Ever since the infamous Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 1946, people from around the world have flocked to the city in increasing numbers every year.

Today, the city offers 124,270 hotel rooms to provide accommodations for over 37 million annual visitors, on top of the resident population of about 60,000. It hosts 3,749 conventions every year.

Any way you cut it, Las Vegas has a lot of mouths to feed.

Mission Produce Inc. will introduce a new processed avocado product line at the United Fresh exposition in Las Vegas May 5-7, according to Ross Wileman, vice president of sales and marketing.

The new line, which will initially consist of two flavors of guacamole, employs high-pressure technology that extends shelf life by destroying the bacteria in the product. "It basically pasteurizes the product to give you a 30-day shelf life," Mr. Wileman said.

Locating the Fresh Tech and Fresh Marketplace expos together in Las Vegas is already paying off as the United Fresh Las Vegas 2008 show is anticipating record attendance in part due to the success of representing the entire supply chain under one roof, according to the group.

United Fresh Las Vegas 2008 is the first show to merge the two expos, allowing attendees to talk with packaging machine suppliers and with marketers of value-added and organic produce. The new focus is a result of the merger between United and the International Fresh-cut Produce Association.

VALLEY CENTER, CA -- Food editors from various consumer publications around the country, from Southern Living to Sunset, had an opportunity April 26 to tour avocado groves in Southern California, meet with growers, visit a small on-farm packing operation and a large commercial packinghouse, have their questions answered by industry experts, and sample some creative dishes using avocados as an ingredient.

WASHINGTON -- The board of directors of the United Fresh Produce Association has voted to implement a new organizational structure for its volunteer leadership, to be implemented following this year's annual convention, May 4-7 in Las Vegas, NV.

The new structure will consist of four horizontal boards representing different market segments of the produce supply chain, which in turn will roll up into a consolidated overall board of Directors representing the association's membership.

WASHINGTON -- Nick Tompkins of Apio Inc. and chairman of United Fresh Produce Association's board development committee has announced the slate of new officers and directors nominated to serve on United's board of directors, effective at its May 3 meeting.

Ascending to chairman of the board is Tom Lovelace, executive vice president of McEntire Produce, a fresh-cut processor, tomato re-packer and vegetable wholesaler in in Columbia, SC.