NEPC expo 'one of the biggest and best yet'
NEPC expo 'one of the biggest and best yet'
BOSTON -- The old clich? of good things coming in small packages was certainly an appropriate description of the New England Produce Council's Expo, held here April 9 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
Now in its eighth year, the expo's 230 booths drew approximately 700 attendees and was "one of the biggest and best yet," Robert McGowan, president of the council, told The Produce News.
"I'm very pleased, and a lot of the success we've seen is attributable to the great retail support we receive," said Mr. McGowan. "This makes the vendors feel good and the sponsors feel good. We're going to continue to tweak and improve it, but I think this is going to be a tough one to beat."
Laura Sullivan, executive director of the council, also attributed the expo's success to the "huge support we receive from New England retailers" and to the fact that the council has been attracting companies in areas outside New England, such as New York and New Jersey.
She also noted that the show's one-day format is also very popular with attendees.
"They can come in and get their business done," she said, adding that "exhibitors have taken it upon themselves to invite their customers," which has helped the show continue to grow.
Mr. McGowan, who also serves as vice president of produce for Eastern Sales & Marketing, noted that this year there was a change to the morning format, where the keynote speaker was dropped in favor of the "Produce Family Feud." The game, which resembled the popular television show, had 10 contestants on two teams that were selected from throughout the trade and who answered questions asked to 100 produce managers from throughout New England.
"I think it was a lot of fun, and we might do it again next year," said Ms. Sullivan.
NEPC Vice President Mike Giza, sales manager of Big Y Foods Inc., a 55-store chain with locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts, echoed Ms. Sullivan's sentiments.
"I think the new morning format worked very well," he said.
Steve Dandrea of Dandrea Produce Inc. in Landisville, NJ, exhibited at the show and was happy with the results. "The show has been great," he said. "We've seen a lot of our friends and retail partners, and we've seen a few that will hopefully be our partners in the future.
Keith Frosceno, vice president of produce merchandising for Price Chopper, told The Produce News, "This is a great show. We bring our buyers and produce managers here. It is a benefit for them because they get to interact with the suppliers and see people that they wouldn't normally get to or just talk to on the phone."
Gary Arsenault, buyer-merchandiser for Market Basket Produce, has been coming to the expo since it began and told The Produce News that it allows him to "see the vendors we do business with as well as seeing what is current in the industry. It's a great show and they do a good job. It just gets better and better every year."
(Photos from the event appear in the April 14 issue of The Produce News.)
Now in its eighth year, the expo's 230 booths drew approximately 700 attendees and was "one of the biggest and best yet," Robert McGowan, president of the council, told The Produce News.
"I'm very pleased, and a lot of the success we've seen is attributable to the great retail support we receive," said Mr. McGowan. "This makes the vendors feel good and the sponsors feel good. We're going to continue to tweak and improve it, but I think this is going to be a tough one to beat."
Laura Sullivan, executive director of the council, also attributed the expo's success to the "huge support we receive from New England retailers" and to the fact that the council has been attracting companies in areas outside New England, such as New York and New Jersey.
She also noted that the show's one-day format is also very popular with attendees.
"They can come in and get their business done," she said, adding that "exhibitors have taken it upon themselves to invite their customers," which has helped the show continue to grow.
Mr. McGowan, who also serves as vice president of produce for Eastern Sales & Marketing, noted that this year there was a change to the morning format, where the keynote speaker was dropped in favor of the "Produce Family Feud." The game, which resembled the popular television show, had 10 contestants on two teams that were selected from throughout the trade and who answered questions asked to 100 produce managers from throughout New England.
"I think it was a lot of fun, and we might do it again next year," said Ms. Sullivan.
NEPC Vice President Mike Giza, sales manager of Big Y Foods Inc., a 55-store chain with locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts, echoed Ms. Sullivan's sentiments.
"I think the new morning format worked very well," he said.
Steve Dandrea of Dandrea Produce Inc. in Landisville, NJ, exhibited at the show and was happy with the results. "The show has been great," he said. "We've seen a lot of our friends and retail partners, and we've seen a few that will hopefully be our partners in the future.
Keith Frosceno, vice president of produce merchandising for Price Chopper, told The Produce News, "This is a great show. We bring our buyers and produce managers here. It is a benefit for them because they get to interact with the suppliers and see people that they wouldn't normally get to or just talk to on the phone."
Gary Arsenault, buyer-merchandiser for Market Basket Produce, has been coming to the expo since it began and told The Produce News that it allows him to "see the vendors we do business with as well as seeing what is current in the industry. It's a great show and they do a good job. It just gets better and better every year."
(Photos from the event appear in the April 14 issue of The Produce News.)
