Professional development goal of this year's FPFC Expo
Professional development goal of this year's FPFC Expo
This year's Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo has added an extra emphasis on professional development, which has led to a change in its seminar structure.
"Rather than focusing on floral or produce with separate seminars, the committee is stressing professional development for store-level attendees with a joint opening session featuring Harold Lloyd," said Carissa Mace, president of the council.
For the past several years, the floral and produce personnel have been segregated; seminars were designed specifically for those separate disciplines. This year, however, the opening session will stress leadership qualities through Mr. Lloyd's keynote address, which will explain how to be a difference-maker in an organization regardless of one's position within the company. Mr. Lloyd is well known as a produce industry seminar presenter, and his expertise lies in the retail end of the business.
The expo will continue to have specific activities for floral and produce personnel including a floral design contest and the "Produce 101" contest. The design contest will feature 35 designers from at least a half-dozen retail operations. Each contestant will be given the same surprise packages of materials and asked to design a centerpiece in a limited timeframe. The "Produce 101" contest is open to all expo attendees, and participants will be challenged to identify a variety of exotic produce items as well as answer some tricky questions about familiar products. It is a great way for produce clerks as well as other produce "experts" to test their fruit and vegetable acumen.
Of course, the expo itself, featuring 175 booths and a luncheon address by award-winning CBS journalist Steve Hartman, will add extra substance to the day's activities.
The expo will be held July 15 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA. The event roughly marks the halfway point in Ms. Mace's first year at the helm of the more than 40-year-old organization. Ms. Mace, who began her produce industry career with the council in 1996 and stayed for five years, returned to the organization as its chief staff officer in December after serving the industry for the previous six years with the Produce Marketing Association.
She said that her first six months have been marked with a thorough internal and external examination of the council. "My philosophy was along the lines of the old adage that you don't fix what's working but rather concentrate on your weak points. The FPFC has always been a very solid organization, so we did not have to make wholesale changes."
But Ms. Mace has wasted no time in putting her mark on the council. "We did look carefully at how we were doing things both internally and externally to determine how best we could serve our membership."
Since she took the top spot, Ms. Mace has led the council through a staff restructuring that puts more emphasis on outsourcing some of the administrative and support duties necessary to run the event-laden association. Pauleen Yoshikane has remained as director of operations with a greater emphasis on managing outside personnel to help promote and staff special events.
Ms. Mace said that the board is currently considering proposals to re- organize the board itself.
"One big task that we have undertaken is to totally update and redesign the FPFC web site. We are making it more user friendly and interactive to allow for on-line registration as well as creating a searchable database of our membership," she said.
The redesign is underway with Ms. Mace hoping for a re-launch by the end of the year.
"We have also changed the venue of our bi-monthly Southern California luncheon meetings," said the FPFC president. "The new location -- the Norwalk Marriott -- has allowed us to change the structure with a greater emphasis on showcasing the products of our luncheon sponsor each month."
The FPFC luncheon is the signature event of the organization and has been for 40 years. It allows industry professionals from all segments of the industry to come together in an informal setting on a regular basis. The luncheons regularly attract 200 members and guests representing growers, shippers, wholesalers, allied industry, retailers and foodservice operators. "The new location is also a more upscale venue befitting the professionalism of our industry," said Ms. Mace.
The only new event that Ms. Mace has added to the mix this year is the return of a floral tour, which has been absent from the schedule for the past several years. "We are going to be doing it a little bit differently this year, as it will be geared toward training the in-store floral personnel. The tour is by invitation only and will visit four different San Diego grower-shippers, where the attendees will receive detailed information on potted plants, blooming plants, cut flowers and bromeliads. The event will include a seminar and hands-on interactive training," she said.
The event has been scheduled for mid-September. Prior to that, the council will hold its annual City of Hope luncheon and fundraising raffle on Aug. 13, followed by the Southern California FPFC golf tournament on Aug. 18. Ms. Mace said that her first six months on the job have been rewarding and interesting with their fair share of challenges.
