Thursday, April 3
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Retail Tour
Retail Tour
Go behind the scenes of innovative retail outlets in and around the area for an insider’s look at the marketing and merchandising strategies these companies employ to appeal to upscale Newport Beach customers. Tour stops include 99 Ranch Market, Stater Bros. Market and Bristol Farms. Space is limited to 100, so register for the retail tour today!
OR
Foodservice Tour
Food Service Tour
Experience first-hand the service capabilities of some local foodservice providers. The foodservice tour features stops at Family Tree Produce, Legacy Farms, and Veg-Fresh. Space is limited, so register today for the foodservice tour.
4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Welcome
and Opening Activity
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Welcoming
Reception
Friday, April 4
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Networking Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Eating Patterns in America – Harry Balzer, NPD
Eating Patterns in America: The Scoop on Who’s Really Eating What—Regardless of What They Say
Harry Balzer
Vice President, The NPD Group
A noted expert on food choices and author of the annual Eating Patterns in America report, Harry Balzer is well known within the food industry as a prolific source of up-to-date information on actual consumer dietary modes. He has been tracking the patterns of the American palate for 30 years and without a doubt resides at the nerve center of our nation’s food preferences. In addition to learning what American consumers are eating, find out “why” they make their choices.
9:45 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.
Refreshment Break
10:05 a.m. – 11:05 a.m. Food Safety Update
Food Safety update
Tim York
President, Markon Cooperative, Inc.
Bonnie Fernandez
Executive Director, The Center for Produce Safety, University of California, Davis
Dr. Robert Whitaker
Chief Scientific Officer, Produce Marketing Association
Scott Horsfall
Chief Executive Officer, California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement
These days, there is no doubt that food safety is a critical issue for everyone in the produce industry. This session will explore the latest information on food safety; the challenges facing the industry today, the status of regulatory and legislative developments, an update on the Center for Produce Safety, as well as an overview of PMA’s food safety priorities.
11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. Insight Forum 1
Insight Forum 1
30-Person discussions on the”Eating Patterns” & “Food Safety” sessions, led by a retailer and foodservice representative.
12:20 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
Networking Lunch
1:25 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Consumer Group – Asians
Produce is Not an Option: The Influence of Chinese and Vietnamese Cuisine in American Culture
Saul Gitlin
Executive Vice President
Strategic Marketing Services/New Business at Kang & Lee Advertising
—Chef Robert Danhi
Executive Chef – Chef Danhi & Co.
PMA Consulting Chef
These two dynamic speakers will synchronize their knowledge to bring us the latest word on produce preferences of the two most influential Asian populations in America. Don’t miss the brilliant fusion of marketer and chef as they dish up a delicious, full-course serving of the facts on Asian cuisine that you need to know.
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Refreshment
Break
3:05 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. Insight Forum 2
Insight Forum 2
30-person discussions on “Asian trends,” led by a retailer and foodservice representative.
4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Speaker
Reconvene - Q&A with Asian Trend speakers
Saturday, April 5
7:00 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. Breakfast
7:45 a.m. – 9:10 a.m. PR 101
Produce PR 101: A Crash Course in Learning to Use the Right Tools for the Best Results
Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio
Principals, YC Media
Friedman and Yorio have spent years putting the media to work for their clients, which include Sur La Table, Disney, Amazon.com, former White House Chef Walter Scheib, and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. They will discuss the basics and beyond on how to target your message to the right outlets, and how to frame it for different audiences.
9:10 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. Refreshment
Break
9:25 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. Consumer Group – Hispanics
Savory, Spicy and Culturally Clued-In: What The Hispanic American Consumer Wants
Jim Perkins
President - ULATAM Retail Solutions
Jim Perkins will share with us the secrets to connecting with Hispanic consumers in a culturally relevant way regarding produce. His approach resonates across sub-ethnicities, regarding produce eating and buying habits of the most influential sub-segments of the Hispanic population.
10:55 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. Insight Forum 3
Insight Forum 3
30-Person discussions on “PR 101” & “Hispanic Trends,”led by a retailer and foodservice representative.
11:55 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. Lunch,
Consumer Panel
& Conference Wrap Up
Cutting to the Core of the Hottest Trends
Steve Lutz
Executive Vice President - The Perishables Group
Steve Lutz will lead us in a live—and lively—panel discussion to help us gain greater insight into the trends that are being discussed. Lutz uses consumer and supermarket sales data to develop innovative growth strategies to give us an edge in the produce marketplace.
Conference Wrap-Up: Connecting the Dots
Kevin O’Connor, CSP
President and Founder of Kevin E. O’Connor and Associates
Back by popular demand, Kevin O’Connor will attend every session and provide an insightful conference wrap-up with his signature connect-the-dots style.
*Subject to Change