Workshops

Fresh Summit Educational WorkshopsExpect Your Mind to Be Stretched.

If it's emerging or market-leading, it's covered in the Fresh Summit educational program.

More than 18 Fresh Summit educational sessions are focused on the hottest and most important industry topics and are organized into a variety of tracks that cover every aspect of this industry, ranging from consumer trends to food safety; global trade to professional and career development.

Fresh Summit education puts you on the inside track to everything new.

• Friday

• Negotiating in the Global Marketplace

  Friday, October 14 / 2:45PM - 4:00PM Track: Professional Development
  Brought to you in conjunction with PMA's Foundation for Industry Talent

  Description: Globalization is inevitable — a business reality that you must face whether you operate in Wenatchee or Wellington. While some may see this as a challenge, others see opportunity. Companies that understand how to build and maintain successful relationships across varied cultures will be the ones to reap the profits. This session will provide attendees with insight into how culture affects business outcomes, and will offer practical tips and guidelines to help drive successful negotiations — no matter where you do business.
  
  Co-Sponsors:
  Coex - Fruit Culture Committee of Rio Grande do Norte State
  Wells Fargo Bank

• Sourcing Trends & Innovation: Retailer Revelations

  Friday, October 14 / 2:45PM - 4:00PM Track: Global Trade

  Description: Today, global sourcing is more a question of 'how much' than 'if.' Hear from retailers who hail from different regions around the world, including Jim Donald, former executive at Starbucks, Haagen and Pathmark, Shane Bourk of The Wellcome Company LTD. in Hong Kong, and Peter Gohl, who is the Fresh Foods Executive from SPAR National Fresh Marketing in South Africa, who will share insights into how global consumer trends drive sourcing and identify both the challenges and opportunities associated with sourcing. This session will cover key strategies that retailers use to respond to ever-changing consumer demands, from increasingly global palates, to sustainability, convenience and value.
  
  Co-Sponsors:
  Coex - Fruit Culture Committee of Rio Grande do Norte State
  Wells Fargo Bank

• Building a Food Safety Culture for Your Company

  Friday, October 14 / 2:45PM - 4:45PM Track: Food Safety

  Description: If you're here to just sit and listen, this session isn't for you. Food safety is an imperative for our industry and requires urgency and action. Through this interactive, hands-on "lab," you will discover why a food safety culture is essential to your company's continued success. Through a series of exercises, you will identify real-world ways to build this culture. And, because even your best efforts may not prevent a crisis, this session will cover crisis management: the elements of a good crisis management plan, gaps that may exist in your current plan and ideas to update it to "crisis plan 2.0." Attend this session to protect your company, your customers, and the consumer.
  
  Co-Sponsors:
  Coex - Fruit Culture Committee of Rio Grande do Norte State
  Wells Fargo Bank

• The Brave New World of Marketing: Meet the Digital Consumer

  Friday, October 14 / 2:45PM - 4:00PM Track: Consumer Insights

  Description: A new generation of consumers is entering the marketplace. Their purchasing influence exceeds $200 billion: they are linked, mobile, and connected, and you won't reach them with the same kind of marketing that worked in the past. Companies that understand that the rules have changed and leverage the power of social networks are the ones that will earn the loyalty — and the business — of these new consumers. In this session, you'll learn how to identify and engage your customers in the growing virtual marketplace.
  
  Co-Sponsors:
  Coex - Fruit Culture Committee of Rio Grande do Norte State
  Wells Fargo Bank

• Igniting Consumption - Get Involved!

  Friday, October 14 / 2:45PM - 4:00PM Track: Consumer Insights, Industry Insights

  Description: Ignite your passion and commitment to boost consumption and sales. It’s easy to use public and private initiatives to increase consumption of your produce. Besides a sales bump, you’ll enhance your company’s image and contribute to the well-being of your community. When consumers get healthier, our industry gets healthier, and your company gets healthier. From "make half your plate fruits and vegetables" to salad bars in schools to outreach to Moms, you can tap into ready-to-use promotions to stimulate produce purchases. This session will outline several initiatives, in a fast paced, quick-learning setting. Collaborate with your peers to exchange ideas on how you can use these initiatives to boost your company profile and sales.
  
  Co-Sponsors:
  Coex - Fruit Culture Committee of Rio Grande do Norte State
  Wells Fargo Bank

• Saturday

• Small Growers & the Food Safety Modernization Act: Challenges & Workable Solutions

  Saturday, October 15 / 9:35AM - 10:50AM Track: Food Safety

  Description: There are enough challenges when it comes to building a food safety culture and program within your organization. In the wake of the Tester Amendment, which, under certain circumstances, exempts small growers from having to comply with the regulations set in the Food Safety Modernization Act, produce buyers are now faced with multiple hurdles in putting together a fully-compliant food safety program. In this session panel of retail and foodservice buyers will join food safety experts and regulatory officials to discuss these challenge of integrating small growers into a food safety plan. Participants will cover questions, "what ifs" and possible solutions.
  
