FPFC Expo to focus on health
FPFC Expo to focus on health
With a theme of "Health Odyssey," the 2006 Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo is expected to attract more than 1,000 attendees to hear the latest on nutrition information and peruse the booths of 170 exhibitors.
The one-day event will be held July 11 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA, beginning at 7 a.m. with the Retail/Foodservice Education Seminar and the concurrent Floral Education Seminar. The Retail/Foodservice Seminar will be conducted by a distinguished panel of guests who have been asked to provide specific information that can be incorporated into the job of every retailer and foodservice operator.
One of the factors that sets the FPFC Expo apart from other industry events is that the target attendees are in-store personnel. These are the front-line people who directly engage the consumers that buy the industry's fruits, vegetables, nuts and flowers.
The moderator for this panel will be California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura. His panelists include Produce Marketing Association President Bryan Silbermann, United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association Vice President Lorelei DiSogra, Del Taco Executive Vice President Janet Erickson and Dr. James Rouse, creator of the Optimum Wellness Program. The topic for the seminar is nutrition.
On the floral side of the program, presenters have been asked to discuss care and handling, trends, and the merchandising of fresh floral products at the retail level. Sherine Iskander of the Gelson's/ Mayfair Markets chain will serve as the moderator. Her panel consists of Rene van Rems of Rene van Rems International, and Cindy Smith, a floral designer with Mark's Garden. The floral presentation also attracts many in-store floral designers and, consequently, the panelists will spend a good deal of their time discussing trends in that area of the business.
A floral design contest, with dozens of local floral designers from the mass-market environment, is always one of the highlights of the day. The designers each receive a surprise package of floral items and are given a specific amount of time to create a centerpiece.
In-store produce department managers and personnel as well as the foodservice produce experts also have a chance to compete during the day's activities. Produce 101 will have teams of contestants from various venues answering questions about the products they sell. The contest is designed to not only test the knowledge of the participants but also to impart information to the attendees.
Another educational aspect of the day will be the always-popular chef demonstrations. Numerous chefs selected from the FPFC membership list will create an array of recipes using fresh produce. This program is designed to give the foodservice attendees some fresh ideas and also whet the appetites of all the participants.
Still another highlight of the day is the Keynote Awards Luncheon, which almost always features a speaker from the sports world. This year is no exception, with Olympic Gold Medalist John Naber taking the podium. Mr. Naber was America's top athlete at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal.
The awards luncheon will honor the winners of the floral and produce contests and will also see two industry veterans singled out for their contributions to the produce and floral industries. Always kept a secret until the event, the FPFC board of directors will award the annual Norman H. (Buz) Bolstad Produce Award and the FPFC Floral Achievement Award.
While the seminars, contests and awards help punctuate the day, it is clear that the exhibit floor is clearly what attracts the majority of attendees to use a vacation day to attend the event. For most in- store personnel, attendance at the event requires the use of a personal day off. But they are richly rewarded with scores of fascinating exhibits as well as a bag of products to take home at the end of the day. The exhibitors represent every facet of the produce industry, from the grower to the wholesaler to the distributor to many value-added companies and branded firms.
FPFC President Linda Stine said that this year the FPFC Expo Committee, headed by Patty Knoll of Tempkin International, made a concerted effort to attract more independent retailers and foodservice operators. The expo has always been very well supported by the larger chain operators, which is also the case this year.
But as independents have grown, especially in the retail environment, FPFC has focused extra attention on that community. As a result, Ms. Stine said that more individual retail and foodservice companies would be represented than ever before.
The one-day event will be held July 11 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA, beginning at 7 a.m. with the Retail/Foodservice Education Seminar and the concurrent Floral Education Seminar. The Retail/Foodservice Seminar will be conducted by a distinguished panel of guests who have been asked to provide specific information that can be incorporated into the job of every retailer and foodservice operator.
One of the factors that sets the FPFC Expo apart from other industry events is that the target attendees are in-store personnel. These are the front-line people who directly engage the consumers that buy the industry's fruits, vegetables, nuts and flowers.
The moderator for this panel will be California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura. His panelists include Produce Marketing Association President Bryan Silbermann, United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association Vice President Lorelei DiSogra, Del Taco Executive Vice President Janet Erickson and Dr. James Rouse, creator of the Optimum Wellness Program. The topic for the seminar is nutrition.
On the floral side of the program, presenters have been asked to discuss care and handling, trends, and the merchandising of fresh floral products at the retail level. Sherine Iskander of the Gelson's/ Mayfair Markets chain will serve as the moderator. Her panel consists of Rene van Rems of Rene van Rems International, and Cindy Smith, a floral designer with Mark's Garden. The floral presentation also attracts many in-store floral designers and, consequently, the panelists will spend a good deal of their time discussing trends in that area of the business.
A floral design contest, with dozens of local floral designers from the mass-market environment, is always one of the highlights of the day. The designers each receive a surprise package of floral items and are given a specific amount of time to create a centerpiece.
In-store produce department managers and personnel as well as the foodservice produce experts also have a chance to compete during the day's activities. Produce 101 will have teams of contestants from various venues answering questions about the products they sell. The contest is designed to not only test the knowledge of the participants but also to impart information to the attendees.
Another educational aspect of the day will be the always-popular chef demonstrations. Numerous chefs selected from the FPFC membership list will create an array of recipes using fresh produce. This program is designed to give the foodservice attendees some fresh ideas and also whet the appetites of all the participants.
Still another highlight of the day is the Keynote Awards Luncheon, which almost always features a speaker from the sports world. This year is no exception, with Olympic Gold Medalist John Naber taking the podium. Mr. Naber was America's top athlete at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal.
The awards luncheon will honor the winners of the floral and produce contests and will also see two industry veterans singled out for their contributions to the produce and floral industries. Always kept a secret until the event, the FPFC board of directors will award the annual Norman H. (Buz) Bolstad Produce Award and the FPFC Floral Achievement Award.
While the seminars, contests and awards help punctuate the day, it is clear that the exhibit floor is clearly what attracts the majority of attendees to use a vacation day to attend the event. For most in- store personnel, attendance at the event requires the use of a personal day off. But they are richly rewarded with scores of fascinating exhibits as well as a bag of products to take home at the end of the day. The exhibitors represent every facet of the produce industry, from the grower to the wholesaler to the distributor to many value-added companies and branded firms.
FPFC President Linda Stine said that this year the FPFC Expo Committee, headed by Patty Knoll of Tempkin International, made a concerted effort to attract more independent retailers and foodservice operators. The expo has always been very well supported by the larger chain operators, which is also the case this year.
But as independents have grown, especially in the retail environment, FPFC has focused extra attention on that community. As a result, Ms. Stine said that more individual retail and foodservice companies would be represented than ever before.
