnipeg in the near future. Joe Feldman of Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms said that several of the company's items are popular in Canada, such as brussels sprouts, fennel, bunched spinach and iceless broccoli. The show furthers Ocean Mist's "exposure to the Canadian buying community," Mr. Feldman said.
Stephanie Hilton of Beach Street Farms said that the show is well attended by Canadian retailers, which is a "growing part of our business."
Steve Adlesh of Guadalupe, CA-based Beachside Produce LLC said that the company adjusts its planting schedule around Canada. "I'm very impressed with the foodservice distribution and retail companies," he said. "There's a good network of information that flows from Vancouver and western Canada."
Jennifer Attard of Bowling Green, OH-based GreenLine told The Produce News that the company's first effort at exhibiting at the CPMA show "has been very good" and that the company has signed up to exhibit at next year's show.