  Sponsor:
  C. H. Robinson Company Worldwide

• The Power of PMA: How to put it to work for you

  Saturday, October 15 / 9:35AM - 10:50AM

  Description: Whether you’re a long-time member of PMA or just thinking about joining, you may not know all the ways PMA can help you take your business to the next level. In this session, you’ll learn how PMA connects you and your staff to what matters most: the people, information, solutions, services, leadership, and insights that can help your business thrive in today’s competitive environment. Discover new ways to put the power of PMA to work for you, get answers to your questions, and network with the current and future members at this enlightening session.
  
  Sponsor:
  C. H. Robinson Company Worldwide

• Speaking the Language of Shoppers: Today's Produce Manager

  Saturday, October 15 / 9:35AM - 10:50AM Track: Consumer Insights

  Description: Produce managers certainly know a thing or two about consumers. But today they are feeling pressure from all sides, from management to suppliers and of course, the consumer. This session brings together retail produce managers representing four different formats to discuss the challenges they face and the opportunities they see. They will divulge what shoppers think is important, what influences purchasing and what solutions they value: from "what's for dinner" to "make me healthier" to "get me out of the store faster." You will gain valuable "Ahas" in this session, from consumer insights to what produce managers really want their suppliers to know — and it could all lead to increased sales.
  
  Sponsor:
  C. H. Robinson Company Worldwide

• Attracting & Motivating the Best Employees

  Saturday, October 15 / 9:35AM - 10:50AM Track: Personal Development
  Brought to you in conjunction with PMA's Foundation for Industry Talent

  Description: In today's competitive marketplace, success hinges upon employees using their full talents. But employee motivation remains a challenge, especially when hours are long, and resources are tight. Doing more with less is more of the trend today than the exception. So how do you continue to attract the best talent, motivate them for top performance and keep them? The solution is to create a new type of working environment. This session will examine the core elements needed to create and sustain an environment that supports the best people. Discover best practices from successful companies that have created a new environment and as a result, lowered turnover, built loyalty and raised productivity.
  
  Sponsor:
  C. H. Robinson Company Worldwide

• By the Numbers: The ROI of Sustainability

  Saturday, October 15 / 9:35AM - 10:50AM Track: Global Trade

  Description: We've all heard that being sustainable contributes to the greater good. Top performing organizations view sustainability as a 'must have' strategy for long-term, business viability and success. Calculating the return on investment of sustainability is opening new doors to bottom line savings and top line growth. But it can be complicated. In this session you will hear from companies across the supply chain that have discovered ways to realize a strong ROI from sustainability strategies and identify best practices related to quantifying the benefits of this responsibility-driven initiative.
  
  Sponsor:
  C. H. Robinson Company Worldwide

• What companies have learned from Produce Traceability Initiative Pilots

  Saturday, October 15 / 9:35AM - 10:50AM Track: Food Safety

  Description: The PTI (Produce Traceability Initiative) continues to be a major topic of concern for everyone in the produce industry, and questions persist: "How does it affect me?" "Why should I implement?" "What are the costs?" "Are there benefits?" If you too, have questions and are unsure of how PTI affects your company or even how to proceed, this interactive session will help you sort through PTI. In this session you will hear from companies throughout the supply chain that have implemented PTI and engage with them about their first-hand experience of PTI challenges, surprises and successes.
  
  Sponsor:
  C. H. Robinson Company Worldwide

• Connecting With Food Bloggers to Increase Sales

  Saturday, October 15 / 9:35AM - 10:50AM Track: Industry Insights

  Description: Leave the cookbook at home. For the 21st century consumer, food bloggers have become one of the top sources for recipes, new products, even health information. From organic blogs, to locally-grown blogs and dietary blogs, there is no lack of options for shoppers, from moms to "foodies." Smart brands have quickly learned that their marketing plans can't neglect a relationship with food bloggers. But the question for many is, "How?" No matter where you are in the supply chain, if you are in need of an introduction to working with bloggers, this session will show you how to successfully partner with a food blogger to promote your product or just tap into trends they're spotting. This interactive exchange will also allow food bloggers to share their practices and standards.
  
  Sponsor:
  C. H. Robinson Company Worldwide

• Sunday

• The Wow Factor of Produce Packaging - Hint: It's about Sales

  Sunday, October 16 / 9:15AM - 10:45AM Track: Packaging

  Description: With all the innovations in produce packaging, you may be deciding your packaging needs to change. But before you invest in any repackaging it's critical to understand how packaging can trigger consumer demand. Using the results of a brand-new PMA packaging research study, you will learn the latest in consumer packaging preferences and what packaging strategies are most effective for increasing sales. We'll also look at the 2011 PMA Packaging Impact Award winners from around the world to see some of the latest innovations in produce packaging.
  
