Friday
LUNCH GENERAL SESSION
Friday, Oct. 15, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
A.G. Lafley, former chairman and chief executive officer of Procter and Gamble, discusses branding, leadership and the significant turnaround he led at P&G. During Lafley's 10-year tenure at the company, P&G's sales doubled, profits quadrupled, and its market value increased by more than $100 billion dollars.
WORKSHOP SERIES I
Friday, Oct. 15, 2:45 - 4 p.m.
FOOD SAFETY: ARE YOUR BUSINESS PRACTICES PUTTING YOUR COMPANY AT RISK?
This informative session investigates a number of common practices that your team may be engaging in right now, whether they're strengthening your food safety program, or putting your organization at risk for a food-borne illness outbreak.
TRACEABILITY IN THE REAL WORLD
An entire supply chain panel, from growers to retailers, will share their findings, discuss how electronic traceability efforts worked for them, and provide invaluable insights as to what you can expect when the Produce Traceability Initiative takes effect.
WATCHING THE WORLD: A GLOBAL ECONOMIC FORECAST
This session provides a review of historic and current global trends, a detailed forecast for the future of the global economy, and what that forecast will mean for the business decisions you'll make in the next year and beyond.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR: WHAT'S NEXT?
The Supermarket Guru, Phil Lempert explores the potential scenarios for consumer spending in the next few years with a focus on how these scenarios will impact the produce industry, and your company's business model. Learn what the produce industry is likely to look like in the future, and what challenges and opportunities your business will face.
MAKING SMARTER CHOICES WITH STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING
Learn the value and best practices of strategic decision making, plus gain the confidence and insight to assess and frame complex issues, recognize common thinking traps, and balance short and long-term goals to make winning decisions every time.
THE TRUTH ABOUT PESTICIDES
In this workshop, leaders and industry experts from the Alliance for food and farming will review the findings of their recent scientific study on commonly used pesticides and help you understand the real impact pesticides have on fresh produce.
Saturday
BREAKFAST GENERAL SESSION
Saturday, Oct. 16, 7:30 - 9:20 a.m.
PMA President and Chief Executive Officer Bryan Silbermann discusses the challenges, trends and successes of the produce industry during the past year, as well as the issues that will affect your business in both the short- and long-term future.
WORKSHOP SERIES II
Saturday, Oct. 16, 9:35 - 10:50 a.m.
RESEARCH TO REAL-WORLD: THE BEST OF FOOD SAFETY INNOVATIONS
This session will explain the progress of the Center for Produce Safety's food safety research and its real-world implications. The expert panel will break it all down in layman's terms, review practical applications for your situation, and help you understand how this research will protect your customers and your bottom line.
FROM THE “HOW” TO THE “WHY”: A NEW LOOK AT TRACEABILITY
This informative session aims to answer why traceability is so important and why are the benefits significant? Join industry members in a group discussion and learn why traceability is a smart strategy for your business.
SMALL BUSINESS, BIG THINKING: EFFECTIVELY MANAGING YOUR FINANCES IN ANY ECONOMIC CLIMATE
From meeting costly government requirements to facing economic downturns, managing a business of less than 100 people presents its own set of unique financial challenges. This helpful session for small business owners is designed to provide insight and expert advice on sound financial practices and the best methods of incorporating these practices into small business environments.
FROM THE FRONT LINES: HOW PRODUCE MANAGERS CONNECT WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Retail produce managers are an unbeatable source of insight on the day-to-day knowledge of produce and consumer trends. Exploring trends ranging from packaging to the economy to locally grown, retail expert, Harold Lloyd will lead a panel of produce managers to examine the challenges and best practices of working together with suppliers to best serve consumers.
CREAM OF THE CROP: RECRUITING AND RETAINING TOP TALENT
Learn the most effective strategies for recruiting and retaining top talent, and how to motivate your teams to do whatever is needed to achieve your business goals. Discover the real reasons why good employees leave and how to create an environment that attracts talented people and makes them want to stay.
BRINGING MORE PRODUCE TO MORE PEOPLE
The fresh produce industry has identified some gaps in the distribution system, and has found new ways to make fresh produce more accessible to more people. The result has been increased consumption leading to more sales and higher profits.
Sunday
BREAKFAST GENERAL SESSION
Sunday, Oct. 17, 7:30 - 9 a.m.
Expert social networking strategist and founder of Relationship Economics David Nour discusses building, nurturing and leveraging a businesses' personal, functional and strategic relationships.
WORKSHOP SERIES III
Sunday, Oct. 17, 9:15 - 10:45 a.m.
KEEPING IT LOCAL: THE PROS AND CONS OF LOCAL SOURCING
Join us for a panel discussion that will take a frank look at the good and the bad of local sourcing, including finding local partners, identifying potential savings, meeting quality and safety standards, and determining if a local sourcing strategy is the smartest move for your business.
MARKET WATCH: THE IMPACT OF CHINA
Join us for a thorough investigation of both opportunities and challenges of the growing Chinese marketplace, from China's economy, consumer attitudes and behavior to infrastructure, food safety, and domestic produce competition.
LABELING FOR SUCCESS
The right label makes your product stand out from the competition. This session explores how various companies are incorporating unique labeling concepts into their processes. Attendees will learn how to leverage their best practices to make labeling a key component of their company's success.
GOING BACK TO THE WELL: TECHNIQUES FOR FACING WATER CHALLENGES
This workshop will help you understand the warning signs as well as the politics of apportioning water. It will provide you with various water management techniques and constructive steps you can take to deal with a shortage if it strikes. This panel discussion features produce industry members who have experienced water shortages in regions such as California, Australia, and Israel.
WHAT'S YOUR STORY? COMMUNICATING WITH CONSUMERS TO CREATE MORE CUSTOMERS
This session will help companies of all sizes to better understand what motivates consumers, and how to connect with them to increase consumption and profits. Participants will discover how incorporating marketing and merchandising practices from the locally grown movement can help create more loyal customers… and more sales.
LISTEN LOUDER: THE BUSINESS-BUILDING POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA
In this highly interactive session, led by David Nour, founder of Relationship Economics and Sunday's General Session Speaker, participants will explore some of the best ways to maximize the impact of social networking tools on their company's bottom line.
Monday
BREAKFAST GENERAL SESSION
Monday, Oct. 18, 8 - 9:45 a.m.
What does the future hold for the produce industry? Jim Carroll, a strategic thinking expert who has represented global companies including Nestle, Microsoft and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, explores trends that have a direct impact to the industry, and discusses how to address them in your future planning.
