ANAHEIM, CA – This year’s Fresh Summit was breaking records and taking names all weekend long.  Here are a couple highlights from the event!

ATTENDANCE

Breaking records again, this year’s Fresh Summit featured 1,090 exhibiting companies occupying 265,300 net square feet this past weekend.  More than 22,400 members of the global fresh produce and floral industry’s supply chain were in attendance as well as over 1,150 retailers, the largest retailer attendance since 2001.

Kevin Fiori, VP Sales and Marketing, Sunkist Growers“I love when Fresh Summit lands in Anaheim, it’s home to me and many of the exhibitors and attendees. Coming back after just two years gives us a great opportunity to reflect on the progress the industry and the association has made since 2012,” said Kevin Fiori, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Sunkist Growers and PMA Board of Directors Chairperson.

BEST OF SHOW

At the event, four exhibitors were chosen by an anonymous panel of industry experts for “best of show,” a contest designed to amp up employee excitement and encourage exhibitors to enhance the effectiveness of their exhibition experience.  The winners are:

• Best of Show, in-line booth: Suja Juice, Booth 4639
• Best of Show, island booth: Panera Bread Salad Dressings, Booth 1414
• Best New Product Launch: Rhythm Superfoods, Booth 488
• Best First-Time Exhibitor:  Delallo Salad Savors, Booth 676

IMPACT AWARDS: EXCELLENCE IN PACKAGING

This year, 56 companies submitted 67 submissions to the 2014 PMA Impact Awards: Excellence in Packaging.  To determine the five winners, a panel of judges scored each entry in five areas: marketing, food safety, supply chain efficiency, sustainability excellence and consumer convenience excellence.  The winners are:

• CMI Columbia Marketing International: “GO GO” Fresh Cherry Package
• Earthbound Farm:  PowerMeal Bowls
• Fresh Solutions Network:  Side Delights® Gourmet Petites
• Mucci Farms:  The New Pint
• Wholly Guacamole:  Wholly Guacamole® Grab N Guac™ Box

WELCOMING RECEPTION 

A great moment from this year’s Fresh Summit was the welcoming reception, which hosted a record number of attendees this year.  It featured 14 food trucks that offered eccentric, global flavors and a pair of breweries.

Make sure to check back this week for more great highlights from this event.

PMA