  Sponsor:
  Abbott & Cobb, Inc

• Imagine That! Food Safety Research with Real World Business Solutions

  Sunday, October 16 / 9:15AM - 10:45AM Track: Food Safety

  Description: There's no shortage of research being done on food safety; yet there has not been much research presented in a way that enables you to put it to work —until now. Learn about exciting new food safety research, particularly the work being done by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) located at UC Davis. Using his background rich in industry experience, perspective as Chief Science Officer for PMA and oversight of the CPS technical committee, "Dr. Bob" will put this new research into laymen's terms and outline business implications for suppliers and buyers. Finally! Important research findings you can actually use!
  
  Sponsor:
  Abbott & Cobb, Inc

• Global Supply & Demand: The Realities in Today's World

  Sunday, October 16 / 9:15AM - 10:45AM Track: Global Trade

  Description: Today's global economy baffles experts — as much as it puzzles ordinary people. There's no question that economic conditions are in a state of flux. In an always- changing and increasingly inter-connected global economy, everything from consumer behavior to currency valuation can be affected. Get answers to your most pressing questions about how the global economy affects your day-to-day business, whether you're a Fortune 500 company or a small family farm. Current conditions and future implications for the industry and the economy will be explored.
  
  Sponsor:
  Abbott & Cobb, Inc

• Innovation is Everyone's Business

  Sunday, October 16 / 9:15AM - 10:45AM Track: Professional Development
  Brought to you in conjunction with PMA's Foundation for Industry Talent

  Description: In the "RE" economy, the ability to rethink, reimagine, reengineer is critical. Gaining a competitive advantage in today's marketplace, requires the courage to dare mighty things: innovate, take calculated risks, and learn from failures (maybe even big ones). This requires a culture that promotes creative thinking and rewards innovation. Learn techniques for creating a wildly innovative culture: how to spark enthusiasm for new ideas and initiatives, how to convert the naysayers, and how to turn problems into opportunities for growth. Leave this session thinking differently.
  
  Sponsor:
  Abbott & Cobb, Inc

• The Floral Squeeze: Doing More With Less

  Sunday, October 16 / 9:15AM - 10:45AM Track: Floral

  Description: In a difficult economy, floral retailers, like everyone else, face resource constraints. These limitations affect their ability to drive sales, which then impacts the entire supply chain. But there are ways that the floral supply chain can work together as partners to maximize resources, reduce the bottom line, and grow the top line. In this interactive session, industry experts will reveal the strategies, techniques and best practices they've honed to strengthen supply chain relationships as they work to increase sales and profitability.
  
  Sponsor:
  Abbott & Cobb, Inc

• The Importance of Telling Your "$tory"

  Sunday, October 16 / 9:15AM - 10:45AM Track: Consumer Insights

  Description: Connecting with consumers on their terms is critical for growers to thrive in today's marketplace. Strong connections are vital to business performance and, if established correctly, can allow growers to collaborate with consumers on product development, service enhancement, and promotion. This session will provide a practical and cost-effective approach for using Web 2.0 technologies to establish and maintain strong connections with your consumers. Not only will you learn about Web 2.0 tools that are most suitable for grower/consumer relationships, you will have a chance to hear leading growers tell their stories about how they have successfully added Web 2.0 technologies to their marketing mix. With the right plan in place, you can tap in to the perspectives, opinions, thoughts and experiences of consumers to enhance your relationships and, ultimately, increase sales.
  
  Sponsor:
  Abbott & Cobb, Inc

• Monday

• The Mind of the Consumer — And How to Reach It: PMA Presents a Live Consumer Panel Discussion

  Monday, October 17 / 9:15AM - 10:15AM Track: Consumer Insights

  Description: If only you knew how and why consumers make the decisions they do, you'd be better able to reach them and influence their choices. Join us at this session to delve into the mind of the consumer ... through a panel of shoppers who will discuss their attitudes, preferences, and behaviors regarding produce purchases. This is a unique opportunity to see how consumers really think, so you can adjust your marketing practices and influence new product innovation to drive more sales.

• Increasing Consumption at Retail: Defining Supply Chain Success: PMA Presents a Live Retail Panel Discussion

  Monday, October 17 / 10:45AM - 11:45AM Track: Industry Insights

  Description: Everyone from the First Lady to the American Medical Association is promoting more consumption of fruits and vegetables. In this session, filled with give and take, Q&A, “ahas” and opportunities, a panel of some of the most successful retailers will identify new ways that retailers and partners across the supply chain can work together to stimulate purchase appeal and drive sales. When everyone works together, everyone wins!