The show allows attendees to take the pulse of the category, view new products for 2026, assess trends and solidify relationships for the year ahead. The agenda for 2025 features a broad slate of programs including the Global Trade Symposium, Ideation Fresh Foodservice Forum and tours of industry operations — all designed to elevate the show beyond a typical booth-only experience.

There’s also the Foundational Excellence Future-Leaders-in-Produce program, led by Cornell University professors, designed for professionals with fewer than five years of industry experience. It will offer sessions focused on leadership development, marketing strategies and the latest retail and foodservice trends. The schedule also includes interactive breakout discussions to drive ideation, strengthen networking, and encourage small-group collaboration.

Also returning is the widely popular Young Leaders panel, moderated by Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the New York Apple Association. This year’s panelists include Marcus Albinder of Hudson River Fruit Distributors, Tyler Schneider of Cleveland Kitchen, Taylor Sears of LGS, Stephanie Tramutola of A&J Produce and Matt Zapczynski of the Idaho Potato Commission.

Exhibitors this year also spotlight supply-chain, packaging and retail solutions at a time when resiliency and innovation continue to drive decision-makers. Attendees will find more than 600 exhibiting companies, showing new products in the New Product Showcase and a full floor plan of suppliers, growers, shippers, importers, distributors and service-providers. 

From new programmable packaging to climate-smart logistics solutions, the show puts emerging technologies and category drivers on full display.

One key focus for this year is engaging younger shoppers — Millennials and Gen Z — through fresh-produce storytelling, digital marketing, cause marketing and experiential merchandising. Many exhibitors are aligning their 2026 strategies accordingly. The show gives them a platform to unveil those strategies alongside tactical consultation with buyers, who are looking to differentiate show-floor discussions from spreadsheet transactions. 

Networking events, influencer luncheons and media panels also combine to create moments of high value in a relatively compact timeframe.

Retailers attending the show are expected to push beyond annual contract negotiations and focus instead on broader category growth: identifying items that will contribute to bulk, bag and value-added growth; exploring emerging produce segments; and collaborating on marketing-driven programs for next year. The show’s educational components also aim to help attendees adapt to industry challenges such as consumption shifts, margin pressure, packaging sustainability and labor shortages.

The convergence of global sourcing, East Coast logistics and winter merchandising makes New York an ideal setting for companies that manage year-round supply and seasonal windows alike. Exhibiting companies with global footprints will find buyers seeking supply continuity, while regional companies will have access to broader penetration through national or east-coast networks.

The show also doubles as a strategic checkpoint for companies launching new brands or expanding product lines. With the 2026 season already casting its shadow, suppliers aim to leverage the show for momentum with pre-holiday exposure, launch sampling, buyer meetings and social media activation. 

Many companies bring entire teams, marketing collateral and experiential elements to maximize return on investment, and some view the New York show as the anchor event for their early-year plans.

Overall, the 2025 New York Produce Show & Conference offers a rare combination of timing, location and programmability that enables produce companies to build relationships, showcase innovations and align on 2026 strategies — all within a compact, high-intensity event. 

Suppliers and retailers that treat the show as more than a booth presence — leveraging tours, dining, receptions and conference content — are likely to extract the greatest value. With commerce, education and networking converging in December, the show remains a must-attend moment for the fresh-produce industry.