The last week this week, the Southeastern Produce Council (SEPC) hosted its annually held Southern Exposure event, themed Produce: The Unseen Heroes. It focused on paying tribute to the countless workers in the industry of produce, but mostly in the background. To keep with the theme, lots of attendees were dressed in camo.
The interest in the festival continues. It’s likely that, to no one’s delight it was highly attended. It was the first time that attendance records were set, and an average of 3,400 were delighted to arrive in Tampa, Florida, to take part in the. It’s the weather that is a key aspect, but so is how intimate the gathering is in addition to the possibility to buyers over several days. “At this show I can connect with retailers in a way that I’ve never experienced at another event,” one exhibitor said.
The three-day networking party began by hosting Tom Page Golf Classic on Thursday, March 8. Tom Page Golf Classic on Wednesday, March 8. The following day, breakfast and lunch sessions and educational seminars as well as a reception and opening night galas took place. The Saturday that was the last day was kicked off by the keynote breakfast and afternoon trade fair where 292 vendors showcased their offerings and gathered with business colleagues, friends as well as buyers for a second time. Over the course of three days, visitors enjoyed themselves and were taken and well. “SEPC offers a variety of networking opportunities throughout the week,” shared Dan Davis from Washington Fruit Growers. “It was very satisfying to meet the number of people who attended in this short amount of time. The floor of the show is a great way to top off the relationships that were made during the course of the week.”
From the 3400 participants There were more than 700 buyers who self-registered and were granted access for free to the conference. When you are eligible, SEPC not only provides an entry fee to the event and lodging, but it also provides along with airfare reimbursement.
Visit this page to view an account of the photos taken at the exhibition.
A more spacious floor for the show
While attendance records were not broken, the space didn’t feel like it was as crowded on the flooring as it did in previous years. The larger hall for the exhibits allowed to have a larger setup as well as space for visitors to rest and relax after being for a few hours. In the floor area the issue of a shortage of grapes was mentioned numerous times. Even though this wasn’t the place to see brand new launches the new variety of blackberry, Sweet Karoline, was present, and a number of producers of berries showed the best variety big blueberries. The home compostable food packaging market is in the process of expanding.
It is so well-loved that more than 150 firms are on the waiting list to participate. When booths become accessible, a raffle will be held. those who attend SEPC’s events and participate in committees and sponsor the council have a better chance of winning to win the drawing.
“This season’s SEPC Southern Exposure was a huge success,” says Ray Wowryck of Nature Fresh Farms. “Networking with some of the top players in our field and interacting with future generations was the highlight for Nature Fresh Farms. We congratulate the SEPC for a great year.”
In the coming season, Southern Exposure will be again in Orlando However, the event will be in a different location that is at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Make your plans for the 6-8th of March in 2025.