"Rather than focusing on floral or produce with separate seminars, the committee is stressing professional development for store-level attendees with a joint opening session featuring Harold Lloyd," said Carissa Mace, president of the council.
For the past several years, the floral and produce personnel have been segregated; seminars were designed specifically for those separate disciplines. This year, however, the opening session will stress leadership qualities through Mr. Lloyd's keynote address, which will explain how to be a difference-maker in an organization regardless of one's position within the company. Mr. Lloyd is well known as a produce industry seminar presenter, and his expertise lies in the retail end of the business.
The expo will continue to have specific activities for floral and produce personnel including a floral design contest and the "Produce 101" contest. The design contest will feature 35 designers from at least a half-dozen retail operations. Each contestant will be given the same surprise packages of materials and asked to design a centerpiece in a limited timeframe. The "Produce 101" contest is open to all expo attendees, and participants will be challenged to identify a variety of exotic produce items as well as answer some tricky questions about familiar products. It is a great way for produce clerks as well as other produce "experts" to test their fruit and vegetable acumen.
Of course, the expo itself, featuring 175 booths and a luncheon address by award-winning CBS journalist Steve Hartman, will add extra substance to the day's activities.
The expo will be held July 15 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA. The event roughly marks the halfway point in Ms. Mace's first year at the helm of the more than 40-year-old organization. Ms. Mace, who began her produce industry career with the council in 1996 and stayed for five years, returned to the organization as its chief staff officer in December after serving the industry for the previous six years with the Produce Marketing Association.
She said that her first six months have been marked with a thorough internal and external examination of the council. "My philosophy was along the lines of the old adage that you don't fix what's working but rather concentrate on your weak points. The FPFC has always been a very solid organization, so we did not have to make wholesale changes."
But Ms. Mace has wasted no time in putting her mark on the council. "We did look carefully at how we were doing things both internally and externally to determine how best we could serve our membership."
Since she took the top spot, Ms. Mace has led the council through a staff restructuring that puts more emphasis on outsourcing some of the administrative and support duties necessary to run the event-laden association. Pauleen Yoshikane has remained as director of operations with a greater emphasis on managing outside personnel to help promote and staff special events.
Ms. Mace said that the board is currently considering proposals to re- organize the board itself.
"One big task that we have undertaken is to totally update and redesign the FPFC web site. We are making it more user friendly and interactive to allow for on-line registration as well as creating a searchable database of our membership," she said.
The redesign is underway with Ms. Mace hoping for a re-launch by the end of the year.
"We have also changed the venue of our bi-monthly Southern California luncheon meetings," said the FPFC president. "The new location -- the Norwalk Marriott -- has allowed us to change the structure with a greater emphasis on showcasing the products of our luncheon sponsor each month."
The FPFC luncheon is the signature event of the organization and has been for 40 years. It allows industry professionals from all segments of the industry to come together in an informal setting on a regular basis. The luncheons regularly attract 200 members and guests representing growers, shippers, wholesalers, allied industry, retailers and foodservice operators. "The new location is also a more upscale venue befitting the professionalism of our industry," said Ms. Mace.
The only new event that Ms. Mace has added to the mix this year is the return of a floral tour, which has been absent from the schedule for the past several years. "We are going to be doing it a little bit differently this year, as it will be geared toward training the in-store floral personnel. The tour is by invitation only and will visit four different San Diego grower-shippers, where the attendees will receive detailed information on potted plants, blooming plants, cut flowers and bromeliads. The event will include a seminar and hands-on interactive training," she said.
The event has been scheduled for mid-September. Prior to that, the council will hold its annual City of Hope luncheon and fundraising raffle on Aug. 13, followed by the Southern California FPFC golf tournament on Aug. 18. Ms. Mace said that her first six months on the job have been rewarding and interesting with their fair share of challenges.
