TUCSON, AZ - A unique trade association collaboration will be elevating the value of the 2024 FPAA Southwest International Produce Expo (SWIPE). The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) and the Fresh Produce & Floral Council (FPFC) are joining forces to host the SWIPE Desert Classic Golf Tournament taking place November 7 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“We are excited to bring together the networking powers of two great associations in one great golf tournament. If you are doing business in the West, this is the place to be,” Lance Jungmeyer, President of FPAA, told me. “After this event, both associations will evaluate how well the tournament hits the metrics for networking, attendance, and fundraising. We are excited to work together.”

According to Lance, FPAA’s golf tournament was hosted in Nogales or Tubac, Arizona, for many years. When the association moved the tournament to Tucson and saw that FPFC had a tournament planned for around the same time in Phoenix, it made sense for them to combine efforts.

“Every business today has their resources stretched. For the industry, and for members of each association, we are able to leverage sponsorships and participation to make an even larger golf tournament that delivers more value to sponsors, than if either association had their golf tournaments separately,” Lance added.

The event will give members the chance to meet new retailers, foodservice organizations, supply-side corporations, buyers, and more from across the associations’ two states and the western region. Attendees will gain exposure to opportunities to grow their businesses that they may not have otherwise had.

“This is truly the beginning of an extraordinary partnership for both organizations,” Bob Lanter, the newly named President of FPFC, explained. “We are all striving to support and grow the produce and floral industries, and this partnership is a great way for us to leverage each organization's strengths and membership. Bringing together members who are new to each region provides a special opportunity for business connections to be made. Our goal is for members from each of our associations to find value through our partnership.”

The SWIPE golf tournament is a combination of events that any organization in the industry should want to participate in, Bob continued telling me. It is being built so attendees not only will receive value but have an incredible amount of fun doing it. The golf tournament will have many contests, giveaways, food, and music.

“When we looked at our membership, we found that while organizations did know each other, the amount of overlap was limited, “ Bob relayed. “Additionally, our industry has been flooded with events such as this, combining the events just made sense—allowing our members a better return on their investment while having fun and learning a lot.”

In the lead-up to the event, I also got in touch with Kyle McGrath, Director of Sales and Marketing for Tricar Sales and the FPAA Golf Convention Subcommittee Chairman.

“Bringing together the membership from FPAA and FPFC is a great synergy. We all want to sell more produce and make stronger business connections,” he stated. “Combining two great events in the same region makes a lot of sense for our memberships in terms of value, collaboration, and networking. I think this is a great example of two groups coming together to make something bigger and better than just the sum of their respective parts.”

The golf tournament will be here before we know it, so make sure to grab a spot while you still can! For more event coverage, stick with us at ANUK.