NEWARK, DE - Fresh produce is taking its rightful place in the spotlight at one of the most happening festival-conferences around: South by Southwest (SXSW)! Not only will produce be featured front and center as a part of the educational programming, PMA’s Chief Marketing Officer Lauren M. Scott, The Wonderful Company’s Adam Cooper, Fresh Produce Marketing’s Lisa Cork, and Sentient Decision Science’s Stephen X. Springfield will take the stage to deliver a riveting panel session, titled “Tap Primal Instincts to Fuel Your Food Movement.”
“The goal last year was to listen and learn,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “We learned a lot, especially that there were conversations about food and agriculture without anyone from the industry at the table. This year, we’re looking to change that, and I couldn’t be more excited that our members will be there with us.”
According to a press release, South by Southwest is an annual event that draws half a million people to Austin, Texas, and features 25 conference education tracks and experiential components. One that the produce industry will find especially delightful is PMA’s Global Street Farm, which is back this year to serve as a home-base for produce and floral industry members in attendance at the big event.
“It was so insightful to come last year and better understand what non-industry people think of our produce and floral world,” said Cork, who attended last year’s show. “To continue to grow demand for produce and floral, we need to demonstrate our value to those outside of our industry. We have great products, but even more than that, we have a lot to say about topics like wellness, retail trends, and global business. SXSW offers a perfect venue for us to establish ourselves as experts and leaders.”
PMA's Center for Growing Talent (CGT) will also be in attendance this year. The CGT is bringing the yearly Executive Leadership Exchange (ELE) to Austin to provide two days of curated sessions and an immersion day at H-E-B.
“There is an entire education track focused on food alone,” continued Burns. “It highlights the growing importance of the intersection between food and culture. It’s essential that PMA and our industry is not only better represented in the conversations about our industry, but ultimately that we’re leading them—not only within our industry, but wherever important conversations about the world’s food supply are taking place.”
In addition to PMA’s panel, the show will also feature panels, “Produce Matters: Why Eating More Plants is Key to Health” (featuring Brighter Bite’s Lisa Helfman, PMA’s Scott, and The Nutrition Doctor’s P.K. Newby) and “Revolutionizing Food Safety with Blockchain Tech” (featuring FoodLogiQ’s Andy Kennedy). According to a press release, the produce industry’s presence at this year’s SXSW is due to the industry’s support and votes for the panel to be a part of the 2019 lineup—yay, team produce!
For more 2019 produce show updates, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
