The Peruvian Avocado Commission has a full slate of promotions planned to help consumers associate Peru as the summer avocado source.

The summer promotions kicked off in early May with a Peruvian-avocado themed breakfast for the men and women who serve on the U.S. Navy’s USS Cole, a first of its kind event for the avocado industry, according to the PAC.

“The 2015 campaign involves a variety of events and promotions similar to the breakfast served to the sailors on board the USS Cole that are firsts for the avocado category,” Xavier Equihua, president and chief executive officer of PAC, said in a press release.Xavier Equihua, president and chief executive officer of the Peruvian Avocado Commission, with member of the U.S. Navy outside the USS Cole. The PAC kicked off summer promotions for Peruvian avocados last month in Fort Lauderdale, FL, during Fleet Week. “We want to reach consumers through a variety of media channels, constantly reminding them to make avocados from Peru a part of their daily diet.”

The breakfast event on board the USS Cole will be featured as a special July 4th segment on the nationally syndicated Mr. Food Test Kitchen show on July 1. The segment will air on more than 100 television stations across the country and reach millions of viewers.

Of the USS Cole event, Equihua said, “We did it to honor the men and women of the U.S. military as well as to feature Peruvian avocados. It had a double effect.”

Peruvian avocados also are to be prominently featured at the 48th annual Smithsonian Folk Fest in Washington, DC, co-sponsored by Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade & Tourism, which is expected to draw more than 1 million people to National Mall in the nation’s capital during the two-week festival.

“Peru is the sponsor of the June 23 opening reception of the festival,” said Equihua. “It will be the first time avocados of any type are featured on the National Mall. It was a rare opportunity for Peru.”

Equihua said Avocados from Peru will partner with the popular Peruvian Brothers, one of the official food suppliers of the event. “Throughout the summer, the Peruvian Brothers’ food trucks will be wrapped in beautiful images of Peru and fresh, ripe avocados and they’ve added AFP’s signature Quinoa and Avocado Salad to the menu,” he said. “The event allows Avocados from Peru to honor the United States at one of the largest events in the country.”

Following that, Peruvian avocados will travel north to the Javits Center in New York City for the Fancy Food Show June 28-30, the largest specialty food show in the country.

“New York is such a food town, and Peruvian avocados fit well with the gourmet element of the show,” said Equihua.

In keeping with the gourmet theme, PAC has enlisted internationally renowned chef Martin Morales, author of the award-winning cookbook Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen, which was awarded the London Sunday Times Cookbook of the Year, who is also founder and managing director of Ceviche Soho, Old Street and Andina, three of London’s best new restaurants.

Chef Morales will act as the global ambassador for Avocados from Peru at the Fancy Food Show; host a private dinner at the Peruvian Ambassador to the United Nation’s residence for top media and key customers; be featured as a guest chef at the renowned James Beard Foundation House; and conduct a special cooking demo at Condé Nast, the prominent media company and producer of high-quality content.

“The James Beard Foundation event will be such a great event,” said Equihua. “It is the pre-eminent culinary institution and Peruvian avocados will take it over on the night of July 1. We felt like we wanted to include chefs more with our summer promotions and we also wanted to show Peruvian avocados as being international.”

Targeting big markets is a main strategy for PAC now and in looking toward the future.

“Avocado consumption will increase tremendously in the next 10 years because we are becoming such an urbanized society, with people wanting to live closer to cities,” said Equihua. “Avocados are becoming a staple item, like tomatoes, and that represents a huge opportunity to increase consumption. It helps the entire avocado category.”

As part of that effort, major retailers on the East Coast will conduct demos featuring Peruvian avocados leading into the July 4th holiday.

“One major retailer alone will be holding 1,600 demos,” he said. “We love that, and then timing is perfect because it is leading right into the biggest consumption day of the year and that happens in the heart of the Peruvian avocado season.”

Equihua said Peru registers high on the social responsibility scale, and that resonates well with retailer and consumers alike, who are more in tune with the fair treatment of workers.

“We are actually ahead on social responsibility because Peruvian avocados are the number one avocado in Europe, and retailers there have such strict standards for social responsibility,” he said.

Importers of Peruvian avocados have taken note of the PAC efforts and applaud the work the commission has done in promoting the brand.

“I really like what the Peruvian Avocado Commission has done,” said Bob Lucy, a partner at Del Rey Avocado in Fallbrook, CA. “They have been aggressive and met with many of the large retailers. They are offering a good deal of support, which is what they need to do.”