Newark, De – Produce Marketing Association has opened the 2020 Fresh Summit virtual platform for the Buyer Preview of the Produce, Floral, Solutions and Complementary Items Marketplaces and the industry is buzzing with connections, pitches, and product previews. The previews will continue to roll out until the event officially kicks off on October 13. Registration is live now, and PMA promises a unique and personalized experience for each attendee.
Currently, with about a week until the virtual “doors” are officially opened for Fresh Summit 2020, close to 2000 connection requests have been made through the platform. With hundreds of buyers perusing the Marketplaces, exhibiting companies are able to showcase their products and accept preliminary connection and meeting requests from buyers to ensure that their Fresh Summit schedule is packed before the event begins.
“Based on the feedback we’ve received from Marketplace participants and the strong buyer activity that has already occurred, I am very excited to see how Fresh Summit 2020 continues to deliver connections and build community among leaders in global produce and floral,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “While the pivot to virtual was certainly a shift in terms of delivery, our expectation to deliver a uniquely extraordinary ‘can’t miss’ event did not waver, thanks to the guidance and support of our Fresh Summit Committee and its Chairs Angela Fraser and Shawn Peery, other PMA leadership groups worldwide, and the staff.”
PMA has also launched their Attendee Resources page with a series of resources guiding attendees through everything from logging in for the first time to setting up meetings. Attendees with any questions about how to navigate the platform will also be able to utilize the live chat 24 hours a day 7 days a week from September 28 through October 15. This is especially important as the Marketplace will never close down and will be available through all time-zones.
The Marketplace, which features hundreds of exhibitors with almost a hundred featured in the “Fresh Ideas Showcase,” will not only be open for exploration, but attendees will have the added benefit of AI-powered matchmaking taking information from attendee profiles, searches, and bookmarks in the site to provide personalized recommendations.
“As someone who spent many years attending Fresh Summit as a member before joining PMA, I know how critical networking is during this event,” said Joe Watson, PMA vice president of member engagement. “I’ve been connecting with others in the site myself and the feedback I am hearing is how easy and powerful the tool is. I know we’re all ready to come together and I’m looking forward to all of the different ways we’ll be able to do that at Fresh Summit this year.”
In addition to the networking tool within the site which allows those registered to immediately access the Attendee List to connect, text chat, or even set up video conferences, attendees can also connect in community chat rooms and through the exhibitor marketplace. The variety of options is reminiscent to an in-person Fresh Summit where connections can happen anywhere. This is all in addition to the scheduled networking events including the daily Plan, Reflect & Connect meetings with one of the 10 or more communities, daily networking receptions and Q&A chat during live sessions.
There will be a lot to talk about in the live sessions between PMA CEO Cathy Burns returning to give her much anticipated “State of the Industry” presentation and the general sessions presented by changemakers and innovators. There will also be sessions led by industry experts and important announcements including one that will launch a collaboration between PMA and United Nations representatives for an important 2021 initiative.
Between the content, connections and the community at Fresh Summit, it’s just as much the “can’t miss” event as it is in years passed. Registration is $99.00 for members and $199.00 for non-members, retailers, foodservice operators and distributors can register for free.
About Produce Marketing Association
Produce Marketing Association (PMA) is the leading trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain. PMA helps members grow by providing connections that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption. For more information, visit www.pma.com.
