ANAHEIM, CA - At industry shows like PMA Fresh Summit, it’s easy to get caught up in the showroom floor or the many networking opportunities, but just as important are the learning opportunities. Valuable panels populate the pages of the event’s itinerary, because in these situations the entire industry is gathered and can, as a group, receive training and inspiration that can elevate the produce world. Dan’l Mackey Almy, CEO of DMA Solutions, made sure to take advantage of the speakers and presentations at her disposal.

“We were able to have an interactive dialogue with a consultancy firm, sparks & honey, and they led us through micro and mega trends—we got to discuss how could this impact our industry,” she commented.

The presenters gave a master’s class on the evolution of food trends, breaking the topic up into three key areas—innovation, demographics, and entertainment—as a way to inform industry marketing strategies. As a marketer, Dan’l saw great potential in the presentation and noted that attendees from all different aspects of the industry could see the importance of how trends influence the world of produce, particularly trends that push the envelope.

“Even though they may be outlandish, if we’re thinking about them in a horizontal fashion, we’re going to benefit and be able to react to them sooner than we traditionally would when we think outside the box and think about them as tangible trends that we can actually respond to,” Mackey Almy said.

With all the resources at our disposal—especially at exceptional shows like Fresh Summit, it would be crazy not to take advantage of all the information and experience floating around in the ether. So, the next time you find yourself pondering whether to attend the next education panel you see, take a page out of Dan’l’s book and grab a seat, sit back, and get ready to expand your mind.

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DMA Solutions