WENATCHEE, WA - In a matter of days, the industry will gather on the precipice of spring for Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) Southern Exposure in Orlando, Florida. An event that often has a waitlist to exhibit, it is one CMI Orchards not only looks forward to, but has a message for retailers on the fence.

“If you’re a buyer still deciding whether to attend, we’d say go for it! Southern Exposure is an incredible place to discover fresh ideas, new opportunities, and creative ways to engage with your customers. Events like this give us a chance to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new ones. We’re excited to share how our programs can help drive sales and positively impact the bottom line,” Danelle Huber, Senior Marketing Manager shared with me, explaining that Southern Exposure is a key event for CMI.

With perfect timing to dive into spring and summer planning and get inspired for the months ahead, CMI is excited to showcase innovative, high-impact marketing solutions.

“We’ll highlight signature programs like American Dream, Flavogram, and Apple Flavors of the World, while introducing our newest program: Apple Crush—a dynamic new offering that helps consumers discover their perfect apple variety based on their individual flavor preferences. We invite our retail partners to visit us at booth #808 to learn more and discuss strategies for in-store implementation,” Danelle explained.

Describing Southern Exposure as a great place for buyers to discover new products and innovative marketing programs, which allows them to stay ahead of trends and offer unique items to customers, the CMI team prides itself on being at the forefront of both.

“Our marketing programs are built to generate consumer engagement within the produce department. Building relationships is at the heart of what we do, so we’re really looking forward to the incredible networking opportunities at Southern Exposure,” Danelle pointed out. “Over the past 16 months, CMI has experienced significant growth and what’s mattered most along the way is the connections we’ve built with our partners.”

This season, the apple category is facing a notable decline in Honeycrisp volume across the industry. To support partners through this shift, CMI is spotlighting a range of exceptional, high-flavor varieties like SugarBee®, Cosmic Crisp®, Evercrisp, Juici, and Karma. All have Honeycrisp parentage, Kaci shared, and can seamlessly fill potential gaps in the apple set.

Key strategies like this and more can be found at booth #808 on Saturday, March 8, in Orlando. See you there!