In coordination with its executive officers, Board of Trustees and broader stakeholder community, the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) has chosen to prioritize the health and well-being of its valued supporters and cancel its 2020 Consumer Connection Conference scheduled for April 13-16, 2020. Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and related travel restrictions placed on some of its members and sponsors as well as its invited retail, foodservice and consumer-facing influencer VIPs, the safety of attendees came first.
“PBH is committed to helping people live happier, healthier lives through eating more fruits and vegetables, and we extend that sentiment to our valued stakeholders, prioritizing their overall health and well-being during this time,” says Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and CEO of PBH.
“While we are always committed to delivering PBH’s signature service and a superior conference experience that brings notable value to those who promote fruits and vegetables, our concern for their well-being superseded that desire,” says Sharese Roper, member engagement director for PBH. “We listened to our supporters by way of a survey earlier this week; their responses clearly justified the decision to cancel this year’s conference.”
The 501(c)3 non-profit organization will be providing flexible options to deliver supporter value, including offering full refunds for all registrations. PBH will be reaching out to all stakeholders with targeted correspondence to determine next steps.
In the meantime, PBH recognizes that we all might be feeling a little vulnerable right now and is using its public-facing digital and social media assets to showcase the power of fruits and vegetables. PBH is ready to activate its new class of Fruit and Vegetable Ambassadors in Action (FVAA) and has already began to provide consumers with some peace of mind during this uncertain time. Recently, Dr. Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND and PBH Fruit and Vegetable Ambassador in Action, provided tips to do just that via her podcast, Spot On! Visit PBH’s LinkedIn Page to listen and share her advice or visit www.fruitsandveggies.org for more immune-boosting tips.
“If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that eating more fruits and vegetables can support a healthy immune system and may even boost your mood. So here’s a plan: Have A Plant™!,” says Katie Toulouse, marketing and communications director for PBH.
About the Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is the only national organization dedicated to helping consumers live happier, healthy lives by eating more fruits and vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, every single day.
Since 1991, PBH has invested decades into developing trended insights on attitudes toward all forms of fruit and vegetable consumption, in addition to campaigns and partnerships with government, food industry stakeholders, health professionals and other thought leaders to collaborate, facilitate and advocate for increased intake. Campaigns included first, the 5-A-Day program, and then, the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative. While five fruits and vegetables each day is great advice, and more will always matter, PBH’s new behavior-based call-to-action is Have A Plant™. Rooted in behavioral science, PBH’s transformative Have A Plant™ movement is an invitation that will inspire people with compelling reasons to believe in the powerful role fruits and vegetables can play to create happy, healthy and active lives.
Be sure to join the Have A Plant™ movement and get new recipes, snack hacks, meal ideas and other tips from chefs, registered dietitians, as well as food and wellness experts by visiting www.fruitsandveggies.org. Follow us on Facebook @fruitsandveggies; on Twitter @fruits_veggies; on Instagram @fruitsandveggies; on Pinterest @fruits_veggies; and on LinkedIn at Produce for Better Health Foundation. And remember to #haveaplant.
