THE GLOBAL GRAPE SUMMIT 2022
From Six Continents, the Industry Gathers
To Build The Future
In Bakersfield, California, USA
With the notion that we all will benefit from a better industry, from increased consumption, diversity in marketing and understanding of new varieties and industry trends, this year’s faculty has stood up to help, and the industry owes them a special vote of thanks. Though we still have a few surprises to unveil on site, it is our great pleasure to unveil the Faculty for The Global Grape Summit 2022.
Rewe’s Stephan Weist Brings
Broader Perspective On Grape Marketing
In thinking about how best to make him part of the event, we asked Stephan Weist of Rewe in Germany if he, as senior produce executive at one of the most important chains in the world, could not so much focus on the details of grapes –after all, we have hundreds of people attending and dozens of speakers focused exactly on that. Instead, we asked if he could provide a broader perspective within which the grape industry operates and must find a way to thrive.
Sprouts Farmers Market’s Caitlin Tierney
Shares Her Insights on Out-of-the-Box Grape Retailing
Caitlin Tierney says she’d eat a kombucha-flavored, sour or spicy grape if given an opportunity, in hopes it’s the next best trend. While this might sound far-fetched — and Tierney did share this in jest — it does exemplify her out-of-the-box thinking that makes Tierney one of the more innovative minds in the fresh produce industry today. It’s no wonder. Tierney’s past gives her a great lens to view the future.
How Does Gelson’s Market Build Its Grape Assortment? Paul Kneeland Speaks Out
At the 2022 Global Grape Summit in Bakersfield, California, Paul Kneeland, vice president, fresh operations at Gelson’s Markets, will discuss high-end retailing, the chain’s discerning customers, and what that means for the grape category.
Grapes In Foodservice:
It’s All About Presentation And Taste…
Sysco’s Jon Greco Makes The Case
Can expanding grapes in the foodservice sector drive increased consumption overall? Two experts in the field will be addressing exactly that in their session at this year’s Global Grape Summit in Bakersfield, California.
A Wholesale Perspective
Tom Kovacevich Makes The Case:
A Happy, Repeat Grape Consumer
Will Continue To Drive The Business
In a week’s time, Tom Kovacevich probably sees more grapes than many retailers do in a lifetime. The president of T.M. Kovacevich-Philadelphia Inc. — better known simply as TMK Produce — Kovacevich operates nine units on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, and there are times TMK has over 100 combinations of grape offerings.
Perfection Fresh Australia’s CEO Michael Simonetta
Gives a Producers’ Perspective on the Global Grape Industry
When Michael Simonetta rejoined the family business in 1984, he thought he’d spend the rest of his career selling lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli in Sydney, Australia’s wholesale markets. Today, he travels the world as CEO of Perfection Fresh Australia in search of the next best-tasting fresh produce – including grapes.
HMC Farms’ Harold McClarty
Talks Boosting Grape Consumption
You could say that Harold McClarty has grapes running through his veins. Table grapes, that is, not the wine type. Back in 1887, his great grandfather purchased the land where McClarty later grew up and, exactly a century later, founded HMC Farms. Today, the Kingsburg, California-headquartered company has grown from the original 40 acres to one of the largest grower-shipper-packers of tree fruit and table grapes in the world, with growing locations across California and Chile.
BUILDING INDUSTRY COOPERATION
How Breeders, Growers and Retailers
Can Build the Future:
Rupert Maude Speaks Out
Rupert Maude has worked for a major producer and a breeder, has lived and worked in producing and consuming countries, and has sold a variety of fresh produce including lettuce, almonds, garlic, and, more recently, stone fruit and table grapes. Last year, Sun World International named Maude its Brand Ambassador.
What Are Grape Varietal Innovations Worth? Julian Alston Ph.D. of UC Davis Paints The Picture
We have carefully followed the VitisGen and VitisGen2 project for a long time. It is a multi-institution research collaboration, funded by the USDA-NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative and focused on enabling the production of new grape varieties. Now the Global Grape Summit, to be held in Bakersfield, California, will continue this exploration with a presentation by Julian Alston, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Director of the Center for Wine Economics within the Robert Mondavi Institute at the University of California, Davis.
