OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA - For those that are now comfortably back at their desk from their Canadian travels, welcome back! The 2023 Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) Convention and Trade Show was held last week in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and it was CPMA’s biggest show in its history with over 4,200 people attending the event.
“We were thrilled to welcome both Canadian and international produce industry members back to Toronto after six years,” said Ron Lemaire, CPMA President. “This year’s event was a huge success, attracting the highest number of registrants and attendees, and exceeding all our past shows. This turnout illustrates the important role our show plays providing the industry with exceptional opportunities for education, networking, socializing, innovation, and business development, as members showcase produce from across the world.”
If you weren’t able to make it up to Toronto last week, you’re in safe hands, as our very own Melissa De Leon Chavez brought a first-hand experience to our screens.
As noted in the association’s release, 637 exhibitors from over 300 companies accounted for 63,700 square feet of booth space on the trade show floor. Among those were 158 international exhibitors from 11 countries, 159 Canadian exhibitors, and 50 first-time exhibitors. The 2023 New Product Showcase included 69 products from 49 different companies.
Our industry always brings its best, and this year was no exception. Exciting innovations and advancements were showcased, with several awards given, such as:
- Fresh Health Award – Mucci Farms
- Young Professional Award – Greg Palmer, Loblaws Companies
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Sam Silvestro
The Best Booth Awards were given to:
- Best Island Booth Award – EarthFresh (booth 820)
- Best Inline Booth Award – Highline Mushrooms (booth 310)
- est First-Time Exhibitor Booth Award – Lucid Corp (booth 1923)
And the new Product Showcase Awards were awarded to:
- Best New Product Award – Yoom® Tomatoes by Nature Fresh Farms
- Best Snackable Product Award – Boost Bento and Bliss Bento by Naturipe Farm
- Packaging Innovation Award – Closed Baskets for fresh produce by Cascades
- Organics Award – Queen of Greens by Mastronardi Produce®
For more insights, take a look here for more CPMA 2023 highlights.
Will we see everyone again next year in Vancouver, April 23–25, 2024? Keep reading ANUK for more updates.
