FPFC expo draws more than 1,000 attendees
FPFC expo draws more than 1,000 attendees
ANAHEIM, CA -- More than 1,000 produce, floral and foodservice industry representatives attended the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo July 24 at the Disneyland Hotel, here.
The oldest event of its kind in the country, the expo is designed to give front-line personnel an inside glimpse at the produce and flowers they sell to consumers each day.
Dozens of supermarket and foodservice companies were represented by their employees at the one-day event that featured more than 100 exhibitors showing their products and discussing industry trends with the appreciative in-store personnel. There were also many different produce buyers, supervisors and merchandisers of the various supermarket and restaurant chains in attendance.
Raul Gallegos, the council's 2006 chairman of the board and vice president of produce and floral for the Southern California-based Bristol Farms chain, said that each of his produce buyers and supervisors, as well as his in-store produce and floral managers, were in attendance. He said that the event gives the entire group an opportunity to see what's going in the industry, and just as importantly, talk with each other in an informal setting. His employees performed very well in the produce quiz and floral design contests that are part of the show.
Don Harris of the Wild Oats chain said that the expo was a great opportunity to meet with vendors and potential vendors as he walked up and down the aisles of the exhibit hall.
The event also included concurrent produce and floral educational sessions as well as the awards luncheon featuring a keynote address by KNBC weatherman Fritz Coleman.
During the produce breakout session, Rutgers University researcher William Hallman spoke about the consumer's perception of food safety. The Rutgers- based Food Policy Institute has been given a $2 million grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study food-safety issues and the consumer response to these issues. By understanding how consumers react, USDA and other government agencies can fashion effective communication strategies when food-safety questions arise.
It's difficult to encapsulate the results that Dr. Hallman has achieved so far, but suffice to say that consumer reactions and attitudes to risks with regard to food safety are not commensurate with the risks themselves.
For example, consumers seem more concerned about food-safety issues in restaurants than in their homes, yet Dr. Hallman said that it is a fact that most food-borne illnesses occur in the home. "People think someone else is the cause of the problem, when, in fact, they are the problem."
In the breakout section devoted to the in-store floral personnel, consultant Tom Lavagetto urged the floral experts to do a better job merchandising their products. He said that floral departments should draw inspiration from their neighboring produce departments and learn how to better sell their products. In general, he said that most retail floral departments lack proper signage and are lacking even basic merchandising techniques.
"If you don't have a sign on it telling the consumer what it is and how much it costs, it's just a display and it's not for sale," he told The Produce News after his session.
Mr. Lavagetto said that most floral departments tend to be "cutesy" rather than sales-oriented, and he said that in this time when floral departments are often short on labor, it is very important for the displays to sell themselves.
He urged floral department managers to talk with produce and meat department managers to learn proper merchandising techniques.
During the awards luncheon Tracy Ramirez of Ralphs Grocery Co. and Pat McDowell of Perimeter Sales & Merchandising were honored with the council's top floral and produce awards, respectively.
For the last 25 years, Ms. Ramirez has been a fixture in the Southern California floral industry, working on both the retail and supply side of the aisle. She spent much of her career with the Vons Cos., but she joined Ralphs just recently.
Mr. McDowell's career also has spanned a quarter of a century, but he has always been on the supply side of the equation working in many different facets of the industry including fresh-cut and fresh juices.
Perimeter is a food-brokerage firm that handles many different lines of produce items for various suppliers. Mr. McDowell also served as chairman of the council in 2006.
The oldest event of its kind in the country, the expo is designed to give front-line personnel an inside glimpse at the produce and flowers they sell to consumers each day.
Dozens of supermarket and foodservice companies were represented by their employees at the one-day event that featured more than 100 exhibitors showing their products and discussing industry trends with the appreciative in-store personnel. There were also many different produce buyers, supervisors and merchandisers of the various supermarket and restaurant chains in attendance.
Raul Gallegos, the council's 2006 chairman of the board and vice president of produce and floral for the Southern California-based Bristol Farms chain, said that each of his produce buyers and supervisors, as well as his in-store produce and floral managers, were in attendance. He said that the event gives the entire group an opportunity to see what's going in the industry, and just as importantly, talk with each other in an informal setting. His employees performed very well in the produce quiz and floral design contests that are part of the show.
Don Harris of the Wild Oats chain said that the expo was a great opportunity to meet with vendors and potential vendors as he walked up and down the aisles of the exhibit hall.
The event also included concurrent produce and floral educational sessions as well as the awards luncheon featuring a keynote address by KNBC weatherman Fritz Coleman.
During the produce breakout session, Rutgers University researcher William Hallman spoke about the consumer's perception of food safety. The Rutgers- based Food Policy Institute has been given a $2 million grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study food-safety issues and the consumer response to these issues. By understanding how consumers react, USDA and other government agencies can fashion effective communication strategies when food-safety questions arise.
It's difficult to encapsulate the results that Dr. Hallman has achieved so far, but suffice to say that consumer reactions and attitudes to risks with regard to food safety are not commensurate with the risks themselves.
For example, consumers seem more concerned about food-safety issues in restaurants than in their homes, yet Dr. Hallman said that it is a fact that most food-borne illnesses occur in the home. "People think someone else is the cause of the problem, when, in fact, they are the problem."
In the breakout section devoted to the in-store floral personnel, consultant Tom Lavagetto urged the floral experts to do a better job merchandising their products. He said that floral departments should draw inspiration from their neighboring produce departments and learn how to better sell their products. In general, he said that most retail floral departments lack proper signage and are lacking even basic merchandising techniques.
"If you don't have a sign on it telling the consumer what it is and how much it costs, it's just a display and it's not for sale," he told The Produce News after his session.
Mr. Lavagetto said that most floral departments tend to be "cutesy" rather than sales-oriented, and he said that in this time when floral departments are often short on labor, it is very important for the displays to sell themselves.
He urged floral department managers to talk with produce and meat department managers to learn proper merchandising techniques.
During the awards luncheon Tracy Ramirez of Ralphs Grocery Co. and Pat McDowell of Perimeter Sales & Merchandising were honored with the council's top floral and produce awards, respectively.
For the last 25 years, Ms. Ramirez has been a fixture in the Southern California floral industry, working on both the retail and supply side of the aisle. She spent much of her career with the Vons Cos., but she joined Ralphs just recently.
Mr. McDowell's career also has spanned a quarter of a century, but he has always been on the supply side of the equation working in many different facets of the industry including fresh-cut and fresh juices.
Perimeter is a food-brokerage firm that handles many different lines of produce items for various suppliers. Mr. McDowell also served as chairman of the council in 2006.
