We are, of course, appreciative for the great national shows that serve the produce industry. We’ve been honored to speak many times at both the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit event and the annual United Fresh Produce Association convention.
We’ve also had an opportunity to write generously of these fine events:
Recessionary Reactions / Cutting Through Consumer Biases
Observations From Las Vegas: United Fresh Builds Momentum
As these national shows have thrived, we have also seen a plethora of interest in regional events.
The Fresh Produce & Floral Council out west started the trend, then the New England Produce Council began a successful Boston-based event and the Southeast Produce Council also has a wonderful event.
We’ve spoken at many of these and seen the value. In the produce industry, where people actually work hard trading produce, not everyone can pick up and travel to an event. They don’t have the time, the budget is limited, etc. This creates an opportunity for these regional events to thrive.
If events can be said to have parents, then one of the “fathers” of the New England event is Paul Kneeland, who worked hard, along with many others, to launch the event when he was Produce Director at Roche Bros. Well now that Paul is VP Produce/Floral at Kings Super Markets in New Jersey, it is only logical that he would associate himself with the Eastern Produce Council and look to bring his experience in New England down to the Middle Atlantic states.
This Pundit’s roots run deep in the region and so we are just thrilled to announce that the Eastern Produce Council and PRODUCE BUSINESS magazine have joined forces to present a new, world-class event for the region.
Here is the official announcement:
New York, NY — The Eastern Produce Council and PRODUCE BUSINESS magazine announced today their collaboration to launch The New York Produce Show And Conference.
The first annual iteration of The New York Produce Show And Conference will be held in The City of New York, November 9 — 11, 2010, and will co-locate with a Perishable Pundit “Thought Leaders Panel” and The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Media Day. The event will also include networking events, workshops and tours of the regional industry, including the Hunts Point Market, the new Philadelphia Market and local retailers, restaurants and wholesale facilities.
“New York City is the epicenter of the region that buys more fresh produce than any location in the country,” explains Dean Holmquist, director of produce and floral for Foodtown, Inc., and president of the Eastern Produce Council. “The extraordinary diversity of the population in this region assures a dynamic market for mainstream, ethnic and specialty produce,” points out John McAleavey, executive director of the Eastern Produce Council.
Paul Kneeland, vice president of produce/floral at Kings Super Markets and vice president of the Eastern Produce Council, indicated that “the sophisticated clientele of the northeast region combines with a plethora of quality retailers, restaurants, foodservice distributors and wholesalers to introduce product from local growers, growers across North America and growers from around the world.”
Jim Prevor, founder and editor-in-chief of PRODUCE BUSINESS magazine and the online PerishablePundit.com, celebrated the establishment of such a high caliber event in a region long lacking its own trade show and conference: “My great grandfather, Jacob Prevor, emigrated to America and established a wholesale facility in the old Wallabout Produce Market in Brooklyn. My grandfather was a wholesaler and auction buyer in the old Washington Street Produce Market in Manhattan. My father, Michael Prevor, was an original tenant when The Hunts Point Market opened in the Bronx. Over the decades we operated farms and had supermarkets in the region and worked hard to make the ports and airports of the region major hubs for the import and export of fresh produce.
“It is an incredibly exciting moment that we should have the opportunity to join together with our friends at the Eastern Produce Council, the preeminent organization in the region, to bring a world-class event to the region, and it is an honor that we can bring the industry together in a city known both as the ‘Capital of the World’ and the ‘Big Apple’.”
“Jim Prevor has built a reputation for industry thought-leadership that is recognized around the world, and PRODUCE BUSINESS magazine was launched on the Hunts Point Market,” said Robert Goldstein, owner/president of Genpro Inc., and secretary of the Eastern Produce Council, “so the board of directors of the Eastern Produce Council voted unanimously to join hands with Jim and his team at PRODUCE BUSINESS and the online Perishable Pundit to better serve this region with a high-end trade show and conference.”
“The Eastern Produce Council represents the most important players in the region,” said Ken Whitacre, vice president of publishing at PRODUCE BUSINESS and PerishablePundit.com. “Their engagement with the event ensures that exhibitors will encounter a cross section of the movers and shakers that make the industry a vibrant and robust contributor to the national and international industry. We are honored to work together with such an important association and with such an instrumental membership.”
Both PRODUCE BUSINESS and the Eastern Produce Council are committed to enhancing the industry by providing the region with a world-class venue for marketing, education and media exposure. That venue is The New York Produce Show And Conference.
Back decades ago, the national produce associations often met in New York… in fact the Pundit Grandma used to run a contest in which the “ladies” — all spouses back then — prepared large hats laden with fresh produce which they then modeled by walking through the closing banquet!
We probably won’t bring back that tradition! But we are very proud to be affiliated with the Eastern Produce Council, which is filled with people really focused on doing a great job for the industry and then doing good through charitable work.
The show and conference is short and sweet — but of the highest caliber. We start with a welcoming reception on November 9th, hold a general session breakfast and conference program along with a trade show on the 10th, enjoy New York City that evening and then have tours on the 11th.
The Saturday night before the show, on November 6, 2010, the Eastern Produce Council has its 43rd Annual Dinner Dance in a swanky country club in West Paterson, New Jersey, so the Pundit will be coming in early and making a week of it in the Big Apple. If you call or e-mail regarding registrations, we can hook you in for the dinner/dance as well.
We are also going to take advantage of the Manhattan locale to bring the media in big time with a special outreach program.
This event is going to add a little shine to the Big Apple, and we are very proud to work with our friends at the Eastern Produce Council to make this contribution to the region.
If you want to be added to the information list, just click on one of the following:
I am interested in attending The New York Produce Show And Conference
