FPAA's inaugural expo proves fruitful for buyers and exhibitors

The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas was pleased with the success of its inaugural expo, a recent enhancement to the FPAA Convention, which just concluded its 54th consecutive year. Now known as the Southwest International Produce Expo, or SWIPE, the event, held at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort last week, attracted more than 500 attendees, buyers and exhibitors to Tucson, AZ.

Over the course of three days, buyers, growers, distributors and allied industry partners gathered for educational sessions, networking events, awards reception and multiple outdoor activities, including retail store tours, and golf and tennis tournaments.

“We’re very pleased with the success of our first expo, alongside our annual conference, that brought together buyers, sellers and growers for an elevated experience in the Southwest,” said Lance Jungmeyer, FPAA president. “With the richness and diversity of our region and industry on display, SWIPE provided an intimate opportunity for trade partners to come together for quality business development and networking.”

Thursday evening kicked off with the Opening Fiesta, a culinary celebration of the bounty and culture of the Southwest, where the industry gathered to join in the rich environment of the SWIPE event. Friday began with a half-day agenda of education sessions that addressed challenging supply chain topics such as dealing with unforeseen disruption such as weather, labor and policy; delivering value across customer tiers presented by a panel of industry buyers; and understanding the opportunities for women in the produce industry from those who have excelled in spite of adversity.

The first ever SWIPE expo then opened its doors following the education sessions to a show floor, where the ratio of exhibiting companies to buyers was one to one.