London Produce Show & Conference, June 4-6, 2014, Brings Global Focus To UK

London, England — The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) and Produce Business magazine have announced a collaboration to launch a new annual industry event, The London Produce Show and Conference.

The first edition of The London Produce Show and Conference will be held at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London on June 4-6, 2014.

The event will kick off with an evening cocktail reception for buyers, exhibitors and their guests on June 4. The next day begins with an opening breakfast session and then moves into the main feature: a boutique exhibition in the hotel’s Great Room, Europe’s largest five-star exhibition space. In conjunction with the trade exhibition, will be a series of seminars, breakout sessions and chef demonstrations running throughout the day on June 5.

The final day of the event, June 6, will then give visitors the opportunity to tour some of the leading fresh produce locations in and around England’s capital city, with hosted tours of wholesale markets, retail stores, production sites and import hubs.

“London is an iconic city for many reasons, not only in the UK and Europe, but in global terms,” said FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney. “As home to around 11 million people and one of the most culturally diverse populations in the world, as well as some of the most widely recognised tourist attractions on the planet, it has a huge year-round demand for the full range of fresh produce.

“The UK fruit, vegetable and flower market has long been perceived as a dynamic thought and practice leader for the fresh produce industry. This event will highlight everything that is still great about the British produce industry, but it is also a brand new trade exhibition, conference, networking event and showcase for the global industry as a whole.

“The show will bring together buyers from the retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors, as well as grower/exporters and suppliers from around the world and put the UK and Europe back in the limelight as a key global destination for high quality fruit and vegetables.”

There will be a limited number of exhibition stands available, as the “boutique” event aims to give both exhibitors and visitors time to see an entire show floor, rather than feeling time-constrained and leaving, having missed possible business opportunities. Jenney added: “There are other exhibitions in Europe, but we feel that the opportunity to be ‘noticed,’ both as an exhibitor and a visitor, is crucial if companies and associations are to get true value for money. We want to help producers and marketers get their messages out to a wider audience and bring them together with the people who matter most to them – their existing and potential customers. At the same time we want to give the buying segment of the trade a convenient venue, right in central London, where buyers can engage with the global supply base.”

Jim Rogers, president of FPC, said: “From a UK industry perspective, this is exactly what we need to give us some much-needed impetus after a few difficult trading years. The show will bring together growers, exporters, importers and buyers from all sectors of the industry, all over the world and highlight the incredible depth of talent and knowledge that we still have in the UK, despite our best efforts to downplay it in recent times.”

And Andrew Garton, category director of produce and horticulture at Wm Morrison and a member of the FPC board, also welcomed news of the event. “Any event that attracts the world’s fresh produce industry to the UK is good news for our domestic industry as a whole and, representing one of the major buyers of fruit and vegetables for the British consumer, my team and I will be at Grosvenor House to engage and connect with our colleagues from all corners of the globe. In my opinion, the UK supermarket sector has led the world in food retail innovation during the past two decades and we’re keen to take advantage of this opportunity to reaffirm our credentials with the industry’s leading suppliers.”

Perhaps the only city that competes with London for iconic status is New York City, and The London Produce Show and Conference is a sister event to the already established New York Produce Show and Conference, which takes place in the Big Apple each December.

Jim Prevor, editor-in-chief of Produce Business and known internationally as The Perishable Pundit, said: “The people of New York and London have always enjoyed a close link. We have had an incredibly uplifting experience introducing a show to New York over the past four years with the Eastern Produce Council. We are delighted to be working with FPC to deliver The London Produce Show and Conference to a city and country that is lacking such an industry event.

“Our aim with The London Produce Show and Conference is to link European buyers with a new global supplier base and allow growers, exporters, importers and suppliers to talk directly with their target audience, while also giving visitors and exhibitors the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent city of London,” said Prevor.

To exhibit, attend or for additional information please go to LondonProduceShow.co.uk

The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) is the UK's fresh produce trade association and is based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. It has represented the fresh produce sector for many years and is recognised across the UK and EU as the voice of the industry.

Exclusive membership covers the complete spectrum of industry businesses including growers, importers, wholesalers, retailers (both multiple and independent), distributors, processors, packers, food service and other allied organisations such as freight handling, embassies, laboratories and trade media.

The FPC has two primary goals

1. to increase consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the UK
2. to promote responsible and sustainable trading and protect its membership from negative effects of legislation, media etc

PRODUCE BUSINESS magazine, based in Boca Raton, FL, is committed to “Initiating Industry Improvement” by providing the trade’s leadership with insight and information that helps them better understand the industry of today and better prepare for the world of tomorrow. Its well-known web sites and e-newsletters, including Jim Prevor’s Perishable Pundit and PerishableNews.com, help further this mission as does its presentation of high quality face-to-face thought leadership events around the world.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For Booth Sales, Sponsorship and Registrations in the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa
Tommy Leighton
T: +44 (0)20 3143 3222 
Email: register@LondonProduceShow.co.uk
Email: exhibit@LondonProduceShow.co.uk
Email: sponsor@LondonProduceShow.co.uk

For Booth Sales, Sponsorships and Registrations in North America, South America and Oceania
Ellen Rosenthal, Felicia Schianodicola, Eric Nieman,
Bill Martin, Sandy Lee, Shaunn Alderman, and Priscilla Lleras
T: +1 561-994-1118
Email: register@LondonProduceShow.co.uk
Email: exhibit@LondonProduceShow.co.uk
Email: sponsor@LondonProduceShow.co.uk

FRESH PRODUCE CONSORTIUM
Nigel R. Jenney
T: +44 (0) 1733 237117  
Email: Nigel@FreshProduce.org.uk

PRODUCE BUSINESS
Ken Whitacre
Ph: 561-994-1118, ext 101
Email: kwhitacre@phoenixmedianet.com

Source: The Fresh Produce Consortium & PRODUCE BUSINESS