PMA Science & Technology Team Announces New Educational Event Aimed at Technology Opportunities for Businesses
NEWARK, DE – Looking to ignite forward-thinking strategies, Produce Marketing Association (PMA) is kicking off a year-long emphasis on technology to help the global fresh produce and floral industries work smarter with its Fresh Connections: Technology event, which happens February 20, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront.
“Our industry is challenged like never before to increase produce and floral production with fewer resources, while also bolstering consumer confidence in food safety,” said Andy Kennedy, Chair of PMA’s Science & Technology Committee and Co-Founder of traceability and transparency solution provider FoodLogiQ. “Working smarter and more efficiently is the competitive advantage.”
A reflection of the organization’s endeavor to hone in on technology, the event is aimed to assist business decision makers from the supply chain’s production side—like growers, packers, shippers, and processors—and brings together invested people, applicable insights, and sensible solutions so attendees can capitalize on the great technology choices for their businesses.
PMA Chief Science & Technology Officer Bob Whitaker explains that the ideology of working smarter, not harder, “starts with taking a strategic, not a reactive, approach to evaluating technology. The key to making the most of technology is to make technology decisions at the right time and for the right reasons for your business.”
With this mentality in mind, a networking lunch kick-starts the collaboration between the attendees, presenters, and PMA staff experts, with Whitaker serving as the Conference’s emcee and moderator and business futurist Patrick Schwedtfeger as the opening keynote presentation. Schwedtfeger’s specialty is technology trends, and this includes artificial intelligence, blockchain, and social media.
Offered at the event are real-world experiences, helping attendees to pursue the best technologies for specific business challenges and 10-minute Lightning Learning Labs, which go over a multitude of business-related subjects. The event is tied up in a bow with a final opportunity for speakers, Lightning Learning Lab presenters, and attendees can chat about all the information they are walking away with.
Folks interested in this educational opportunity can register for the event here.
Further, PMA's Gold Circle supports keeping food safety in the limelight as a paramount issue for the fresh produce industry, and contributors from the Gold Circle help to fund programs and research; those interested in becoming a Gold Circle member can check it out here.
PMA's Tech Knowledge is also on the horizon, rolling out May 2nd-3rd of this year in Monterey, California. On top of these upcoming events, the organization has debuted some webinars and papers to help keep the produce industry at the forefront of innovation and smarts.
“PMA is committed to helping our members understand their true technology needs, and then mapping strategies to ensure maximum return on their investment,” said Whitaker.
How will these events assist in pushing our industry forward with creative and technological solutions? AndNowUKnow will continue to report!
