BLOGS
Click here to read past Fresh Cut blogs...
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Looking Forward to United Fresh 2010
With the global economy weighing heavy on everyone's minds and a separation of the United Fresh Show from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, I think some attendees at Fresh Marketplace and FreshTech were expecting a smaller, less expansive show. But the show had a record 4,000 attendees and more educational and networking events than ever before.
Many exhibitors mentioned the number of upper-level managers at the show, and all reported making good contacts. In spite of an unsure economy right now, nearly all the exhibitors surveyed said they would see sales from the show and were sure to return next year. The first day of the trade expo was three hours, with the last hour featuring free drinks. That helped create a sense of urgency and made for great networking opportunities. As one attendee put it, "Happy hour was the best thing to happen to the United Fresh show."
The educational events featured prominent business people and respected produce industry professionals that provided insights into the economy, upcoming legislation and management, as well as practical issues like modified atmosphere, consumer perceptions and maintaining quality.
The show also featured a conference for the entire supply chain that is a step toward reducing the number of audits companies have to take part in by developing a global standard for food safety. Processors and other handlers spend days at a time working with first-, second- or third-party auditors, even though 85-95 percent of the audit material is the same. With the work of the United Fresh technical committee and global standards owners, interchangeable and respected certifications based on the Global Food Safety Initiative should help reduce the time companies spend on audits. Most certification boards already are authorized to audit the various standards, or are in the process of gaining authorization for the different standards.
The 2010 United Fresh Show is scheduled for the Sands Mega Center in Las Vegas and will feature extended hours on Wednesday and Thursday, with no hours on Friday. Attendees can expect the same level of educational sessions and learning centers on the trade show floor.
Fresh Cut will be on hand again next year - booth 720 on the FreshTech side - and we look forward to seeing you there.
posted by Great American Publishing
#
1:22 PM
Archives
April 2009
|
|
Blog Sponsors:
|
|
