Tuesday, December 11, 2018
New York Hilton

The Disruption of Established Markets
and Feeding the World’s Future (Retail) Consumer

7:00-8:00 am Registration

8:15-9:00 am Continental Breakfast

9:00-9:15 am General Session / Welcome Remarks
Jim Prevor/President and CEO Produce Business & PerishablePundit.com

9:15 am  – 10 am REJUVENATING FRESH PRODUCE THINKING
The future is arriving much faster than expected. But how can ‘traditional’ fresh produce companies prepare their internal cultures to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the future? Nic Jooste of Cool Fresh International in The Netherlands will take delegates on a whirlwind tour of the road that led to the company taking the initiative for the Market Match program, an event in which various fresh produce companies collaborated with 200 students from 7 universities and colleges.
Presenter:
Nic Jooste, Marketing Director, Cool Fresh International, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

10:15 am – 11:00 am COMMERCIAL INITIATIVES TO INCREASE CONSUMPTION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES – FROM HALLOWEEN TO THE WORLD SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
CAt Sweden’s largest supermarket chain ICA, the Fruit and Veg Category is creating initiatives to encourage kids to eat more healthfully in candy-intense periods such as Halloween and Easter. ICA also uses other commercial initiatives to increase consumption of fruit and veg for all its customers throughout the year. Maria Wieloch, senior category manager for fruit, vegetables and flowers at ICA, will share some of these initiatives.
Presenter:
Maria Wieloch, Senior Category Manager fruit, vegetables and flowers, ICA Gruppen, Helsingborg, Sweden

11:00 am – 11:30 am Networking Break

11:30 am – 12:15 pm REWE GROUP – MISFITS & REGIONALITY
In this presentation you´ll not only learn a bit about the competitive German market and the REWE Group, Germany’s leading growth retailer of the decade, but you will also get an insight into how their concepts look for two trending — if not exploding — market segments. Firstly, we’ll address the marketing of imperfect organic fruits and vegetables, an area where Penny has helped to raise consumer awareness on food-waste reduction throughout the chain, while at the same time helping its suppliers to increase marketable yields. Secondly, we’ll take a look at regional products, a rapidly growing category in Germany. We’ll outline how Rewe developed the strongest national brand “Rewe Regional”, originally driven by produce, but now increasingly capturing other food segments too.
Presenters:
Stephan Weist, Director Category Management Fruit, Vegetables, Flowers & Plants, REWE Group, Cologne, Germany
Patricia Brunn, Category Director Fruit and Vegetables; Flowers & Plants, Penny, Cologne, Germany

12:15 pm – 12:45 pm THE GLOBAL REACH OF THE U.S. PRODUCE INDUSTRY
The presentation discusses key drivers and trends of international trade of fruits and vegetables and how these affect the U.S produce industry, present and future. It focuses on the role of future global demand, import and export flows, trade agreements, as well as tariffs and non-tariff trade regulations, in shaping an increasingly globalized industry. In addition, it discusses actions that businesses should consider to benefit from participation in the global produce industry.
Presenter:
Miguel Gómez, Associate Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

12:45 pm – 1:45 pm Networking Lunch

1:45 pm – 2:30 pm REVOLUTIONIZING PRODUCE QUALITY FOR CONSUMERS
Have you ever bought an avocado and discovered in the kitchen that the fruit was not ready-to-eat? Have you ever been disappointed by the flavor of strawberries or the shelf life of a fresh-cut salad? Great taste, attractive appearance, and optimal shelf life are the key drivers of fresh produce consumption. Innovative Fresh recently launched InQuality, a unique concept that combines instore quality monitoring, produce training and a knowledge center to consistently lift the quality experience for consumers in retail. During his presentation Jelger will provide insights from the retail shelf, practical examples in fresh produce and the tools to lift the quality experience for consumers. Are you ready to be the Best in Fresh?
Presenter:
Jelger de Vriend, Co-Founder, Innovative Fresh, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2:30 pm – 3:15 pm FROM HAVANA TO HEAD OFFICE: INTERNATIONAL TRADE – Seen Through The Eyes Of Seald Sweet’s CEO
Recounting her personal and professional journey in International Trade, Mayda will show the growth of imported products throughout the years and how consumer demand has created shifts in international and domestic production. How consumption has evolved to include products from around the world all year long and how technology has changed international production, meeting consumer needs and trends. Mayda will tell her personal story and the changes that she has seen in the business by giving her vision of the future growth of the fruit and vegetable industry through the prism of a woman CEO for one of the largest produce companies in the world.
Presenter:
Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, CEO, Seald Sweet

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Networking Break

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Latin American opportunities & Challenges
Latin American Panel Chaired by:
Gustavo Yentzen, General Manager, Freshfruitportal.com
Presenters:
Juan Camilo Barrera, Agribusiness Executive Director, ProColombia USA
Jerald Down, President, Berry People
Jorge Echenique, General Manager, Last Land Farms
Andrew Schwartz, Founder, JAL Agro
William Weyland, Vice President of Imports, 7 Seas Fruit

4:40 pm – 4:45 pm Wrap-up