The Southeast Produce Council has grown steadily — and remarkably — since its founding in 1999 and has never been stronger than heading into its biggest annual event, the Southern Exposure trade show at the Caribe Royale Resort & Conference Center in Orlando, FL, Feb 27 to March 2.

SPC has become a powerhouse regional organization that helps shape policy and provides substantial return on investment to its more than 800 members. While SPC is vibrantly active year-round, Southern Exposure is its crown jewel event and the response to the show demonstrates the robust health of the organization.

“The hardest thing for us is managing growth,” said SPC President Andrew Scott, director of sales and marketing for Tampa, FL-based Coosemans Interproduce Divisions. “We have to find ways to accommodate new interest without diluting value to our membership, and I think we have been able to walk that line pretty well. We have increased booth size and the number of exhibitors this year, but we still have over 70 companies on the waiting list. So we’re trying to accommodate our growth but we have our limits. We’re not just trying to sell as many booths as we can.”

Former Southeast Produce Council President John Shuman, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black and wife, Lydia, and current SPC President Andrew Scott. (Photo by Chip Carter)The support SPC has received for its programs — and especially Southern Exposure — has given the organization solid financial footing. That allows the council to focus on giving back to members, whether it’s in the form of expanded scholarship programs or bringing big name speakers to the conference table.

Legendary college football coach and commentator Lou Holtz was the keynote speaker at Southern Exposure 2013. Equally legendary college football coach Bobby Bowden was the featured speaker at the fall conference. And of course college and NFL great Bill Cowher will headline this year’s show.

“We are aware there are speakers who aren’t involved with football, but you have to admit it’s been a pretty stellar lineup,” Scott said. “A big part of our focus is providing actual and perceived value, and big names are great ways to demonstrate that we are continually raising the bar for what we’re giving back to members.”

What members want most out of Southern Exposure is a chance to spend quality time with retail and foodservice buyers. This year they will have ample opportunity for that.

Hours for the March 1 trade exposition have also been extended. Tours of growing and shipping facilities have been done away with. And workshops have been shifted to the morning of March 1 to give attendees a little more downtime for recreational or business pursuits.

“We’ve got some really fresh changes this year versus previous years and a lot of that has to do with us listening to our members and exhibitors and the foodservice and retailers who come,” Scott said. “They tell us what they want out of the show and we’re smart enough to listen and respond.”

And when Scott says “us” he means it. Almost entirely a voluntary effort, SPC benefits from an all-hands-on-deck approach.

“We have to give a lot of credit to our Executive Director Terry Vorhees of course, he’s the man with the vision and he’s where so much of what we’ve done comes from,” Scott said. “But a lot of it has to do with our executive team, our board of directors and our executive committees. It’s a big team effort, it really is. They’re the ones who have made it possible for us to grow and prosper. And the best proof I can give of that is the fact that we have donated over $300,000 to the charities we have served and the scholarships we sponsor, and that number continues to increase each year.”